It's not the most practical mode of transportation, that's for sure... I've had to get used to messed up hair & makeup, and not wearing skirts, and not overpacking (a great feat indeed), not taking the whole house with me when I go places (something I am prone to do)... Taking multiple passengers is also more difficult, as is shopping (but maybe that's a good thing)... And, contrary to popular belief, the notion has crossed my mind that a motorcycle is not as safe a mode of transportation as, say, a car... or a hummer. However I beg to disagree with this statement. The safety of the rider depends on the skill level of the rider of the bike. Defensive riding is key to survival on a bike. A motorcycle has many more escape routes than a car or hummer or truck would. A motorcycle also is much more easily maneuverable. It is also much quicker to stop, or speed out of a tense situation.
However as unpractical as it is at times, it's very economical. Besides being unbelievable on gas, I save even more money when I go shopping - I don't even go anymore, since I have little means of taking home my purchases! I thought it was supposed to be a good thing to "live more with less"... isn't it? :)
One last point: the greatest thing about riding a bike is not the economicality of it. No, far from it. It is the flurry of excitement, the rush of adrenaline, the wind streaming through your hair, the beauty of the open road ahead and the great skies above, the anticipation of what's around the next corner, the exhilaration of pushing one's limits and testing one's skills.... I can't quite explain what it is that is so exhilarating, but that's just it - it's exhilarating!
I hope my skeptics can get a glimpse of what goes on in my mind when I say that I love to ride. I don't think I'll be ridinig forever - actually, I might even have to cut this season short, as it's a pretty expensive thing to keep up... but one day I hope to take it up again.
To my fellow riders:
Keep the rubber side down :)
2 comments:
One major safety advantage of motorcycles, in addition to those great ones you mentioned, is that you are much more aware of what is going on around you. In a car you are in a bubble and disconnected from drivers around you. You are less sensitive to the dangers that surround you. But on a bike you FEEL the speed, the angles, the momentum, and you are much more aware of drivers around you and what they might do... But enough. No one believes me. ;) Time for a bike!
People out here would agree with you, Louise and Curt. However, I don't. A bicycle does whatever a motorcycle does and does it even better. A bicycle is safer, cheaper, and more exhilarating than a motorcycle. It's also healthier.
And if there's a traffic jam, the bicycle is faster. Really, it is. And let me tell you, where I am there are no lack of traffic jams. So, there!
Post a Comment