I had a meeting across town with an elderly lady about a course I'm teaching this summer (the scientific literacy course to seniors). She knows I bike and she really wanted to give me a ride, but I turned her down. When I got there the first thing she asked was "Did you ride?" and "Where did you ride from?" Then she wanted to know what road I took and was it safe? Was I going to be riding this summer when I teach the course? And I ever need a ride please please let her know. I explained that I really enjoy biking, and that my husband wishes I'd accept his offer of a ride more often too. I assured her that I because I ride safely, and I've taken a class in how to ride in traffic, that I am just as safe on a bike as in a car, and safer really because I'm getting this exercise which protects me from disease.

I tried not to overdo it, I just wanted to reassure her that I'm fine, I bike because I like to, not because I have to. Then she took me to lunch and she said, embarrassed, "You're going to think this is awful, but I want to drive" (the place she was taking me is one parking lot away). Then she said we could walk instead but I wasn't about to make an old lady walk across a parking lot if she didn't feel up to it! She kept saying "You must feel awful in a car" and "You must think I'm using a lot of gas just to drive through the parking lot". I felt kind of bad, but really I hadn't said anything judgmental or derogatory about cars, all I said was that I enjoy biking more than driving!

Finally when we got back, she said "I really need to be better about walking, Rachel, you'll have to work on me." I just said, "I hope I can be an inspiration," because I'm not about to push my values on anyone.

The entire thing was kind of funny. I've felt before that people misunderstand me, that just because I like to bike they assume I'm judgmental about their SUVs, their gas use, their lack of exercise. But honestly I don't really care about them, so long as they don't honk or yell at me. I do believe people would be happier if they biked more but I would never say so (unless asked).