Many car trips in the United States are less than one mile, a readily bikeable or walkable distance. Yet, some of us drive our ton+ vehicles and ignite fossil fuels to go this far. There are better ways to go. Cities like Seattle are promoting non-car alternatives http://www.seattle.gov/waytogo/drivelessefforts.htm
I hate shopping, but biking makes it not only tolerable, but fun. You get exercise, and you experience the simple pleasure of cruising around in the open air, including up and down hills. You see more people; you experience the wind, the weather, the birds and wildlife, the changes in seasons, the interesting yards, landscapes, buildings, and other surroundings in your neighborhood. At the end of your trip, you feel good, as opposed to drained or lethargic from a car trip.
Mike Royko, the late great Chicago columnist used to lampoon a mythical lazy American prototype he called “Rollin’ Wheels.” Rollin never went anywhere “without steel belted radials underneath him.” It’s time to substitute two bicycle tires, or our own two feet for the steel-belted radials. If you insist upon having big wheels beneath you, take public transit. The planet and your health stand to benefit.
