 Today's Picture: During this year's tour across Iowa called RAGBRAI, back in July, I snapped a photo of this little tike on a bike. He reminded me of myself, staring back from half a century ago. For a moment I paused to wonder whether his world is becoming more – or less – friendly toward bicyclists and pedestrians.
Can there be any doubt that our man-made environment is a whole lot less hospitable toward human life than it was 50 years ago? I can remember walking and riding my bicycle anywhere and everywhere – without a care in the world and wearing no helmet.
I grew up moving from Chicago suburbs to Atlanta to Orlando to Louisville – with an extra Chicago stint sandwiched in there somewhere. I can't remember ever feeling threatened by motorized traffic. I always had the feeling that people in cars were looking out for us kids on bikes and running through the streets.
No, I take that back. There was this one guy. His name was Wiley. He drove a bullet-staped, blue Studebaker. He raced up the street as if he were a volunteer firefighter responding to a call. But he wasn't and he wasn't. All the kids on our block would clear the way, freeze in our tracks, and chant in unison at the top of our voices: "RECKLESS DRIVER WILEY! RECKLESS DRIVER WILEY!" I don't think he ever heard a word over the roar of his motor.
These days the Wileys are all around. Kids don't play ball on city streets. Think about it. Where have all the children gone, long time passing?
We rode our bikes to school, to Little League practice, to the movies. I never owned a bike lock. None of my friends locked their bikes. We never even heard of a bike being stolen.
So, now we suddenly have cyclists and pedestrians getting vocal, insisting on sidewalks, bike routes, and other basic facilities needed to get around in cities designed exclusively for cars. Looking back, we have to wonder how we got here. Oh, yeah, of course, by car.
We've been so intox icated by the ability to turn a key and go that we turned our backs on every other option. "What? – You're Walking?" People are astonished. "No kidding? You rode your BIKE here?" And then you tell them it's not a motorcycle – it's a bicycle. "NO WAY!"
Somewhere along the way we made a wrong turn. We taught our kids to be afraid to go outside. We wore out minivans carting our children to organized sports that they could have organized themselves – the way we did most of the time. We made it impossible for them to ride bikes and walk to school.
Too bad most kids don't know real American freedom that had only one restriction: Mom said to be home by dinner and believe me, she meant it.
PS: Remember, every lane is a bike lane. Share the road.
freewheelin
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Enjoy the ride home.
See you at pedalaround.blogspot.com
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bikecommuter