slipknot0129

Im probably gonna be riding my bike to oklahoma city in my future.. Im at my cousins house he tells me to not walk accross the street at 4 am when there is hardly any traffic on the road.I wanted to walk to 7-eleven at 4 am because thats when theres the least traffic. There was hardly any traffic when I went with them the last time to walk accross the road to the 7-eleven. They dont even let me walk outside of the house. Being without a license sucks. Im staying at my cousins house in oklahoma city for a week or two.

Now I feel if I rode my bike up here they wouldnt let me ride back home.

Do you have any friends that wont let you ride back home because they think its too dangerous to ride? I feel its in my judgement to see what is too dangerous or not.

I dont have my bike up here but they probably wouldnt let me ride my bike anywhere if I got to their house. But they cant stop me. Im 22 years old. I live 70 miles from okc so I wont be riding up there for awhile.

My whole point in getting a bike was that bikes have every right that cars have.

I dont think walking would be dangerous,I see people in okc walking all the time.

10 Wheels

Get new friends.

sggoodri

When I was 22, I biked as my primary form of transportation, and would bike to visit friends who owned cars. They would usually volunteer to drive me home. Sometimes I accepted, particularly when I didn't bring lights with me, and accepting their offer would allow me to stay later, after sunset. (Later I learned to always bring lights with me if there was any chance of staying late, to save my friends the effort.)

If you drive your bike responsibly, following the normal rules of the road and using lights at night, you won't have much difficulty going wherever you want whenever you want. Your confidence will eventually cause your friends to stop trying to change your mind. Lastly, you're 22. Act like the adult you are, and do what you want.

limeylew

You don't say if you are male or female but, if you are female, I would STRONGLY suggest that you don't ride, or walk, alone, in the dark and in unfamiliar places.

Other than that you have to realize the walking or cycling, ESPECIALLY in the dark, makes you VERY vulnerable, even if you have a companion.

It's YOUR life and I wish you a long and happy one.

mikeybikes

This.

My friends don't care how I get to their place, much like I don't care how they get to mine.

mymojo

How is it that, at 22, they can tell you that you can't?

slipknot0129

I dont know but today im gonna go out walking then if I think its safe enough to walk then I am. I havent been out of the house in a week so I got to get outside anyways.

mulveyr 

You seem to be missing the point. You're an adult. You're the one who gets to decide when and how you travel. If you allow other people to do that to you, then you're not acting like an adult.

contango 

None of my friends have any right to let me, or not let me, get around wherever I want by whatever means I want.

If I rode somewhere and they offered me a ride back home I am free to accept or decline. Normally I'd decline, but if I'd stayed late and it was a long way home, or the weather was truly appalling, I might be thankful for a ride. Even then it's up to me whether I ride in the dark and bad conditions.

If your friends are playing the "won't let you ride" line then try not letting them drive because you think it's too dangerous. Just look at how many motorists are killed on the roads.

crhilton

Are you 16, don't you determine for yourself what you're going to do?

My friends don't tell me what to do...

Digital_Cowboy

Have your cousins given yo any reason other than it would be "dangerous" to walk across the street at 0400? Or that riding your bike home would be dangerous? Have you been involved in any single vehicle crashes? What is their reasoning for saying that it's "too dangerous" to be out walking at 0400 or to be riding your bike?

badrad

good example of likely misinterpreting friends advice not to bike. the only statement they seem to make is caution not to go outside at 4am (which does sound like good advice). at 4am traffic accident would probably be the least of your problem. drive by shooting or some other assault is more likely.
but hey, you are free to travel parts unknown, and besides, what do your friends know from living in that neighborhood their lives.

this is interesting map - whereabouts would you be staying?
https://okccrime.com/crime-map

and besides, oklahoma city isn't even the city with the highest crime rate. It's down at position 50...
https://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/2010..._hightolow.pdf

slipknot0129

So I went out on my own. It took me a couple miles to walk all the way up there and back. I just made my own judgements when I thought it was safe to walk and it wasnt dangerous at all. At the crosswalks the walking signals didnt work so I made my own desicion when it was safe to walk. The person in the gas station said for me to do the same because the signs didnt work.

I won $6 on a $3 dollar scratch off ticket. I must have got rewarded for following my gut.

When I came back they were still asleep. So if I didnt go walk to where I wanted to go then it would have taken me longer for them to drive me. He said he didnt think I would make it when I came back.

This also helps me learn about the traffic for when im gonna ride my bicycle in okc.

No longer will I let anyone say what I can and cant do.

I met some cool people in the gas station too,im gonna go down there again then mingle with people.

himespau 

Well that depends. If we're going somewhere fancy for dinner and cycling to their house would get me all sweaty, I'd listen if they told me to find a different means of transportation. If it makes sense, follow their advice. If it doesn't, don't.

Camilo

This is one of the craziest topics I've read.

ScottRock

You could always wait until 5, when crime rates tend to drop off [pdf].

jakub.ner

+1...

ItsJustMe

What do you mean, "LET you"? You're 22, unless they're physically restraining you, tell them thanks for their concern but you're going out. If they ARE physically restraining you, look for your chance to escape captivity or call the cops.

rumrunn6

just cuz you have the right doesn't make the route a safe one for walking or cycling.

that said, non-cyclists are know for not understanding the world of cycling. use good judgment.

irwin7638

Not me. For years people have been offering me rides or frantically asking if I'll"be ok out there." These people all know that I bike a lot, but are never faced with it. It's ok to dress up in spandex and ride around in a group for fun, but using a bike for transportation is just beyond most people's imagination. I was talking to a woman at the grocery one day, after walking out,I stopped at my bike by the door and started loading things. She just looked shocked and said "I had no idea! Do you need a ride?" Stick around awhile, things like that just keep happening. The idea of using a bike for transportation is just a totally foreign idea to people.

Marc

chipcom 

I'm thinking that the OP may be a gal.

rydabent

just me

+1

sggoodri

On another thread the OP talked about wanting to hunt from the roadside while on a bike. I know a few women who hunt. I know some women who bike. I know none that do both.

I think this is about emotional dependence/independence and failing to distinguish between advice and control. As someone who was financially and logistically independent at 17, this concept was alien to me until I saw it afflicting people well into their adulthood, even as late as their thirties and forties.

kaimat

I think the OP may have some issues with either physical or mental competency, and that is why the other people are telling her not to be walking miles away from home.

Digital_Cowboy

That may be the most likely and logical reason. But even if it's just a physical issue riding or walking "miles" away from home isn't really an issue. On the other hand if it is a mental competency issue that may be more relevant and a legitimate concern.