From The Ledger (Lakeland, FL), 06.08.08:
With Increasing Gas Prices, Bicycles Quickly Becoming More PopularInteresting article from Florida, featuring conversations with several bike shop employees and local bike commuters, including a woman who works at an automall. Another sign that we're approaching the tipping point?
Gas prices...played a role in Peggy Strickland's decision to start biking to work daily.
"I wanted to not have a car," Strickland said. Strickland, 52, commutes from her home...to Lakeland AutoMall five days a week. She rides 12 miles round-trip, making the trip longer than necessary "just to get some riding time in. I find it very relaxing."
Strickland has commuted to work on her bike for about two years. Because she works at a car dealership, she wondered how people would feel about it, she said. "Maybe it was a silly reservation, but (I felt like I was) kind of ditching my car for my bike," she said...
Everyone commutes in the Smith household, whether it's to school or work. Wanda Smith rides with their son William, 7, to Highlands Grove Elementary, and she began commuting to her job at FITniche at Lakeside Village in early May.
The bike riding served as a way to expend some of William's energy before the school day started. He previously attended private school and was accused of having attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
After lots of money and testing, only to find that William was "all boy," Wanda Smith said she began walking, running and riding bikes to school with him to help burn some early-morning energy. Now he's a straight-A student who doesn't get in trouble.
A combination of factors helped push the family to bicycle commuting, Wanda Smith said. "My husband and I are very defiant by nature," she said, laughing. "They can raise (gas) prices all they want, but we don't have to pay them." (Read more.)
Image: The Ledger (Lakeland, FL). Peggy Strickland walks her bike through the showroom at the Lakeland Automall.
Visit: Florida Bicycle Association
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site
3 comments:
My father lived in Naples, Florida and used his bicycle every day until shortly before his death at age 73. It was a Schwinn 3-speed.
But Naples is so flat that he never actually changed gears.
the fact that the reporter did things like describe the bicycles says that they're not focusing on the "eccentricity" of the people doing this, perhaps?
Bicycles are more popular,it is easy to ride, saves fueland also money.There is no pollution.
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