On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 21:58:02 -0700 (PDT), "Wise TibetanMonkey, Most
I don't know and I honestly doubt if anyone knows how many people
actually "ride bicycles". I read that as many as 100,000,000 ride a
bicycle at least once a year. If one ride a year makes one a cyclist
than I suppose that anyone that had one drink at the new years party
an alcoholic.
I've read estimates of bike commuters based on three survey sites in
one city counting for a couple of days.
I've also read what seems to be a very level headed survey of bicycle
accidents in Southern California
http://bikinginla.com/2012/01/22/analyzing-2011-socal-cycling-fatalities-los-angeles-and-door-zones-may-be-safer-than-you-think/
in which the author, while comparing the various county's writes
"Unfortunately, there's no objective measure of how many people ride
bikes in each county."
In contrast, the Gays seem to be carefully counted, which I suggest
may be due to politically astute people in the group.
If you wheel your bicycle down to city hall and announce to the Mayor
that you, a Tibetan monkey and a cyclist, demand better facilities you
might get a smile.
If you go down to city hall and announce that you represent 3.5
percent of the voters in the city and your ranks are increasing at
about 2% per year and that a large number of your adherents are active
in the business and media sectors, I suspect that you will receive a
very different reception.
But car free? Proud? I wonder.
In some of the world's cities you might be able to get along with
only a bicycle and public transportation but in a great many U.S.
cities, I'm not so sure. I lived in Miami for about two years, before
the Cubans arrived, and in those days public transportation seemed
very limited. I lived in Riverside California and the same thing
applied. Los Angeles? The same thing, only worse.
But to be honest, in New York city it might be said that one doesn't
need a car.
About half the year, I live on an island. About 40 Km from the
"town". A shopping trip is a 80 km. round trip and on the average 90
degree summer day that is a long ride. With a hundred dollars worth of
groceries that can be a very long ride.
--
cheers,
John B.