In my previous post, I re-introduced a pair of articles
by writers who argue that helmet laws are impeding the acceptance of bicycling
by making it seem more dangerous that it is.
Their cases are largely anecdotal and not definitively proven, but
strong enough that they can’t be readily dismissed.
(Note: It’s
possible to simultaneously believe that helmet laws slow the acceptance of
bicycling and that helmets provide a safety benefit. I’m one of those who does exactly that.)
But surely
helmet laws aren’t the sole reason for low bicycle ridership. Starting today, I’ll offer some observations
of my own and of others about bicycle use.
Starting with schools and bicycle use by youths.
My wife and
I live on a busy local street that is less than a half-mile from three
different public schools, an elementary, a junior high, and a high school. I asked her how many children she’s seen
riding bicycles to school. She thought it
over and then offered “Two or three.” My
observation is about the same. So
between us, we’ve seen no more than six students bicycling to school. Total.
We’ve lived on this street for over seven years. That is an abysmal rate
of acceptance by what could be a prime bike-riding demographic.
Nor was the
acceptance rate much better when I was young.
I remember riding a bike to school frequently when I was in fourth and
fifth grades, but otherwise not much.
(Admission: I took many rides to and from school because I played the
baritone horn. The baritone is behind
only the tuba and string bass as a bike unfriendly instrument. Yes, I was a band geek.)
In high
school, I don’t recall many students at all riding bicycles. I don’t remember any overt comments, but the
general perception of the student body seemed to be that only misfits rode
bikes. Even on days when I knew I had no
other option for getting home, I’d take the bus to school and walk home, which
was a 2-1/2 mile hike. In retrospect, it
seems crazy, but at the time it seemed the correct decision. It may have also been the socially acceptable
decision among my peers.
It wasn’t that
we didn’t have bicycles. We certainly
did. I remember friends bicycling to my
house for fishing expeditions to a nearby river. I remember joining large groups of friends
for long bicycle rides during spring break.
But bicycles were firmly in the category of recreational equipment, not
tools of everyday living.
Nor has the
situation improved in the forty years since I graduated. In fact, it has gotten worse. This story from Bicycling
recounts the battle by a Saratoga Springs, New York mother for her son to be
allowed to ride his bike to middle school.
It’s a long article that covers a lot of ground, but it provides many solid
insights into the state of bicycling in the U.S.
And then
there is this report from Atlantic Cities about a Michigan high
school that suspended students for engaging in the dangerous practice of riding
bicycles to school.
I’m not
arguing that the failure of schools to encourage bicycling or the failure of
students to adopt bicycling is the reason for the low usage of bicycles in the U.S. But I do think that the two failures are
symptomatic of a bigger problem. Under-utilized or non-existent bicycle racks
at schools are canaries in the mine shaft. This will provide the topic for my next post.
As always,
your questions or comments will be appreciated.
Please comment below or email me.
And thanks for reading. - Dave Alden (davealden53@comcast.net)
No comments:
Post a Comment