Admittedly, if I was so poor that I had to walk, ride a bike, or take the bus then I probably would hate my commute. Those are the people who I pity when I see them on their way to work in the morning.
I bike commute in all four seasons (and in NC this means 7" of snow this week and near 70 degrees next week!!). I look at this picture in reverse--anybody can jump in a car, turn a key, push pedals, and turn a wheel to move from point A to point B safely. But drivers probably zipped too fast by the ice sculpture someone carved in their yard to even notice, admire, and take a picture to share with friends. They missed all the wildlife in the neighborhoods, on the greenways, and near the streams and creeks. They missed the crisp air of a frosty morning permeating a calm, quiet downtown lit by streetlights glowing with amber halos. They missed a chance to immerse themselves in their environment. They missed a chance to awaken fully in the morning and unwind gracefully in the evening.
Instead, they chose to sit in parking lots erroneously called "interstate highways." They chose to pass neighborhoods, businesses, and other drivers without a second glance. They chose to wait two light changes at a busy intersection instead of meandering through a quiet nearby neighborhood street. They chose to interact with their surroundings using only their sense of sight--and used that sense distractedly. They chose to get frustrated at drivers who stopped suddenly, didn't start quickly enough, pulled out too late, didn't turn in soon enough, didn't use their turn signal, drove too slowly, and passed too closely.
Missing out? Not me. Too poor? Not me. Hating my commute? Not me. I can afford to buy a bigger house, a more expensive car, and I do own a closet of awesome clothes. But I sure do love that 40-minute ride. Pity me? Pffft. Whatever.
Hey, if you like bicycling to work in 7" of snow then more power to you. Doesn't sound like fun to me. When I get to work I'm neither hot nor cold. I don't freeze in the winter and I'm not sweating in the summer. And I couldn't care less about missing out on taking pictures of someone's yard. My friends don't have the slightest bit of interest about what I see on my commute.
I drive on an interstate highway but certainly don't sit in traffic. As Kai Ryssdal says, "Let's do the numbers." 17 miles with my longest commute time of 30 minutes is 34 miles per hour. A good bit of that is local driving. I don't live in LA. :) And I don't sit through two changes of the light. If I had to wager, I suspect I get my commute over little bit quicker than you in terms of MPH (and absolutely in terms of time).
Driving a car is relaxing, enjoyable, and frankly fun. It would have been even more fun if I gave into my inner Id last year and bought a Dodge Challenger SRT8-Core but I resisted and bought a Toyota Camry. Anyway, I stopped riding a bicycle when I grew up and went off to college with my mother's 1972 BMW Bavaria (1 Corinthians 13:11 http://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/13-11.htm). But to each his own. Enjoy your bike ride. I'll keep driving to work.
Just for accuracy, 7" of snow fell, but I rode in while it was beginning to snow and a couple days later as soon as the snow melted down appreciably to a couple inches. With that said, the only reason I responded in such a way was to underscore your use of one-sided logic, stereotypes, and general disdain for activities in which you choose not to engage. Some people ride bikes, exercise at the gym, run, Crossfit, take karate, rock climb, hike, sail, canoe, play basetball/tennis/golf, etc. They have various reasons to do so. To not do one of those activities is to choose to miss out on various things that make that activity interesting to folks who regularly participate. The same applies to people like myself who drive minimally or not at all. If my drive included scenic rides in the mountains or winding country roads, I might be more interested. They wouldn't, so I'm not. If cars excited me like they did when I was younger, I might be more interested (although I can now pay cash for the Porsche I admired when I was a teen but choose to invest the funds instead). I respect a driver's choice, but it is a choice.
Regarding commute time, you've proven my point regarding choices. As soon as the temps hit 45 degrees I bike further on purpose. My commutes stretch an additional 3-6 miles per day and more than 15 extra miles on most Fridays. Why? I am having a great time. I'm not trying to minimize my commute. I'm optimizing my life in a way that works for me. When I always drove, I rarely took the longest way to get somewhere. And I don't know many people who do when they're driving. But as soon as people begin to make a habit of outdoor exercise--walking, running, biking, hiking particularly--the longer route often becomes appealing.
On a totally unrelated note, as a Christian, I think condescension accompanied by Bible verses is bad form at best and probably a turn off for anyone who might even consider a discussion on the matter. If you think I'm reading too much into your comments, see the comment that followed your latest post as well as the rest of the responses to your original post.
