If you mainly get around by some means other than automobile, and/or if you don’t own a car, your bizarre and eccentric life-choice may have attracted some unwanted attention from the people around you. At least that has been the case for me.

“HOW DID YOU GET HERE?” is a question I get all the time. From virtual strangers, and from people I’ve known for years. The implication being that my mode of transport is somehow strange and needs always to be addressed out loud in public.

From civilians, it’s annoying but sort of inevitable, and I just have to take a deep breath. But from fellow environmentalists, it sends me crashing into deepest despondency. I’m like, really? Et tu, viridi?

Gee, it’s almost like we don’t work on climate issues together. Or attend meetings about sustainable urban planning. <shrug; eye-roll>

Look, I realize it can be difficult to impossible to get around without a car. And I am not constantly harassing people for driving everywhere. So what I would like is if people would simply respect that I have taken care of my own transportation and that it’s not really any of their concern. And: Fellow environmentalists, you may not realize this, but you are unintentionally marginalizing non-car forms of transport when you make an issue of this.

Hey, I may be the only person in the entire cosmic universe who has ever experienced this phenomenon, but I’m just putting it out there in case some of you have as well.

To answer the question, there’s no good way to answer that question. Sometimes I just blatantly change the subject or ignore the question. Other times I say things like, “Safely and in one piece, glad you did too!” Or, “Same way everyone else got here.”

I have always applied virtual duct tape to my mouth just in time, right when I was about to respond to someone, “Why — are you still driving?”

Lately, though, I’m really wanting to restrict my snark impulses to my fiction writing, and find more constructive ways to respond to my fellow human beings in real life. I could say something like, “Why? Are you interested in learning about transport options? I’ll be happy to shoot you an email with some information.” Or, “Why? Would you like to walk or bicycle or bus with me to the meeting next time? If so, I’ll be sure and invite you.”

I feel like a petty dork obsessing about this stuff, and yet, what it signifies is not petty. Getting around without a car should not be considered so weird and marginal, especially with so many people having trouble putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads. Even the more comfortably-off people who don’t have trouble meeting those basic expenses still have issues such as losing cars in floods and having to replace them. I know one person who has lost, I think, four cars in storms so far. I imagine insurance reimburses a lot of it but I doubt it all gets reimbursed.

I think sometimes another reason why I get frustrated is that I’m mad at myself for not being a very effective transportation activist. Meaning I don’t seem to really get anyone motivated to actually try a different mode of transport, as opposed to just publicly pointing out the weirdness of getting around by something other than a car.

But it’s bigger than that. Because this is supposed to be a collective effort. We, environmentalists, were supposed to reform the unsustainable transportation system that is a major contributor to biospheric collapse. Instead, we came down hard on the side of individualistic solutions and reinforcing suburban-sprawl settlement patterns. (How we environmentalists have contributed to suburban sprawl is a whole ‘nother topic.)

So, when a fellow environmentalist asks the dreaded, “How did you get here?” it’s like rubbing salt in a wound.

But, this is a lifelong area of my activism, and I will keep plugging away. It’s so important, not just for environmental reason but also for reasons related to health and aging in place.

PS. This past week, a fellow transportation activist was seriously injured while riding her bicycle. She will require surgery and probably not be able to ride her bicycle for a little while. Now in this case, rather than being hit by a motorist, she was hit by a road cyclist who came up passing on the right.

As someone who used to be a road cyclist, doing a lot of long-distance recreational cycling, I am all too aware that road bikes are designed to go a lot faster than basic town bikes, beach cruisers etc.

Fellow road cyclists, of course we need to be aware of the danger of motorists, but we also need to be aware of the danger that we ourselves pose to other cyclists, and also to pedestrians. And on that note, passing on the right is an absolute no-no!

By the way, if you are a motorist who does not ride a bicycle, and you have ever been tempted to try to tell someone not to ride a bicycle (or to stop riding) “because it’s dangerous” — Please don’t!

If you really feel like you have to tell anyone anything, tell your fellow motorists to be less dangerous.

The proper focus for your concern as a motorist is making sure you yourself are driving safely, and spreading awareness among your fellow motorists to be more conscious of the fact that there are road users other than cars. We cyclists are doing our best to make sure our own fellow cyclists are properly dressed and equipped for visibility, and are following the rules of the road.

Also, when someone gets injured on a bicycle, don’t ask them if they’re going to quit cycling. After all, did you quit driving when you got into a car accident? And how would you have felt if people had come asking you if you were going to quit driving? (I realize not everyone has been in a car accident, but the vast majority of us have at one time or another.)

Fellow Eco boomers, if you’re not willing to give up your car or even reduce driving, I’m not going to try to push you. However, I do have a favor to ask. I would appreciate if you would do some simple research to find out what the bus and train routes are in your area. Also look into taxis and Uber’s etc.

And, make a list of the alternative modes of transport you would use if your car were to break down. Include any friends and neighbors who you would feel comfortable enough to ask for a ride. By learning this information, maybe you will stop thinking of cyclists and pedestrians as rare zoo exhibits or perverse rebels-without-a-clue. And just by shifting your consciousness that little bit, you will be helping to reduce the death-grip that car-dependency has on all of us.

This is an actual question that somebody asked me. A person who I consider to be a fellow environmentalist and climate activist.

She seemed to view me as being somehow more vulnerable than a person who depends on a car.

As is one of my bad habits (that I am working on changing), I was so flabbergasted I couldn’t respond properly.

So, long long time later, I am writing this out in case some of you might find it helpful.

I am not out to chastise people for getting around by car. Especially in the USA, things are set up in a manner that virtually forces automobile ownership on people.

I could berate my fellow members of the mainstream environmental movement for not being more of a force for public transportation and walkability. So many of us just rolled over and moved to the suburbs — especially suburbs that had that attractive veneer of a “nature preserve” — and in so many other ways bought into the car-dependent lifestyle lock, stock, and barrel. But what’s done is done; no use in my continuing to be upset about this. We just have to try to move forward.

I hope that a lot of us, as we move into our elder years, are smart enough to want to stop driving. If not for our own sake, then for the sake of our families and the people around us.

(On that note, in my capacity as an eldercare and end-of-life Doula, I strongly encourage everybody to make a transportation plan that will take you into old age without you having to count on being able to drive a car. There are lots of ways to accomplish this. As just two examples: You could move to a more walkable / public-transport-served location. Or you could try to get a younger relative or other housemate to move in with you, and provide transportation / errand-running as part of their rent.)

But anyway! This post is about what would I do if something happens to my bicycle?

• It’s not IF; it’s WHEN. Same as it’s not if but when something happens to your car. Transportation breaks down. Things have “happened” to my bicycle many times. Mainly flat tires. What do you do when your car breaks down? Your list of responses would probably overlap in many cases with mine. Except at least in my case I don’t have to pay a towing service.

• In the event of a breakdown on the road: I walk home. Or catch a bus home. For rare emergencies, when I really can’t walk or catch a bus, I call my neighbor who is a young single mom who I pay to be my taxi. If she’s not available, I call an actual taxi (or Uber etc.). This is only ever happened once in my entire life. That I actually had to call a taxi because my bicycle broke down.

• If I’m already home, and my bicycle is just out of commission, there are many alternatives:

— I can decide not to go out

— I can catch a ride with someone else who’s going to the event

— I can walk, if time & distance permit

— I can take public transportation

— If it’s really far, I can rent a car (something I have done on more than one occasion)

— Or, I can turn it into a fun outing and invite a friend who might not otherwise go, and I can treat them to a nice lunch or something

— I can do a rideshare (Craigslist used to be a lot better for ridesharing than it is now, but it’s still at least a secondary option)

— I can hitch a ride with a motorist who’s going the same way (not something I advise “civilians” to do, but I have done it and it’s been more than fine; and if, like me, you belong to a subculture where people are used to depending on “strangers,” you have probably used this option on occasion as well)

Basically, in a nutshell, I have found, as a person who is not dependent on automobile ownership, that my responses to transportation breakdown are typically much more flexible than a car owner’s. I haven’t gathered data on this, but from the social-media feeds of my friends, it’s apparent that people’s lives tend to be completely derailed, and their schedules go on hold, the minute their car breaks down. For somebody who doesn’t have a car, that isn’t the case.

Also, you will never see me alone by a roadside in the dead of night having to wait next to a broken-down vehicle for roadside help because somebody might steal the car or trash it if I leave it. Or because I might get a ticket for abandoning my vehicle.

Rather, as a car-free individual, I have more than once chained up my bicycle to a road sign, and come back the next day or so to deal with it. (Of course you might not feel comfortable doing that if you have a super expensive bicycle. But most of us who cycle for transportation rather than just recreation don’t have a super expensive bicycle. That would just be too much of a liability.)

So, that’s the very unexciting answer to the question “what will you do if something happens to your bicycle.”

The bigger issue is, Why do people who own cars continue to feel like they are somehow safer and less vulnerable and better off than those of us who are free of car ownership? This despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary, including wallet-based evidence. Something worth pondering.

If I sound cranky, it’s because the person who asked me this question was somehow wanting to view me as a “poor baby” or needful of other people’s extra attention and worry because I own no car. (Meanwhile I virtually duct-taped my mouth shut to avoid asking her when she plans to give up her car keys and/or move to a less car-dependent place, as she (like me) is no spring chicken.)

A sobering thought to end this: Any mode of transportation can break down. Including our own legs and feet. Your mileage may vary (pun intended), but you might find it helpful to plan how you would get around if you suddenly became unable to walk. I had this experience a couple years ago when one of my knees was injured. I wasn’t totally unable to walk, but I couldn’t walk very far, and I had to plan around it. I was still able to get around by bicycle so that was good.

And another time, I injured my lower back, so it became very difficult to ride my bicycle. But I was still able to walk, so I switched to walking as a main mode of transport for a while. And, I switched to Zoom as my main mode of meetings, but I had been going in that direction anyway.

The important thing is to be creative and flexible, and know your options. And never feel like you are stuck just because one mode of transportation breaks down.

In the next post I will answer another question that often gets thrown at me as a weirdo who has the gall not to own a car.

PS. I just recalled one of the very few times in my life when I have actually needed a ride and it seemed like I would not be able to get one. And that was when I needed to go to the emergency room after a skin wound on my leg got dangerously infected. I didn’t feel well enough to ride my bicycle the couple of miles to the hospital. Finally, a stranger on the NextDoor app ended up offering me a ride. And wouldn’t you know, it turns out that this “stranger” and I were connected via a fellow activist who lives in another state! One example of why I often put the word “stranger” in quotes.

Someone in the Degrowth group just asked this question. A lot of people were suggesting bans on leisure travel, certain types of consumer goods, advertising, etc.

I commented:

The last thing we did — and perhaps the ONLY thing we (collectively) did — that resulted in an immediate dramatic reduction in GHGs and eco destruction, was to shut down air travel and non-essential ground travel.  Plus reducing nonessential manufacturing helped as well.

That’s what we saw during the pandemic shutdowns.

Since no government is likely to do that again, and since even if a government were to attempt it, widespread noncompliance is likely, I believe our best hope lies in a grassroots movement de-popularizing air travel and car travel.

And popularizing the idea of minimizing travel in general. For example, contenting ourselves with annual train trip to visit family. Or else move near our family.

As part of this, popularizing living on the same continent with one’s family. De-popularizing the idea that we should continue living oceans away from our loved ones if we want to see them.

Such a grassroots movement may not seem realistic. But it is more realistic than waiting for any government to take drastic action. And, basically a grassroots movement de-normalizing consumption does exist. It just doesn’t necessarily exist as a monolith. It can be found in multiple groups, including the Degrowth group itself. And, groups such as the non-consumer advocate, journey to zero waste, etc. A lot of these people are de-normalizing USA-style consumption. And USA-style consumption (which alas has metastasized throughout much of Europe and other continents) is the main culprit of destruction on this planet.

For the past couple of decades, I have been involved in a grassroots movement to denormalize hyperconsumption of all categories.

It’s hard to measure, but it does seem like it is growing, based on the number of groups I participate in. And, positivity is contagious.

Most of the people in this movement are motivated by something more than fear. A lot of people are having fun saving money, taking back their time, reducing the hold that oppressive bosses and unnecessary consumerism-fueled chores have over them, etc.

One common misconception that holds back the anti-consumerist movement from gaining more traction more quickly, is the idea that we have to give up all treats. The truth is that (for example) personal adornment, etc. has existed in all cultures since the beginning of time. Same with a little bit of travel, various recreational substances for altering consciousness, and other pleasures.

Also:

Since I first posted a list of what I consider to be cells of the voluntary de-consumerist movement, more groups have been added.

Riot for Austerity Is the first group I found, back in I don’t know 2006-7 or something, When a friend clued me in to it.

In more recent years, I have stumbled on:

Deep Adaptation
Degrowth – it’s urgent
The Non-Consumer Advocate
Zero Waste, Zero Judgement

As well as local buy-nothing groups, etc. And Permaculture guilds, bio regionalist guilds, rewilding groups, Transition Towns etc. All of these are cells of radical thrift / de-normalizing mainstream consumerism in some form or other.

And various textile up-cycling, crafting, artisanry of all kinds, brewing, beekeeping etc. etc. — a lot of these guys are sort of unofficially going through the gate of non-consumerism.

Is everybody doing thrift in every category? No. But, what we are doing is reinforcing the validity and benefits of radical reduction. This is self reinforcing. The more aware and deliberate we become, that the task is to popularize reduction, the more quickly it will catch on.

The more mainstream environmentalist groups, on the other hand, are often busy chatting up the glories of electric cars and solar panels and all that.

Yes, it can be depressing when people in the more mainstream environmentalist groups are still talking about that hopium stuff — as well as posting about taking cruises and doing leisure flights etc. And owning houses in multiple countries etc. And, so often, nobody calls them out. In fact, most people cheer them on. And that’s in an environmentalist circle.

But, I guess we need to start being more of the somebody’s. We can support each other!

And, since a ban in advertising is very unlikely to be very easy to implement — there would be so much pushback from multi-billion dollar industries and all whose pockets they feed — we have to be the ones inoculating ourselves against the power of advertising and social norms.

For example, parents have to support and validate each other in taking anti-consumerist stances regarding raising their children.

And, we as individuals have to take our own inner selves in hand, and prioritize nurturing ourselves emotionally so that we won’t be such susceptible targets for advertising & toxic social norms. I noticed that I am less likely to engage in excess consumerism if I am spending enough time with friends, creative projects, nature (even if it’s just a short walk in a park) etc.

Thank you for starting this awesome thread!
I’m glad you mentioned the slow fashion, fiber upcycling etc. Those too are definitely a kind of Trojan horse for overall anti-consumerism. Same with groups dedicated to blacksmithing, winemaking, beekeeping etc. Like little pockets of oldtimey artisanship.

While it might not seem like they would make an immediate difference, I think that as things get popularized, there tends to be a flashpoint where it catches on like wildfire. I basically consider it an exercise in behavioral economics.

Although it’s a sad and unfortunate thing, a major factor in favor of thrift catching on like wildfire is that more and more people are becoming caught on the losing end of global economic prosperity. People have more motivation to do things like learn how to do without a car, learn how to do without air conditioning etc.

Also I meant to mention the transition towns movement. Some of these movements are quite long-standing, and I think a lot of the people in them just got tired and are welcoming an opportunity for something to reenergize them.

Comment I posted in response to a like-minded friend who was urging people to stop calling for “mass deportation”; and stop assuming that immigrants are likely to commit crime. (In fact, studies have widely shown that immigrants are the least crime-committing segment of the USA population.)

On a related note, I think the USA needs to be prepared to welcome many many more climate refugees coming across our borders. We need to stop this narrative that we don’t have enough space and enough resources! We have tons of space and tons of resources. Plus, I seem to notice that whenever people are willing to share, things always seem to work out.

Immigrants have enriched our country immensely. Xenophobia is quite un-American. All the more so if you believe, as I do, that in many cases *our own government’s policies* have increased the misery quotient that causes people to feel pressed to leave their homelands and try to make a life in the USA.

Now I will say, I feel like if I were Mexican (or from another country where a lot of immigrants come from), I would probably want to try to find any possible way to go back to my beautiful country and culture, given that the streets are not paved with gold here in the USA. There’s no substitute for one’s family and land and culture.

(Starting a compilation of online, worldwide groups that are supporting people emotionally/spiritually regarding the eco/social crisis. This support helps us to become more effective in nurturing and supporting our local communities.)

Very important note: Online may be your/our best hope of connecting with the grassroots green mobilization, for many reasons. So please do check out the online channels I list here.

However, there is no substitute for actually going out in your local area and meeting people. Take walks through your neighborhood, and talk with other people who happen to be out. Even if you just say hi in passing. Do this over time; you’ll get to recognize people’s faces and I’ll get to recognize yours.

We cannot afford to not be connected with people. The idea that this is even possible is an anomaly of modern-day consumerist affluenza. No previous time since the dawn of human history has it been at all viable for a human being to feel like they don’t have anybody around them who has anything in common with them.

No, by no means will all the people you meet in your immediate area have much in common with you. But you can’t assume, without talking with people, that you don’t have things in common. Lots of people have been falling into this grandiose isolationism; I keep hearing from people who feel like they alone are this isolated dot in a sea of oppositely thinking people.

OK! So in addition to cultivating local connections, tap into these online groups (sorry, the private groups I am unable to paste links for, so you just have to type their name into your search field):

Groups (these are on Facebook, except the ones for your local region — which could also be on Facebook):

Degrowth – it’s urgent; Degrowth – join the revolution; Deep Adaptation; Riot for Austerity (90% Reduction Challenge) (the one I bring up in my talks and so on).

Transition Towns, your local permaculture guild, your local bioregional organization.

Journey to zero waste; Zero waste zero judgment; Non-consumerist advocate.

Various textile upcycling groups. Your local buy-nothing group.

Here’s a recent thing I heard about: Search “underconsumerism core” in any app. Sort of a riff on “cottage core,” with an emphasis on repairing and reusing, and appreciating the aesthetic of loved and worn-out objects.

Online meetups:

1. Collapse Club (The following is from Collapse Club’s website)

“At Collapse Club, we gather to answer the question: “How are we to live in the time of collapse?”

“To Attend a Meeting

“If you have not already attended a meeting, please sign up to receive the Zoom link. If you have already attended a meeting, you’ll get the link in a reminder email.

• CLICK TO SIGN UP AND GET THE ZOOM LINK.

“A Sense of Belonging

“In this time of crisis and catastrophe, our comfort is to be with other people who understand what we’re going through. In a Collapse Club meeting, you will join like-minded people in a safe, structured space to share your experience of collapse and to cultivate communal wisdom.

“We hold three meetings per week, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. You are welcome at any or all. Meetings are free and without obligation.

• For more information, please visit our website at CollapseClub.com.

“Benefits of a Collapse Club meeting:

• Relief from isolation: You are not alone.
• Be heard: Express and process your feelings.
• Receive empathy and support: We are people who understand.
• Learn from others’ experience: We’re going through it, too.
• Participate in a communal search for meaning: We’re all on the path.

How do meetings work?

We have a simple agenda built around questions which invite you to share your personal experience of collapse:

1. Check-In – What have you noticed about collapse this week?
2. Circles – How are you living with collapse? 
3. Glimmers – What brings you joy in the midst of collapse?

In our meetings, we want to hear about your personal lived experience. We are not discussing theories or politics, and if we talk about the news we focus on how it impacts our personal lives. We are interested in you personally, because it is from your personal lived experience that all thinking and action emerge.

For a detailed description of how our meetings work, please visit our Meeting Flow page.

• For more information, please visit our website at CollapseClub.com.

Search tag: CollapseClub”

NO. No, it is not. I keep trying to dispel this widespread misconception. But it doesn’t seem to sink in, so I will keep trying to spread the word.

Following is a link to an article that sums up the current regulations, state by state, for each state of the USA. (Other countries have few or no restrictions, I gather.)

“Is it Illegal to Collect Rainwater: 2024 Complete State Guide” (Jeremiah Zac; on worldwaterreserve.com; updated January 5, 2024.)

“Is rainwater collection illegal?”

“Many US states encourage rainwater harvesting but a few have limits due to local conditions.”

As the article mentions, the most restrictive state is Colorado, where people are only allowed to collect a total of 110 gallons at a time. A few states require engineering and or permits and such, but most states do not.

Also note, they are only talking about what we collect in barrels and other containers. As Brad Lancaster and other experts have often told us, what we collect in containers is just a tiny fraction of what we can easily collect on the land with simple micro earthworks. And most of the rainwater we’d be collecting would be for use on trees, plants, the land anyway. What we need for drinking and cooking is a relatively small quantity. And what we need for a bathing can and should be adjusted closely to local conditions. If you live in the desert, you develop very radical modes of water conservation while staying clean.

The best way to collect most of the rainwater we need is through healthy soil and plants.

By the way, if you do happen to live in a place where there are extreme restrictions on collecting rainwater, I would suggest you either move if you can; or make it your business to get the restrictions eased. This is an essential issue.

But, how did this widespread misconception get started? Check out the following article:

“Rainwater Collection Leads to Jail Sentence? How News Headlines Get it Wrong” (Chris Maxwell-Gaines; watercache.com)

Long story short:

“Let’s get this straight… rainwater collection will not get you arrested. Illegally impounding a tributary and damming millions of gallons of water that by law belongs to the state… will get you arrested. (Tweet this) There is a huge difference here.”

(Post from July 6.)

Just paid my major repair and maintenance bill for the year for my vehicle, which is my main mode of transport besides walking. Grand total $380 + change. Sometimes even lasts two years.

Special thank you to Votran bus system. The closest bicycle shops are 7 miles away in either direction, so being able to put a bicycle onto the rack on the front of the bus and then ride the bus to the bicycle shop is a lifesaver!

See pix here.

(Bus route info: I take the 19 which goes north up the A1A and then across Granada bridge to the bike shop, which is on Granada across the street from Winn-Dixie. And then to get home I take the 3B down Ridgewood. Today I was able to ride my bicycle partway home down Ridgewood, before my shoulder started telling me I better grab the bus the rest of the way. My shoulder is doing great compared with last week, and I’m not going to push my luck.)

Response to questions and comments:

• Response to a fellow activist commending me for “replacing car trips,” and asking me to post more often about my bicycle riding:

Thanks!

1- I don’t actually “replace” car trips; I simply do not own a car. Nor want to. I have better things to do with $20 to 50k to buy one, plus $12,000 a year to operate one. (When there is someplace I need to go that I cannot safely get to by bicycle, and the bus does not go there, I pay a friend/neighbor to be my taxi. Usually ends up costing me a total of about $100 to $200 a year for rides. Very affordable, And I am helping a friend pay their bills.)

2- Actually too many people are aware that I get around by foot & bicycle, and it causes various issues. I don’t end up being a beneficial influence. So, in my public communications, I prefer to focus mainly on the advocacy aspect. For example, I have been making public posts inviting people to the upcoming meetup of Walkable Volusia. And, I frequently speak at city commission and citizen board meetings regarding transit-friendly zoning and planning, pedestrian-friendly downtowns, Boosting awareness of the importance of Street trees, and so on.

• To someone praising me as a role model for using bicycle and public transport:

Well, the backstory is that I do not make enough money to have both a car and a roof over my head. (Well, technically I could, but then I would have to give up too many things that I love in life, including volunteering, and donating to worthwhile causes. And, being able to spend more money with Florida farms, local businesses, instead of having to shop at big-box stores.) Never have made that much money. But I wouldn’t trade my work for anything. So it’s very fortunate for me that I genuinely do not want a car.

Some people have told me that for them it’s better to have a car if you have to choose between car and housing, because you could always live in the car. But in my experience, living in a vehicle is not all that easy. (I have only done it for very very short stints, and it was always my choice and I was not forced into it, unlike many other people.) Not because of the small space but because there are fewer and fewer places to park where a person doesn’t risk getting arrested. Plus I know so many people who are living in their vehicles and then the vehicle breaks down.

At least with a house or apartment, a person can have housemates to share the rent or mortgage. Not as easy to do that with a car.

And regarding motorcycles, I love riding them but I realized that for a person starting out at my age, it is not a smart hobby. So I took the FDOT course a couple years ago, got my motorcycle endorsement added to my license, and had a fun year of motorcycle ownership and then sold the bike.

Yes, I like not being forced to own a car! And I love being able to do better things with that money. Unfortunately, a lot of people are basically forced to own a car. It takes a huge bite out of the wallet and causes enormous amounts of stress.