Bike Commuting - The Last Refuge of Adventure

Bobster855 (from the Library of Congress)

On my way to work this morning, I was making my way from the right side of the street to a left-hand turn lane. A minivan was approaching from behind, so I waited for it to pass me before making my maneuver. As I rode behind the minivan, I noticed that it was adorned with a "Share the Road with Bicycles" bumper sticker. Wow, I thought. Here's a friend! My commute so far this morning has been so lonely and now here is someone who understands me!

As I proceeded forward in the left-hand turn lane, along the driver's side of the minivan, I peered into the driver's window expecting to get a thumb's-up, or at least a wink or something. Instead, what I saw was a grumpy woman with her head buried in her cell phone. Oh well, I thought. At least she had the bumper sticker.

It's hard to "share the road" with anyone, let alone bicycles, when you've got your eyes glued to your cell phone. I sat there for a few moments, waiting for the light to change and pondering the inconsistencies of life. The light changed, and my new friend drove off, still fixated on the cell phone as she entered the intersection.

Who am I to judge? I own a car. I even drive it sometimes, like when I have to go to court in another county. I find driving to be painfully boring. The first thing I want to do when I get behind the wheel is to immediately do something else. Usually I find myself searching all the cavities of the interior of my car for CDs to listen to. I'm not one of those cycling iPod guys, so listening to music while propelling myself down the road at great speed is a delicious novelty for me. I don't even have a "Share the Road with Bicycles" bumpersticker.

So what's the solution to driving while distracted? I have no idea. So many aspects of modern living have become painfully oppressive in their repetition and comfort. Based on old footage from the birth of the automobile era, it looks like driving used to be genuinely exciting. Bad roads, bad suspension, narrow tires, no windows, and lots of mechanical failures. Kind of like riding a road bike with 23c tires pumped up to 120 psi down a potholed Milwaukee boulevard. Nevertheless, driving a car must have been a real hoot back then. Driving was dangerous, and it felt dangerous. Nowadays, driving is still dangerous, but it feels safe.

Maybe that's why I'm so addicted to bike commuting. If I can get 30 minutes of outdoor adventure before and after every workday, I feel a little bit more alive. Cycling still feels a little dangerous, in a good way.

New York Public Library