Rain and Cyclists
With all of this rain SoCal has been getting lately, I’ve been thinking about cyclists. Not just any cyclists though. I’m talking about people that have to ride a bike, not people that choose to ride a bike. I choose to ride a bike, and when I get lazy, or when the weather is less than inviting I can drive.
I notice on my bike commutes that I see alot of people on bikes. Only about half of them seem to be enjoying themselves though. One half are wearing helmets and other “cyclist” related gear, but the other half are just in everyday clothes. I guess sometimes I take it for granted that I can ride a bike into work, or I can drive. For some of these cyclists though, it’s their only option. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great option, to me. But for them, it’s just a means to an end. Not the fun way to work, just the way to work.
I’m just guessing here, but they probably feel the opposite way I do when I’m in my truck. “I wish I was on my bike today” is replaced with “I wish I was in a car”. I sometimes wonder how they ended up out there on a bike.
Whatever the reason I can’t help but feel bad, and maybe somewhat guilty. I always try and wave and say hello to fellow cyclists, but you can tell that they aren’t enjoying the ride as much as I am. If anything it makes you stop and maybe appreciate things a little bit more.
Well, it’s my only option (unless I take the bus, which isn’t much of an option) since I don’t own a car, but like you, if I was on the bus, I’d be wishing I was on my bicycle.
In my neighborhood, there are a lot of people living in poverty or semi-poverty, which whole families crammed into one bedroom apartments. Many of these people use bikes as a means of transport, and I see them frequently when I’m out on my bike; however, they’re the first people I see ditching their bikes for the bus or walking when it rains.