HG Wells once said, "Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of mankind."
I find that I can relate to Wells' statement now more than ever. The United States is becoming more auto-centric every day, with cyclists and other nondrivers being pushed further and further into the fringes of society.
To counter the subjugation of nonmotorists and promote alternative modes of transport, the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council created the Smart Commute event.
In its third year, Smart Commute designates a time every summer to encourage people to work from home, bike, walk, carpool, take the bus or use any other form of transportation besides a single-occupant vehicle.
Don't get me wrong, I applaud Mid-MEAC for attempting to promote alternative transportation. My only question is: Why can't we do this all year?
There are cities where using public transportation is easy, affordable and not reserved for a segment of society on the low rung of the social ladder.
There are cities where riding your bike to work is a viable option for the majority of the population.
In Michigan we are especially susceptible to the tyranny of the automobile. Our state relied on the auto industry for so long economically, and it shaped the way our biggest cities are designed.
Cities are spread out, there is little to no public transportation and many roads don't have bike lanes. This puts pressure on everyone to get into their automobile as quickly and as often as possible.
The automobile has become like a second home to so many people in this country.
Inside a mammoth SUV with tinted windows, televisions in the headrests, iPod hookups and any other amenity imaginable, this second home feeling is no surprise. This is making people more and more isolated and detached from the world outside their car doors.
It is a common practice for people to attempt to escape the outside world. Americans, especially, are creating an increasingly privatized society. The automobile is simply one more way for them to cut themselves off and live in an unrealistic state.
Furthermore, this automobile fixation is physically harmful. It is well known that the United States has an obesity problem.
Fad diet books, home workout equipment and personal gym memberships are all huge moneymakers in this country. But despite people's Atkins diets, daily Bowflex use and driving 10 miles to run five on the treadmill at the gym, we are still an obese nation.
Then there are gas prices, which will reach $4 per gallon any day now.
There are foreign wars being waged for the sake of oil to keep our driving public happy while they speed down the expressway.
There are increasing levels of carbon emissions, and the pumping of numerous deadly chemicals into the air we are all breathing. These emissions are one cause of global warming, which is an issue for which everyone will have to pay the consequences. It would seem these global crises are overlooked by the American driving public.
Why then am I the crazy one for choosing to ride a bike? Why after being hit by a motorist, does he place the blame on me?
According to the Michigan Vehicle Code, cyclists are allowed the same rights on the road as cars.
Many drivers in the area, however, choose to not grant these rights, driving unsafely or honking at cyclists. Motorists must realize they are operating a potentially deadly machine.
A slight turn of the wheel, or twitch of the foot on the accelerator, could mean instant death for those nearby who aren't encased in two tons of steel. Too many people are killed or injured every year by irresponsible motorists.
Smart Commute '07 is taking place through next week in Greater Lansing. Use this time to consider some sort of transportation other than an automobile.
Matt Flint is the State News opinion editor. Reach him at flintmat@msu.edu.
