body count

Yesterday I dropped my bike off at Bend Bike-N-Sport (excellent service) for a tune-up prior to the Tour Des Chutes cancer benefit. 100 miles is my poison.

While awaiting my evac, I watched each car that drove by to see how many persons were present. 90% (or so) of the cars that drove by in a 14-minute period were solo. The others had another person in the passenger seat. Usually these were heavy equipment dudes, as evidenced by the matching hi-visibility vests they each wore.

I think all of the cars were designed to carry five passengers at least. Some were equipped with more seats than that. I concede it was lunch time, so worker bees gotta get out of the hive and get some food or run errands. But...that is a lot of empty space, wasted space, useless space. Why could they not ride a bike to do X (where X=anything)?

Are we back to the burdensome bothersome hassle argument? I do not buy that. Is it about speed and getting back by a certain time? I might buy that if you are punching a clock, but not everyday. I will never know the answer, unless I stop everyone and survey them. But that would waste gas.

To read my stuff, you might think I am pompous about bike-commuting. Maybe. Maybe I earned that right while commuting in the heavy Salem rains of last November. But, if you think you can out-argue me on this, forward me your counter. Tell me your reasons why you cannot get in the saddle and use the single-most efficient form of transportation to get from A to B. Better, I challenge you to do it for a week...five days of work. If you are guilt-prone, it is the least you can do for this town.

If we all did a little more, there might be...might be...fewer cars to count and healthier bodies.

Word.