Cars Grrrrrrrrr.

I suppose I should provide an explanation as to why the bicycle is my chosen and prefered mode of transport. Well my fixation began early, I got my first bike at the age of four or five. It was a christmas present a red bmx with white plastic spoked wheels, I was mobile. After several years I graduated to another red bike a road mountain hybrid (12 speed) of indeterminate brand which I think is still at the back of the garage somewhere, I remember this being a very heavy item. When I outgrew this is I proceeded to my fathers old (1980s) tubular steel framed Peugeot racer, a wonderful bike on which I passed many miles and many years. My brothers still use it today although I recently had a go and found it immensely painful to ride due mostly to the weight and the fact that none of the gears are not working properly anymore. Somewhere in there I remember an ancient blue ten speed racer to but the peugeot was always my choice if it was available.

I grew up in ireland were it was not common for a teenager to have a car because of expense and the fact that it was not a necessity. So I used my bike to get around and soon realised there was no point in getting a car there was often no were to park also I couldn't drive a car after drinking and as drinking is a popular pass time here the car would be redundant most of the time. Also a bike doubles as a handy crutch for the walk home.

After leaving school I proceeded directly to college were I had little time to work and so for monetary reasons was forced to utilize public transport most of the time and my bike on the weekend. But sitting on the bus every day looking out at the thousands of people in their cars not moving for up to ten minutes at a time because of the traffic as the bus sped by in its own lane or QBC to quote the proper term (Quality Bus Corridor). I felt I had made the right choice in not enslaving myself to two tonnes of metal a bank & an insurance company oh and lets not forget the government, all of whom are supported to a greater or lesser extent by car ownership. I suppose Im letting you see the anarchist in me, disruption through denial.

I feel It must be pointed that the car is the slowest most expensive and most polluting way to commut but I do realize that for some it is a real necessity even their livelihood but for the majority it is not. It is also claimed by many here in ireland that the public transport system is inadequate and unreliable, this is partially true as not all areas are served by the dart and often getting from one satellite town to another means going via the city centre. This is mainly due to poor urban planning but if it were not for the thousands of people sitting one to a car clogging up the roads at rush hour the journey times for these commutes would be greatly reduced and so would become tolerable.

These days I have been cycling to the train station about ten kilometers from my house from there the train only takes about 15 minutes to reach the office making my total journey time just over thirty five minutes, if i were to take the bus it would be anything from one hour to one hour and a half and by car even longer. True I do have to suffer driving rain, sky grit, fog, dogs, dangerous drivers, sub zero temperatures, high winds, potholes, birds, flies and a whole range of other dangers and discomforts but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Anyway I will suffer all this and more for the freedom my bike gives me financial freedom and a sort of moral freedom, I am superior to the car lover. I am harder, fitter, angrier and I will not be pushed to the roadside. Maybe i am joking or maybe i am the cycling equivalent of the unabomber. I have always cycled and I will continue as long as i can and i will try to promote the most efficient form of transport there is whenever i can.