Policy solutions on wheels
Where I come from, people don’t ride bikes. Unless you’re the rare health nut trying to get a workout or someone who can’t afford the costs of driving, you wouldn’t be caught dead pedaling around town. However, cycling can jeopardize more than social standing. Motorists’ lack of respect for two-wheeled, carbon-neutral transportation is so great that ending up flattened on the pavement is a risk not to be taken lightly. My father epitomizes our town’s attitude when he says he’d like to ride more, but he’s afraid his old-school refusal to don biking shorts and a helmet will lead everyone to think he’s homeless. So he, and the vast majority of residents, rely on their automobiles even when they’re headed somewhere only a few blocks away.
