Why I Bike to Work
So, Friday was National Bike to Work day, which was an event celebrated largely by businesses offering freebies to people who show their bike helmet. Hey, I'm all right with that, since it directly benefits me.
I posted on my facebook wall "Happy National Bike to Work day! Did you bike in?" and got, well, rather a lot of comments along the line of "I can't possibly ride my bike to work here are all the valid reasons!"
Seemed a bit defensive, if you ask me. I was just asking, in general, you know, if I had any friends who chose to bike in who don't normally. I mean, dude. I'm well aware that our culture is built around an unsustainable sprawl that forces people to drive insanely far to their jobs. (Personally, I think a few Green Laws would help, but I digress. This is not my America Needs Green Laws rant.)
I chose, very deliberately, to live near where I work. And then I chose, very deliberately, not to seek employment further away when I lost my job. I only applied to jobs on the east side of Cleveland. Seems crazy, huh? But that was my choice and I took it. I'd have worked outside of my field to stay close to home. Because I never have and never will commute an hour to work. It's my opinion that that's just too much of my life.
That said, I know people who do commute over an hour to work - by bike. Shelli bikes from Lakewood to University Circle. Phill walks from Richmond Heights to East 9th. WALKS. Well, he likes to walk, and its worth it to him to take longer on a commute.
See... the point is: we all choose what we do. It's easy to say "I had no choice", but ultimately, there's always some choice. And I choose to ride my bike to work.
And here's the thing people gotta get: I don't like it.
Well, that's not true. I've gotten so I freakin' love it, but when I started bicycle commuting, it was a big fat horrid BOTHER. I had to get up early. EARLY! Inhumane. And I had to get dressed twice. I have mild panic attacks on every other day when I have to pick my outfit - now I had to do it TWICE, one outfit for biking, one for work. And I get sweaty. And it's cold. Sometimes it's cold and sweaty at the same time. FUN. And I have to wash my face and re-comb my hair when I get to the office. And that hill really does suck balls.
I don't do it for the exercise. Not really. I despise cardio. The one real reason I do all this is that I know I am guilty of having a huge negative impact on the earth, as all first-world citizens do, and I want to mitigate that a little.
That's it. That's the whole, entire motivation. It's why I bring a mug and a recycled bag to the coffee house every morning for my mocha and pastry. It's why there's a plastic fork and plate in my office cabinet that have been washed 98 times. I'll get up in the freezing-ass morning and put on clothes I don't like and stuff my backpack full so I can get sweaty and dodge traffic... just so I don't burn another gallon of gas.
And if you live within ten miles of your workplace, I really, really think you should try it, too.
I posted on my facebook wall "Happy National Bike to Work day! Did you bike in?" and got, well, rather a lot of comments along the line of "I can't possibly ride my bike to work here are all the valid reasons!"
Seemed a bit defensive, if you ask me. I was just asking, in general, you know, if I had any friends who chose to bike in who don't normally. I mean, dude. I'm well aware that our culture is built around an unsustainable sprawl that forces people to drive insanely far to their jobs. (Personally, I think a few Green Laws would help, but I digress. This is not my America Needs Green Laws rant.)
I chose, very deliberately, to live near where I work. And then I chose, very deliberately, not to seek employment further away when I lost my job. I only applied to jobs on the east side of Cleveland. Seems crazy, huh? But that was my choice and I took it. I'd have worked outside of my field to stay close to home. Because I never have and never will commute an hour to work. It's my opinion that that's just too much of my life.
That said, I know people who do commute over an hour to work - by bike. Shelli bikes from Lakewood to University Circle. Phill walks from Richmond Heights to East 9th. WALKS. Well, he likes to walk, and its worth it to him to take longer on a commute.
See... the point is: we all choose what we do. It's easy to say "I had no choice", but ultimately, there's always some choice. And I choose to ride my bike to work.
And here's the thing people gotta get: I don't like it.
Well, that's not true. I've gotten so I freakin' love it, but when I started bicycle commuting, it was a big fat horrid BOTHER. I had to get up early. EARLY! Inhumane. And I had to get dressed twice. I have mild panic attacks on every other day when I have to pick my outfit - now I had to do it TWICE, one outfit for biking, one for work. And I get sweaty. And it's cold. Sometimes it's cold and sweaty at the same time. FUN. And I have to wash my face and re-comb my hair when I get to the office. And that hill really does suck balls.
I don't do it for the exercise. Not really. I despise cardio. The one real reason I do all this is that I know I am guilty of having a huge negative impact on the earth, as all first-world citizens do, and I want to mitigate that a little.
That's it. That's the whole, entire motivation. It's why I bring a mug and a recycled bag to the coffee house every morning for my mocha and pastry. It's why there's a plastic fork and plate in my office cabinet that have been washed 98 times. I'll get up in the freezing-ass morning and put on clothes I don't like and stuff my backpack full so I can get sweaty and dodge traffic... just so I don't burn another gallon of gas.
And if you live within ten miles of your workplace, I really, really think you should try it, too.