And since the first human-like creature used the first tool there’s been no escaping the fact that our tools change us. Not just help us. Change us.

So I was interested to read What Drivers Really Thing About Bikers: The History And Psychology of Sharing the Road in Good.

Two things:

1. The article if full of troubling moments, e.g. citing safety data without the proper caveats.

2. The tool we call the bicycle also contributes to a particular psychology that doesn’t mix well with the motorist psychology mentioned in the article. For example, check out this video:

That’s way cool

But…

It’s also an excellent illustration of the psychology of bicycling. On a bicycle we are encouraged to think of the entire planet is a surface for us to ride on without hindrance or rules. Stop signs? Too much trouble. Parking lots? Short cuts. Sidewalks? Hey man, like, paved!

I think we need to bring the psychology of our own two feet more specifically to bear on our use of the public commons we call streets. Our feet have been with us since the beginning and, therefore, carry the evolutionary programming that dictates a particular kind of relationship with the environment and our fellow travelers.

When we move at speeds beyond what we can walk, we seem to lose ourselves in ourselves and lose a concept of others as fellow travelers who deserve our care and attention.

UPDATE: I saw aspect of the psychology of motoring just a few minutes ago while coming home from the store pulling a trailer full of groceries (at no time was I in danger). All of this tooks place in less than 100 yards: I was traveling south on Pickwick (a wide residential street). Up ahead was a car and a lawn-care truck parked on opposite sides of the street. My best action was to take the middle and split the vehicles. As I was doing so, a motorist approached from behind at a bit over the 25-mph speed limit (estimated 30 mph compared to my 12 mph). I pulled into a more normal lane position after I split the cars. The motorist, now hot on my tail, squeezes by me, leaving just a few feet to spare. The motorist “had” to do so (the quote marks do not indicate irony) because there was a small traffic island just ahead with a speed limit sign — a traffic calming device. After pulling quickly back to the right — still traveling an estimated 30 mph — the motorist proceeds to turn into a driveway just about 30 yards farther on. In other words, this motorist was seconds away from his/her destination but could not be bothered to follow me, which would have been the safest and most caring, courteous choice.

Technorati Tags: bicycle advocacy, bicycle culture, cycling

1. Me traveling along Cherry east-bound at MSU. Girl pulls out of sorority parking lot on bicycle, also heading east. Me traveling in a commanding lane position 5 feet from curb roughly right-center in the lane. She riding along the face of the gutter. Car approaches from behind and passes me by pulling into the west-bound lane (no oncoming traffic). Just ahead — 40 yards maybe — the car pulls back into the lane and passes the girl — a couple of feet to spare — in the 10-foot lane.

2. Me stopped at the 4-way at Walnut and South — south-bound on South and signaling a left onto Walnut. Guy on a bicycle behind me passes me on the right and runs the stop sign. As I begin my left turn, he makes the same left across my path from the extreme right. He then skims along the parked cars rather than controlling the narrow, 20-mph lane.

3. Me traveling south on Fremont after having made the turn from Cherry. Car parked on the left. Car approaching on the left. And a bicyclist approaching me against traffic. The squeeze play is on. I take a position in the center. Car coming north waits behind parked car. I signal to the offending bicyclist to drive on the right. He ignores me.

UPDATE: A cogent, nutshell response from Keri Caffrey (from the comments, but deserves play out front, emphasis added):

Problem with bicycling: Perception that it is dangerous

Contributing factor: pervasive high-risk behavior

Reason for behavior: dysfunctional beliefs

Feedback loop: results of behavior confirm beliefs of bicyclists and everyone who encounters them, feeding the core problem

Needed solution: belief correction through good education, social marketing and community-building

Non-solution being implemented to the exclusion of real solutions: bike lanes and cycletracks (which reinforce beliefs and do nothing to correct behavior).

Technorati Tags: bicycle advocacy, bicycle safety, cycling, traffic

Oooops. You watched them, didn’t you? And after I told you not to.

So, is it clear why theses are bad videos?

Here’s a hint: lane positioning.

It simply cannot be that these videos are a mistake and that Andy Clarke, president of the LAB, isn’t entirely aware of what these videos show. Therefore, it is my entirely reasonable conclusion that he hasn’t a clue about proper, safe lane positioning.

IMO, lane positioning (including following the rules and general traffic awareness) — not bright colors and helmets — is what keeps you safe on the road. But, I suppose wearing bright colors and helmets helps the bicyclists in these videos, seeing as how they have put themselves in danger by riding too far to the right. So yeah, better wear the Day-glo and helmet.

UPDATE: Check out the chatter on the LAB website.

Technorati Tags: bicycle advocacy, bicycle education, bicycle safety, cycling, traffic

Here’s the thing: I would not be doing it — commuting by bicycle — if it were difficult to do. Seriously.

Why is it not difficult? Primarily it is not difficult because I live 3/4 of a mile from my job. I live 3/4 of a mile from my job (in Springfield’s urban core) on purpose – precisely to make bicycling and walking to work (and everywhere else) easy.

And this is why I’m not a big promoter of BBWTWW. I’m not against it; I’m just not on the front lines encouraging anyone to get out there this one week and try bicycle commuting. For far too many people, it is difficult precisely because they live too far from work in car-centric neighborhoods.

Further, the iconography of such weeks are invariably sport cycling-centric. Does that spandex look, and do those racing bicycles, really make novices comfortable with the idea of bicycle commuting? I wonder.

As a promotional and educational exercise, I prefer the 1-mile Solution — the recent topic of my presentation at PechaKucha. A greater number of people, I think, can practice the 1-MS than can commute to work by bicycle. And for those who cannot commute, well, how about keeping a bicycle at work and practicing the 1-MS there? The iconography is of the 1-MS is different, too. Below are two of the photos I used in my PechKucha presentation — at the place where I talk about not making bicycle riding more difficult than it has to be.

Let’s grow participation the easy way. The commuting will come as people gain experience and confidence (and as the suburbs continue to struggle) — and as they reap the benefits of bicycling.

Technorati Tags: 1-mile Solution, bicycle advocacy, bicycle commuting, cycling, utility cycling

Check out the Bamboo Bike Studio.

Technorati Tags: bicycle advocacy, bicycle design