no motor?

I was at a lunch meeting yesterday, and sat next to a guy who looks like the stereotypical overweight guy that needs to get out of his bloated gas guzzler and get some exercise, and someone started talking about a city program to get people to loose weight. That got his attention, and he let us know that he didn't need help with loosing weight, he needed help with $4/gallon gas. I guess gas isn't expensive enough to get him to change his ways yet.

CastIron

Sounds like a bicycle would cure both. You can lead a horse to water...

GoldIngot

"People only see what they are prepared to see." -- Emerson

bkaapcke

A lot of people only talk about exercise. Some go and buy an exercise machine of some sort and let it sit in the garage after a few months. It takes longer than they are willing to give to get to the point where you feel the difference or feel off key when you have missed your workouts. So they never lose weight.

If I learned one thing in losing 80 lbs., it's that you have to work it off. Dieting simply won't do it after you're about 35. This is why so many in America are in trouble. bk

Nermal

You can lead a horticulture. . . .

Buglady

It's even worse when the same person brings up both topics... a real life example from my last workplace: "oh, I can't believe how expensive everything is! I spent $40 to fill up my car, and my gym membership went up, and now I'm on this diet where the food is SOOO expensive!"

Same person, three seconds later: "oh, I could never ride a bike to work. It would mess up my hair."

Uh. OK. Can I have the last donut, then? I'm hungry.

CommuterRun

Sad, but I know someone who is fat and couldn't get to work, only 3 miles away, because of car troubles.

I suggesting riding a bike. She was aghast. I told her if I only lived 3 miles away I would mix cycling with running to work. She thought that was completely ridiculous.

TalkingHead

I think it will take about 5.50 a g to change people's attitudes in this country.

rustguard

um... you guys have like the cheapest gas around??



I know its getting expensive, and here and over there are wide open countries with lots of traveling required just to get to work or shops.

Me thinks it gonna take alot more price increase yet before the really non bike/active people even think about it. in the uk its over a pound a litre, 1.15 on googling it. I think there is 4 litres in the gallon thats about 9 usd's a gallon, and the M4 is still bumper to bumper cause my dad just got back from there.
here we are paying over $1.50 a litre, thats $6aud a gallon which makes it about $5.74usd a gallon.

We have very similar traveling distances to the usa and while there is alot more people riding bikes around lately its still very minimal. I'm just not sure what it's going to take to get people to stop driving everywhere. the amount of traffic in my city is increasing all the time in working hours its only after dark you see a drop in the amount of people driving. This tells me that people will just work harder and run round in circles quicker so they can pay for the increase in gas, which will put more demand on gas and increase the price, which will make people work harder and run round in circles quicker so they can pay for the increase in gas. which will put more demand on gas and increase the price......

When will it end? alot more than $6 dollars a litre

Dzrtrat

Sounds like he needs help putting down the fork and backing away from the table..........oh wait...............thats me, sorry.

wahoonc

I'll arm wrestle you for it...

When I was cycling a lot more in my younger days, I could consume massive amounts of calories with no ill effects...much to the delight of my friends. I found out later they would bet someone how much beer and pizza I was going to put away. Nowadays I need to be a bit more careful, but I can still eat things I shouldn't and get away with it.

Aaron

bac

Higher.

... Brad

man0war

In Romania decent gas is a bit over $ 2 USD a litre and the average salary here is around 200$. Take that for a teardrop !

rando

yeah, I'd say about $8. maybe. probably more. depending on their/your economic situation.

tekknoschtev

Everyone has a different price point where they'll begin to consider alternatives, and then there's the price point where they talk about alternatives. Finally, they reach the price point where they actually do something about it. For me, that was ~ $3.50. At that point I could no longer justify using my car to commute the 6 miles to work every day, nor could I justify going for long cruises (I've got a convertible, long cruises are what this car was meant for, especially with summer right here). I had to decide - give up driving to work every day, or give up cruising. If I just wanted a commuter, I'd have gone for the $250 beater special. I chose to cut down on pointless driving and to commute whenever possible via bicycle. And now with gas hovering just below $4/gallon (and no prospects of it ever getting back down to an acceptable level) I'm glad I made that decision. Its been entertainment, tinkering time (I love tinkering time), exercise, and $$$ savings (though not so much saved yet).

If I only lived 3 miles away from work I'd have to find a longer route to get to work. The 6 miles no longer feels satisfying once I hop off the bike.

gascostalot

Gas prices needs to get as expensive as Starbucks coffee. Though it makes me wonder why people will spend that much money for burnt coffee to begin with.

Banzai

Look at it this way: as gas gets higher people might start to lose weight because they'll starve themselves to feed their gas-tanks.

Your first reaction to that statement is likely horror or incredulity. Your second is grudging belief. C'mon, you know I'm not far off the mark with that.

bab2000

You are not wrong.

Was in third world country this winter, and that is the case. A car is a status symbol. no matter its condition. If you have a car you are important to your family, your apartment house, block, etc...
Sacrifice to fuel the beast, was never in doubt.

Also, speaking with SA organizers coming back from same location, indicated, the adults ate first, children last if any left.

To many in modern societies, bikes are toy, not a tool. Those of us that love to ride, do so because our inner child still as control of what makes us tick, others have to get back that feeling, then will get it.

Buglady

I'm pretty sure this is already happening in the US, and possibly in Canada. Someone posted a news article recently about people living in their cars "because you can't drive your apartment to work."

overthere

I'm seeing a BIG difference in bike commuters here; that's because we have a bike friendly infastructure ready for use. A couple of years ago, it was the die-hard Davisites that rode bikes everywhere. On a beautiful day, I was still one of only a few. Now I have to look for bike parking and I'm riding with at least a dozen in sight, not just 2 or 3. I'm seeing many more families too, and people that aren't in the best of shape out on bikes.

I think the price point for a lot of the US will be lower, because the amount of debt that most people here carry, compounded by decreasing home values.

kjmillig

In Houston, with regular averaging just below the national average, bus ridership has increased 8% in the last few months, and they've added 40 new share-a-ride van routes. High gas prices are slowly starting to affect people's transportation choices. Scooter sales are also growing rapidly.

JimF22003

I'm pessimistic. (It hasn't changed my driving much, for example.) CNN did an interesting story recently where they went back and replayed clips from those "man at the pump" interviews they do with random people whenever gas goes up. I don't remember when they started, but gas was 1.50 a gallon or so. They all said the same thing -- I can't afford it, I don't drive as much, I will buy a smaller car, I consolidate my trips etc. etc. Same comments at 1.50, 2.00, 2.50, 3.00, 4.00...

atbman

It's about $8.30/USgal over here. Not much sign of people switching to bikes yet

TXChick

It sort of reminds me of all the overweight people at my work. The stairs are right next to the elevator. (And we're only on the second floor!) At 5:00, most of the overweight people are lined up waiting for the elevator; all the trim and slim people are headed for the stairs.

bobn

High prices for things like fuel, cigarettes and booze will cause a lot of complaining. It will not, however, deter the addicted which is most of us. One way or another.
I would love to use the bike for more than recreation but the area I live in is not really bike friendly. (No place to safely leave it)
What are these overweight folks going to do if the airlines start charging passengers by the pound? This was on the news last night. As rediculous as it seems, this economic situation should be motivation to try to lose some weight.
This is not intended as a "bash" on certain people because I was once one of them. Believe me, it's a ***** to lose weight and even a bigger one to keep it off.
A bike is a very good way to start.