Possibly. It’s also the case that most of people I regularly interact with are people who already make an effort to be fairly eco-friendly within their means.

I’ll emphasize one last time, however, that it is possible to be of any means whatsoever and still recognize that there are motivations for doing things in life that go beyond immediate financial gain.

Of course it is.

I also suspect that the UK is better set up for people wanting to make this particular car-to-bike/public transport switch. It’s easy to get a second-hand bike, it’s easy to find someone who’ll show you how to maintain one, it’s relatively easy to find cyclable routes to most places, and as things aren’t as spread out as in the US, it’s probably more of a newbie-friendly area to start cycling. Or at least that’s my impression. I’d have been scared to cycle in the US, although now having read your blog I might be trying it the next time I’m in your part of the world. It’s cool that you’re blogging about these issues.

–IP

Not at all a reasonable assumption. Far from it. The culture here on that point is very different from what you’re used to, I suspect. It is very much more the case that people immediately ask how much you paid for something as the opening line in a conversation, no matter what their apparent means are. In fact, in very many cases they won’t talk to you at all, sadly, except to ask that question. Feeling the pinch or not, people use a simple dollar amount on something that they see as a means of immediately ruling something in or out as viable for them. This tends to shut down much in the way of nuanced conversations about things and so I tend to avoid such discussions and steer the conversation elsewhere.

But this all missed the point entirely, so I won’t go on. The point is that I’m talking about people making assumptions about why someone else did something, not whether they’d do it themselves. The two can be connected, but need not (and often are not).

I’ll emphasize one last time, however, that it is possible to be of any means whatsoever and still recognize that there are motivations for doing things in life that go beyond immediate financial gain. That’s ultimately what I’m talking about.

Your thoughts about keeping it light are of course good, and I’m glad that you follow that, and I hope it works well for you. Excellent. In the blog post I was simply trying to share the humour of the gut feeling I had, not seriously threatening to go out and offend people. I’m sorry if that wasn’t clear.

Cheers,

-cvj

I got that. Sorry I was unclear in my post. What I actually meant was that you may not want to say something that *sounds* down on “money as motivation” to the person you’re speaking to if you don’t know their financial circumstance (I’m assuming that if they are themselves bringing up the money issue, it’s because they’re feeling the pinch) and you might not have time to explain your opinion in such a way as to do it justice in a 2-minute or 5-minute chat.
When I was cycling regularly and people asked me about it, I’d say something like what I posted above or something like “Actually, the reason I cycle is that I enjoy it and it’s convenient, keeps me healthy, and it’s good for the environment. But you’re right that it’s also basically free, so that’s an extra bonus for me.”

Anyway, it’s nice to boast about the positive aspects of cycling — for a lot of things it *is* convenient, fun, ethical, healthy, etc.

Obviously, if you know the person well and know that they agree with you on the petrol issue then it’s a different situation.

–IP

Thanks. Just for the record:- I am not “down on money-as-motivation”, as I stated clearly in the post… I am down on people assuming that it is the only motivation.

Best,

-cvj

Glad you’re continuing to enjoy your cycling. I miss cycling when I’m not well enough to rely on my bike. My poor bike needs some TLC.

Cheers,
IP

I have a quip I like to mention in such conversations about driving and why you should try to do less of it- if you’re left-wing you shouldn’t because you worry about the environment, and if you’re right-wing you shouldn’t because you worry about giving all your money to the Middle East at the pump. Either way, the message is clear.

-cvj

All the best,
cvj

I try to save that for my blog posts…

Hi Adam… Wow! I had no idea you were reading. Great! My answer is in two pieces. First, I’d say that there is a lot of the classist mindset in operation when it comes to statements about how dangerous the area is. It frustrates me a great deal to see the damage that is done to the neighbourhood in this way. There are dangers, like in any city, but things are highly overstated. Highly. If you scare everyone off the streets by telling them as soon as they arrive that it is dangerous (largely because it “looks” dangerous by virtue of the kinds of people you can see as you drive by in your car), then your going to have deserted streets and then of course it’ll be less safe as a result. Sigh. (It also does not help that the public safety office sends an email to everyone at USC every time there is a crime, no matter how trivial… apparently it is a legal requirement…. but what is the point of that except to scare people and make things seem worse than they really are?)

Anyway, having said that, the issue of buses at night here is a thorny one. For anything up to about eight thirty or nine o’clock I’d say that things are moderately ok, depending upon the route. If it’s a major road like Wilshire or Sunset or Vermont, etc, I mean. Then, less traffic works in your favour, since even though less frequent the buses run closer to schedule, so rather than wait there at a stop in the dark for one to come on the off-change, you can arrive five minutes before it is due and not wait so long. Things get pretty infrequent after that time though, on most routes… there can be a lot of waiting, and at that time there are fewer people around and so it is less than good if you are on your own or feeling vulnerable.

(I’ve waited for night buses at all sorts of times of night (I plan ahead and bring a copy of the schedule for the route with me), but I guess I have the dubious advantage of being a member of one of the groups that people assume - by looking at me - is part of the danger, and so I’m pretty much ok. This is not true for others, I know.)

This is a major problem that the MTA has not stepped up to look at, as far as I can tell. They don’t seem to be aware that people want to get around at night, and so the frequency of buses on many routes plummets once it gets dark. Not just MTA. Look at LADoT’s excellent DASH service. The one between downtown and USC stops at 6:30pm! Makes no sense at all. If that were in place, USC students could easily connect to the subway and more of the region at night…. hollywood, pasadena, etc…

So it is a mixed bag. At not-too-late time of night, pick major routes if you can and get to know the schedule. It is online. metro.net , along with lots of maps and so forth (some maps not updated with new routes, I noticed). E.g….if you want to connect to the subway from USC once the DASH has stopped, take the 754 (until 8:30), and 204 (local) up Vermont, or the 200 (local) up Hoover. Get off at Wilshire and Vermont (or Hoover and 7th for 200). Subway right there. It is also stupidly infrequent at night 12 - 20 minutes… maybe longer when very late. But the schedule works.

(And I still claim that the dangers about the neighbourhood at night are overstated and damaging. It is kind of a separate issue.)

Cheers,

-cvj

First of all, hello. I’ve been lurking on this blog now and again since I took your seminar at SC last year, but this is the first time I’ve posted. I’ve got a question.

A big reason that many USC students don’t take public transport is safety. We’re constantly told how dangerous our area is, particularly the bus stops (I’ve heard this from bus drivers, among others). It’s particularly relevant to me because I don’t really go anywhere except at night, and the people I know who do take buses at night alone don’t feel safe.

I know we’re often told to “trust our gut” when it comes to safety, but how much of this is real versus the classist mindset you talked about?

This has me all excited about public transport - I think I’ll take the bus tonight (I’m in South Orange County now so it’s purely luck that there’s even a bus that goes where I want to go).

Physics Professor - Kook.
Physics Professor riding bike - Unhinged Kook.

(Excellent… I definitely don’t want to be a garden variety Kook.)

-cvj (UK)

I’m not sure I’d characterize the divide between “haves” and “have-nots” in such stark terms, although I must admit, I have not commuted regularly by public transit in a long time (although I recently took a Metrolink - subway trip for a job interview, mainly to see how that commute compared with driving it*).

I’d point out, for instance, that on Metrolink (intercity trains), the demographic is generally professionals, although, once you hop on a subway or bus out of Union Station, the mix leans heavily towards working class and the working poor.

What Pyracantha points out alludes to something deeper: Our perceptions of our own wealth or lack thereof. In a city that hosts the entertainment industry, perception and image account for a great deal. Far too much, in my opinion. That’s why certain demographics don’t want to be seen boarding a bus. That’s why physics professors riding bikes are assumed to be unhinged kooks. (Holding a BS in physics, I can say that such perceptions are wrong: Physics professors are not unhinged kooks. They’re just kooks

As to why I commute by car? I can throw up the usual well-trod excuses: “Takes too long (which is true, my 30 minute commute would turn into 1 hour)”, “Need to run errands, like picking up groceries on the way home…” But really, I’m guilty of being in the same rut everyone else behind the wheel is.

Regarding the time inflation on public transit commutes: That’s easily some extra sleep, or time to research an issue at work.

*I didn’t get the job, but commuting by public transit was a far better experience. Took about the same amount of time, as well.

I haven’t yet had to deal with any strangers pulling up and unloading their half-baked justifications as to why they think I bike… as if I just got in the saddle yesterday because I drew some line when gas hit $4.50 a gallon. To have those interactions would certainly be an improvement from those endless years of idiots who demanded I “get a car!” or “get my license out of suspension!” but I’d still bristle a bit if they made assumptions that weren’t true.

Having begun bike commuting waaaaay back when gas was 75-80% cheaper than it is today, price has never been an issue so much as the enjoyment and satisfaction that I derive from the activity — and that’s what I try to tell people who sincerely want to know why: ultimately it’s because I like it.

e.

If you take some time and find the Congressional Appropriation Law for the Dept of Transporation you will often find that the grants and subsidies for public transportation are very, very low; even discouraged or disallowed. Some funds are available for things such as Bus Rapid Transit or BRT. (I work for the US DOT). The BRT is not a bad idea, however, more buses just mean more use of fossil fuels. Also, there is still that odd stigma the goes along with “bus people” that would limit ridership. I don’t feel that way, but many do.

In my case, for example, it would take me close to two hours or more to travel by what would be 1) bus to 2) commuter train to 3)metro. The most reliable one of these three legs is the bus, as the MARC train (MD Transit) is antiquated and frequently malfunctions. As for the DC metro, this isn’t the venue to vent my several frustrations regarding it.

I want to see the Federal Govt begin to get out of bed with the Oil and Auto industries and embrace more rail systems. Congress must understand that these systems won’t be profitable on the surface, but will greatly add to the “value” of our environment and our standard of living (they seem to understand this in Europe). Ok I’ll stop here.

Bryan

Glad to hear you’ve been enjoying yourself. I hope the return trip goes well. I don’t know where you are going from, and so cannot really comment, except to say that you should try to connect as soon as you can to the express (”rapid”) metro buses for the longer journeys. It is not going to work equally well for all starting points, as I said earlier (and is true in any city). Rather than deal with several other local buses that connect you to it, buy a used bike, get over the over-stated claims that cycling in LA is dangerous and connect to the bus route that way. Every MTA bus has bike racks on them, or park your bike locally (inquire about the bike locker scheme in case there are some near you). Study the MTA website for route ideas, updates, and so forth. Buy a monthly or annual pass to bring costs down. Your employer may subsidize it too.

Good Luck!!

Best,

-cvj

About the bike: I usually have to try to separate people’s ability to think rationally (even trained scientists) from the ingrained prejudices that we all have based on (1) the presumption that the “standard” bike is somehow optimum and (2) fear of looking a bit different. Starting with (2) first, I’ll just say that if you don’t like looking a bit different, then get a standard bike. Now on to (1). Think as a physicist for a moment. Actually, your acceleration is likely to be much better. You have a better power-to-weight ratio. It all depends upon how you drive those wheels, right? Well, my bike has a range of six gears. So it compensates for the small wheels quite readily. I have enough power and speed for cycling on a commute. The bike’s seat and handlebars give you the full reach of a “standard” cycle and so you are not riding a child’s bike. I will not win any races with someone on a standard bike going at their top speed, but I have no desire whatsoever to use such speeds on city streets. On the other hand, I find that I regularly pass people on standard bikes going at the speed that works for them. After a while of having it, you begin to realize that we’ve all been victims of convention:- there’s no reason that most bikes for most usages need to have those bike heavy wheels. It’s just a convention that’s making you carry around this huge unwieldy object that you have to leave outside or takes up so much room in your apartment. A well-designed folder is the way to go, in my opinion.

Bottom line: It is the perfect bike for city commuting. If I want win races or climb mountains off-road, then I’d get the appropriate bike for those tasks. On the other hand, I also take it on longer fun rides along the beach and so forth, and people commonly take them on touring holidays. I travel with mine to some workshops with it in an extra suitcase. Then I have local transport with me.

Cheers,

-cvj

Pyracantha:- I’d say much of what you say is true here. There’s a strong class system -fear and distaste at mixing with “the other”- combined with the belief that locking yourself away in your personal bubble on your journey to and from work is a good thing. (I love it too but, personally, I think it sucks the marrow out of a city’s society, and reinforces the social and ethnic divisions that plague many cities, especially in the USA.)

Thanks…

-cvj

I read your post with some envy, it’s esentially impossible to read a novel in public transportation here! It’s overloaded so you will travel standing most of the time, and even if you manage to get a seat the streets are so bumpy (and the buses poorly mainteined) that reading is an outmost challenge! But what causes me most envy is beeing able to engage in random conversations! Believe me, for some reason unless you find a friend in the bus the conversation is asympotic to zero.

The efficiency of the transportation system is also asymptotic to zero, my daily trip to college is around 1 hour long (compare it with around 30 min in car) plus a bit of walking, we are talking about 2:30 hours every day!

Now, after my rant against the pathetic public transportation here I should say that I esentially agree that an efficient public transportation system is the way to go, when I see this big Hummer trucks burning loads of fuel to transport just one person I can’t avoid thinking that is this stupid kind of attitudes that finance war on Irak, contribute to global warming, etc… Anyway, I can’t blame people for using car when the public transportation alternative is so horrible. What really amazes me is that here, where public transportation is widely used almost all of the inversion is spent on making more ways for cars instead of public transport.