It’s an emotional thing
I don’t have time to write much tonight, but I’ve just got to post this - via Marc at Amsterdamize.com. It’s a slide from “a presentation given by Hans Voerknecht, International Director of Fietsberaad, the Dutch Bicycle Council. It is, by itself, a pretty awesome slide - a pretty clear ‘win’ for bikes on every measure:”
I’ve nothing more to say about this, except . . . *GRIN* 
Workout:
- Type: Cycle
- Date: 12/17/2008
- Total Time: 1:20:00.00
- Calories: 834
- Distance: 18 miles
- Average Speed: 13.5 mph
Data OK for Netherlands, but what about here, or US?
Having cycled both in the UK and over here in NL, I would have to say that the level of fear and anger that I experienced in the UK was very much higher than it is here. and the level of joy is much higher here.
Largely this comes down to drivers trying to shove you off the roads in the UK. A form of aggression that I have never experienced once here.
The Aversion column is interesting. Cycling is the most attractive way to get about here. The bike is the default means of transport for virtually everyone. It seems they use other means only because of distance or carrying loads that they can’t fit on the bike. I suspect you’d see a lot more aversion to cycling in the UK.
Even over here, even in London, the moments of joy while cycling far far outweigh the fear… for every SMIDSY driving through you instead of round you, there are 100 moments where the sun is out, the wind is at your back, and you’re flying…
… but who the heck are those 10% reporting joy at using public transport?
As has been said, it would be very instructive to compare those Dutch figures with the equivalent for other countries. In the UK one would expect much higher levels of anger and fear all round (if people respond truthfully) and much less joy.
Pedestrians seem to hate cyclists, who hate motorists, who seem to hate everything, and everybody despises the reality of public transport. It’s a vicious circle resulting from decades of totally imbalanced transport investment and it’s hard to see how we can now extricate ourselves.
[...] after yesterday’s post about how happy people on bikes [in the Netherlands] are, here’s the flip [...]
[...] Apparently the emotion that most people link with cycling as a mode of transport is joy. Yeah well, not today it wasn’t. Or at least not for me. The other half - while being very sympathetic to my predicament and all - couldn’t stop laughing when I arrived in full-on drowned rat mode at the door. [...]
My commuting bike is a Surly/Xtracycle which often starts many conversations with curious strangers. I have a handful of one-liners to get across the idea behind the Xtracycle. People ask what it’s for, I say, “Carrying 200lbs of groceries.” As for the joy of the ride, I say, “Sometimes I look for an excuse to run an errand just to ride it.”
That’s productive joy.
Well, she wags a bit when I really do get near 200.. but the handling remains superb even with a 100 lb. load. I’ve been able to give rides (with confidence) to 150 lb. adult passengers, too!