The battlefield awaits photo by Jose Antonio Navas | Flickr

Arguments starting in 3…2…1

‘Tis the season of family gatherings. But things can get a little heated and uncomfortable when your ‘alternative lifestyle’ of biking is brought up, so we wanted to help you prepare for this dinner table conversation. Here’s some ammunition for scenarios that you might face:

Your Great Aunt Bertha says with a mouth full of mashed potatoes: “…Bikers don’t ever stop at stop signs!”

You say: Let’s get real, Aunt Bertha. Everyone — regardless of mode of transportation — breaks the law! Have you ever driven over the speed limit? Not used your turn signal? There are laws against those actions too. If you’re saying all bikers don’t stop at stop signs because you once saw someone blow a stop, I might as well say all ladies wearing cat sweaters like mashed potatoes. There is no good excuse for rule-breaking behavior by people in cars or on bicycles, but this is a poor argument against bicycling.

“Bikers don’t pay for roads,” says your big brother Jerome while pulling who-knows-what out of his beard. “I’m paying out of my eyes in gas taxes for your bike lanes.”

You say: Everyone pays for roads, Jerome. Gas taxes certainly don’t come close to paying the full cost of roads. Highways and interstates are paid for by bonds, property taxes, and the general fund, while local roads are paid for by local, property, and sales taxes. I pay for your 4-lane highway that I don’t even use.

“But, kid, roads are for cars,” your Dad says.

You say: It’s only in the last several decades and we decided cars should take priority on our roads. People powered things–like feet and bicycles–came before the car. Pittsburgh’s roads were designed for people. Biking advocates can actually be credited for the development of road improvements like paving, so let’s just agree to share the space. OK?

“I almost hit a biker once!” Your sister-in-law Cynthia claims, “It’s just not safe to ride a bike.”

You say: You’re making this easy, Cynthia. Let’s imagine a street vacant of cars but full of people walking and biking only – like a trail! You take your kids for bike rides on the riverfront trail, don’t you? Right. That’s because bicycling isn’t inherently dangerous. People on bikes are faced with the danger of poorly designed roads and intersections, 1000+ pound vehicles, and distracted drivers. Have you considered that it might be driving that is the dangerous mode? The cool thing is that you can be a part of the solution to this “problem” by driving with care.

Over pie, Grandma is concerned that she “can’t get to the Nutcracker on time because bike lanes cause congestion.”

You say: This may seem counter intuitive, Gram, but good design of bikeways can actually speed up car traffic. Bike lanes allow people who might usually be driving and taking up space, to switch to a much more compact form of transportation. All the while, it brings revenue to shops and improves everyone’s safety. Seems like an all around “win” to me. Plus, Pittsburgh is growing and we need to support options for travel that won’t result in an increased demand for limited car parking spaces. In short, when I bike, you and I aren’t fighting for the same parking space once we get downtown.

But most importantly, the bike lanes help to keep me and my friends safe, which means a lot to me.

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Hope these tips help you defend against the well-meaning worriers in the family.

Are you a veteran in these types of discussions? Did you single-handedly turn your in-laws into bike advocates over New Years brunch last year? Leave your best arguments in the comments.

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