Environmentalism and parenting

[pegkerr]

I have friended the bikepirates community. It's been interesting: this is (I gather) a rather younger group--I feel like quite the old fart, being in my forties and all. I joined to pick up information about this bicycling thang, but there is an attitude vibe there, too, which can be a bit rough to take.

For example, someone made a post here advertising a new community, carfreepirates. Which is cool. One of the commenters, however, said something that sticks in my craw:

FYI - there used to be a non_drivers community, but it dissappeared for mysterious reasons.

I've joined up, since I'm car free and sometimes I need a little morale boost, since no one *with* a car, really gets it, even though they also don't understand how I can stay in such good shape and I'm not stressed out and road raged all the time.

I replied:

I HAVE to have a car since I have kids to transport, and there is no bus to where I need to go. I could hardly balance both of them (and their karate sparring gear) on my handlebars.

But I ride my bicycle to work.

For what it's worth, I wasn't the only person to challenge the original commenter. I feel as though I'm doing my part by starting to bicycle. But I've seen this before, this smug dismissal of my selfishness for driving a big car (I have an old jeep with 140,000+ miles). We all hear environmentalists railing against people who drive SUVs. Yes, I guess I'm defensive about it. And yet, really, with two kids that I'm taking four times a week to karate class (with huge duffel bags stuffed with sparring equipment) what else can I do?

I want to reduce my environmental footprint. But please consider: when you're a parent, and you have to get kids to activities and back and forth from day care, bussing usually doesn't work. And bicycling is not an option either.

Bottom line: Please don't assume I'm selfish because I drive a car. I drive a car because I'm a parent.

But I'm also an environmentalist because I'm a parent.

Edited to add: Today is a classic example. I drove today. Why? Because of the snow (argh)? No. Because Delia has a doctor's appointment. I have to leave work, drive to her school to pick her up, drive her to the doctor, and then get her home. This trip would be absolutely impossible by either mass transit or bicycle.

And *snerk* Someone has replied to the original poster (who headed the post with the tagline "Every car a murder, every bike a love affair"): "How do you think all those bike parts get to the shops? It's not magic, that's for sure."

Comments

[malinaldarose.livejournal.com]

Many years ago, I separated from my first husband. Everything I did had to factor in my lack of car. I couldn't go places with my friends. I had to get an apartment within walking distance of my job. I had to buy only what groceries I could carry from the grocery store that was closest, even though it wasn't the one I liked to shop at. I couldn't afford constant cab fare and there is no other form of public transportation around here. It's easy to be car-free and smug about it.

It's kind of like those folk who think they're superior because they don't have a television.

[malinaldarose.livejournal.com]

Er...did that come across right? Did I even have a point?

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

*laughs* It came across just fine, and yes, I understood it.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Another thing is, some of the car-free people I've known have had to be fairly dependent on friends or family with cars for some things. This applies especially in places like Phoenix and Houston that are basically built around driving, but even in Philadelphia, which has fairly good public transit, until my brother got his car there were just things he couldn't do without wheels.

[raasalhayya.livejournal.com]

Does it seem a bit hypocritical for "car-free" people to be all self righteous about it, and then bum rides from their car-burdened friends?

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

More than a bit. Though the ones I've given rides to weren't self-righteous.