Dave WalkerToday's diagram: The status quo
Jon G Stødle@davewalker Only they'd drive separate cars
eviloatmeal@davewalker @forteller This sentiment never quite felt right to me, because it implies that those of us who do cycle are doing something unsafe, or doing something we consider to be unsafe. I'd much rather think of the positive feedback loop of "there are more cyclists so we need to build more cycling infrastructure -> there's more cycling infrastructure -> more people become cyclists"
@eviloatmeal @[email protected] Thank you - I like this kind of feedback. I’d hope that, if you look at my work as a whole, you’d get the more positive message. But this particular one is my attempt to articulate how many people, myself included at times, feel about their transport choices.
@davewalker @forteller I see. How can we help people explore other options in spite of this feeling?
Because personally I've never driven a car and I never even considered the idea of operating such an evil death machine. So I can understand conceptually that someone might feel stuck in their ways and that it would be very daunting to disrupt your schedule to make that change, but I've never experienced it myself.
Sara Joy 🇩🇪🇬🇧🇸🇪@eviloatmeal @davewalker @forteller once you've already got a car it's extremely difficult in many cases to choose to use a bike instead.
We have no car. I use public transport for the most part and occasionally take the bike (working on teaching our youngest to ride) - but I know if we had one then I would default to it for most journeys. I actually enjoy driving! But it isn't worth the cost.
@sarajw @davewalker @forteller Yep, that's what I'm asking about - how do we overcome this cult-like pressure to keep using cars once you're stuck in the system?
As for enjoying driving, that's perfectly fine by me. There are closed circuits where you can do that as a hobby without hurting unwilling participants.
@eviloatmeal @davewalker @forteller there is a lot of pressure. To many, owning a car is almost a right of passage, a utility that you simply need because of course you do.
Here in Germany the car lobby is strong too, so the government often shies away from real incentives to lower car use.
Ofc I hope the tide turns eventually. I find cars useful but we hire one when we need one. Car sharing companies are pretty good for us!
@eviloatmeal @[email protected] I hope that I do encourage people to consider more sustainable alternatives though my drawings - that’s one of the aims, anyway. Sadly where I live there are some journeys which can only be done by car. No public transport options, and unsafe to cycle. I do what I can to campaign for change, but that’s the reality.
@davewalker @forteller Where do you live?
@eviloatmeal @[email protected] South Essex, UK
@davewalker @forteller Interesting. I've never biked in that part of the world. But based on the places I have biked, it's difficult to imagine that it would be impossible to cycle there. Maybe one day I'll get to try.
@eviloatmeal @[email protected] It's not impossible to cycle here, and I do, a lot, within Basildon, where I live. But between different towns there are often no safe routes.
bacigalupe@bacigalupe @forteller @davewalker I see. If that's how you feel, yeah. Personally, I don't feel like I have much of a choice, so I don't feel like I'm being courageous. All I know is that it would be more pleasant to do if the cats didn't exist.
Dylan Lewis-Creser@davewalker and that's exactly why we need professionals working in planning and built environment professions who accept and recognise this dilemma and work to overcome it though policy
@dylanlcreser Couldn’t agree more