• kool_newt@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    2 years ago

    Can you expand on that? What do you mean bicycling shrunk the world, it seems counterintuitive?

    • Juniper@skein.city
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      2 years ago

      Understandably so, I think haha. But for me, abandoning my car has made me actually realize distances in my city. Relying on a car, I barely even considered the distances I was traveling, and how necessary or not they were. I was more concerned about where I could park the thing than how far I was traveling just to do errands. But on a bicycle (and just walking), the first thing I do is consider the route, and distance, and I came to realize a lot of the distances I thought are best driven are… extremely walkable, or bikeable. And the distances that are a little far for a bicycle (in my current shape), I questioned why I even need to go that far. Especially if you’re in a city, there are a ton of businesses everywhere, it was easy to look for and find closer alternatives.

      So I guess for me personally, it really helped me contextualize the distances I was actually traveling, and helped me more concretely view my city and what’s around me, compared to just driving through liminal spaces until I reach whichever destination I was headed towards.

      • kool_newt@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        2 years ago

        Ah, it’s like it allowed you to view where you lived at a new scale. You previously viewed it at car scale, now viewing it at human scale.

        • Juniper@skein.city
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          2 years ago

          Absolutely, that is a far more eloquent way to put it! It’s very freeing in it’s own way.

      • omenmis@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        2 years ago

        I had the same experience, biking made me appreciate travel over distances I can’t bike. It really is very eye opening.