Social and Emotional Aspects of Transportation Cycling

Given the recent direction of numerous aus.bicycle threads about cyclist
behaviour, awareness and necessary skills, I thought this following link
provided by Mighk Wilson (author of "Bicyclists, Motorists and the
Language of Marginalization") via the Bicycling Advocacy list might
provide further insights, heads up or even broaden discussion.

The Social and Emotional Aspects of Transportation Cycling. by Bruce A.
Mol
http://www.gonecycling.com/commuter/Aspects of Transportation
Cycling.pdf

In his original email, (of which I'm inclined to agree), Mighk posed
the question of how a potential survey could score cyclists on the two
axes, instead of the set categories. I appreciate the emphasise in this
article upon the societal responsibilities of transportation/utility
cyclists, rather than pushing a punitive approach, or even trying to
impart an attitude of "cyclist inferiority".


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cfsmtb

cfsmtb wrote:

The Social and Emotional Aspects of Transportation Cycling. by Bruce A.
Mol
http://www.gonecycling.com/commuter/Aspects of Transportation
Cycling.pdf

If that link doesn't work, and it didn't work for me, go back to the
referring page, which is http://www.gonecycling.com/commuter/index.html

Travis

Travis Wrote:

If that link doesn't work, and it didn't work for me, go back to the
referring page, which is http://www.gonecycling.com/commuter/index.html

Oppps, the link worked when I had the post in preview.

Oh well, here's the full text for those with limited internerd access.



****************

The Social and Emotional Aspects of Transportation Cycling
by Bruce A. Mol (c) 2002

Contents:

* Introduction
* Part 1: The social aspects of transportation cycling – the
personal and social responsibilities.
* Diagram illustrating education as a subset of advocacy
* Diagram illustrating the relationship between the
development of cycling skills and the consideration of social
responsibilities
* Four Types of Transportation Cyclists and how they respond
to training
* Part 2: The emotional aspects of transportation cycling
* Diagram illustrating three emotional contexts and
presumptions about motorist behaviours
* Diagram illustrating the inter-actionist context for
transportation cyclists


Road rage, traffic fatalities and injuries, rude behaviour, traffic
congestion, smog and other health concerns. How are people coping with
riding their bikes to work, school and other facilities?

As a nationally certified cycling instructor I have met a lot of people
who have incorporated transportation cycling into their lives. I have
witnessed a broad scale of ability and discussed a myriad of
motivations about why to cycle. Overall I am impressed by people’s
reasons to ride and their willingness to sign up for skills courses.
However, I have found that many transportation cyclists are unaware of
the social and emotional aspects of cycling.


Introduction

The social aspects of transportation cycling include personal and
societal responsibilities. The personal responsibilities are the
physical requirements needed to ensure the safety of self and society.
The societal responsibilities include communication, courtesy and
contribution.

The emotional aspects of transportation cycling include the context or
presumptions under which cyclists engage with traffic and development
of emotions and concern for self and society, to cope with traffic.

Together, the development of a cyclists social and emotional
understanding of traffic leads to an eloquent cycling style that
clearly communicates with other road users and is, by itself, a
persuasive argument for the need and benefits of integrating cycling
into societal norms of acceptable transportation.

Part 1: The social aspects of transportation cycling – the personal and
social responsibilities.

The personal responsibilities of transportation cycling are the
physical requirements needed to ensure personal safety. Being able to
brake, turn and manoeuvre in traffic is of utmost importance to
cyclists. Though this may seem obvious, most cyclists do not review
courses or books designed to develop their traffic or bicycle handling
skills. Neither do they practice the two most important safety measures
in a cyclist’s repertoire, emergency braking and obstacle avoidance.

Personal responsibilities become a social issue when a cyclist
demonstrates poor skills or little regard for their own safety. Inept
displays of cycling confuse and irritate other road users and it is
reasonable to assume that a person who puts their own life in danger
will likely put other lives in danger. Cyclists who acknowledge they
have social responsibilities work on the physical skills needed to
share the road.

The societal responsibilities of transportation cyclists include
communication, courtesy and contribution. Cyclists need to develop
their communication skills beyond the hand signal. Often cyclists
cannot take their hands off the handlebars because they need to steer
or brake. Another method of communication is needed to augment or
replace the hand signal when the situation warrants. The eloquent
cyclist works with time and space, road position, body position and the
environment to move predictably with traffic.

Cyclists constantly balance their own safety and courtesy for others.
Courtesy is the medium through which road users share facilities.
Courtesy is the ability to pay attention to the needs of others,
allowing yielding and merges, while following traffic laws and
conventions. Although both Communication and Courtesy assist in the
societal acceptance of cycling, cyclists can do more to accelerate mass
understanding of cyclists needs.

Third and last of the social aspects of transportation cycling is
Contribution. Contributing to the development of society is the least
realised responsibility because of the perception that great amounts of
time and dedication are required. But if a cyclist does not have time
for the more overt forms of societal development, they can demonstrate
support for cycling by modelling behaviour that other road users can
understand and appreciate. Cycling well is cycling advocacy.

More overt forms of demonstrating support for cycling are important
because cycling advocates do not own, or have access to, the mass
media. Cyclists are perceived as they are portrayed in the media and
the mass media only picks up on controversial events. Participating in
a wide range of advocacy events broadens the public perception of
cyclists and cycling.

Contributing to the development of society may mean, at its most
vociferous, belonging to a cycling advocacy group that organises mass
demonstrations. Individual conversations are also important to cycling
advocacy and education. Creating forums for dialogue, whether formally
at meetings or informally over meals benefits all of society. Cycling
newsletters and magazines, as well as their wide distribution, are
another important part of advocacy.

Well-written print media allows people to inform and educate themselves
and it also allows the public to debate the truth-value of cycling
advocacy. Finally, producing and attending courses, workshops and
symposia form the subset of advocacy called education that creates
accelerated understanding and change in education is subset of
advocacysociety.

(Diagram: The diagram illustrates that education is subset of
advocacy.)

Social change occurs over time with advocacy campaign efforts.
Education programs can promote social change but advocacy can exist
without education. The task of education and educators is to
intentionally address the concerns of advocacy and produce programs
that speed social change. Many transportation cyclists seek out and
benefit from educational programs and information. However, because
cyclists vary in skill level and in degree of consideration of their
social responsibility, existing cycling education programs do not suit
all bicycle users.

The next diagram illustrates the relationship between the development
of cycling skills and the consideration of social responsibilities that
result in four types of transportation cyclists.

(Diagram: the relationship between the development of cycling skills
and the consideration of social responsibilities)

Skills are the physical acts of controlling a bicycle such as braking
and turning but also manoeuvring in traffic. Responsibilities are the
consideration of social responsibility when cycling in traffic. The
responsibilities include the physical requirements needed to ensure the
safety of self and society as well as the societal responsibilities of
communication, courtesy and contribution.

Four Types of Transportation Cyclists and how they respond to training:
(Return to Top)

1. Vigilant cyclists have undeveloped physical skills and an
appreciation for the social responsibilities of cycling. They are
motivated to develop their skills and social responsibilities by taking
courses, reading and riding with others.

2. Veloquent cyclists have both the physical skills and a high regard
for the social responsibilities of cycling in traffic. They are
motivated to develop their own skills and social responsibilities as
well as help develop other cyclists, and society at large, through
cycling advocacy, courses, reading and riding with others.

3. Vagabond cyclists have neither the skills nor understanding of
social responsibilities when on a bicycle. Most are reluctant users of
bicycles. Where mental illness is not a problem, vagabond cyclists may
develop the physical skills and a social conscience to ride
appropriately in traffic but their ability to obtain regular food,
clothing, shelter as well as meaningful employment must first be
addressed.

4. The least predictable of the four types of transportation cyclist is
the volatile cyclists. Volatile cyclists are physically skilled
individuals who are either unaware or uncaring of the social
responsibilities of cycling. Unaware volatile cyclists do not
participate in cycling courses because feel there is nothing more to
learn about cycling. Training programs should expose the unaware
volatile cyclists to personal and social development rather than skill
development. The self-development of this cyclist will, most likely,
come with time (age) and experience (trial and error).

Uncaring volatile cyclists are both skilled and anti-social. Their
careless application of social responsibilities may be due to
sub-cultural affiliations that repudiate the social norms of cycling.
Development of the uncaring volatile cyclists would be challenging and
is not within the realm of current cycling education programs.

The social aspects of transportation cycling can be achieved with
patience and practice. When cyclists develop themselves and take the
time to communicate with other road users, when they are courteous and
safety minded, and when they contribute to the development of society,
their cycling becomes an eloquent model for all road users to follow.

Part 2: The emotional aspects of transportation cycling

Transportation cyclists realise that the difference between a good day
cycling and a bad day is their emotional reaction to traffic. Along
with the physical skill development, cyclists need to develop attitudes
that safeguard their emotions and help them cope with traffic.

The emotional experiences of a cyclist are wrought on the many close
encounters in a season of cycling. Cyclists who can use their
experiences to develop a comprehensive emotional context for cycling
become better cyclists, cycle more often and cycle throughout their
life. Cyclists who cannot safeguard their emotions become bitter with
the riding experience, frustrated with other road users and stop riding
their bike when they can no longer justify the emotional effort required
for transportation cycling.

The ability to safeguard emotions and learn to cope with traffic is
based on a variety of presumptions or emotional contexts for
transportation cycling. In fact, the inability to develop coping skills
is often due to inflexible emotional contexts for cycling. Becoming an
emotionally proficient cyclist requires flexibility of thought and the
ability to reflect on changes within oneself, society and where those
two entities meet, traffic.

Vigilant and Veloquent cyclists reflect on their emotions and develop
methods to cope with the stressors of interacting with motorists.
Though every transportation cyclist has his or her own
personal-emotional context for cycling, contexts generally follow one
of three re-occurring themes.

(Diagram: three emotional contexts and presumptions about motorist
behaviours)

This diagram illustrates three emotional contexts and presumptions
about motorist behaviours. Presumption of Ignorance: Other road users
do not give a damn about cyclists. Presumption of Innocence: Other road
users mostly do not intend to endanger cyclists. Presumption of Danger:
Other road users are unaware of cyclists.

When cyclists adopt any one of these presumptions as true, they modify
their behaviour in traffic to fit the context. For the cyclist who
believes other road users do not give a damn about cyclists, riding
predictably isn’t always necessary because motorists don’t recognise or
expect good road behaviour. Cyclists who believe that other road users
mostly do not intend to endanger cyclists ride predictably and expect
the same of other road users. Cyclists who believe other road users are
unaware of cyclists remain vigilant at all times and ride as if
motorists can’t see them. There are two variants of this context: 1)
cars are dangerous and 2) traffic is a war where riding is the battle.

There are deficiencies with all three themes. The presumption that
motorists are ignorant, and therefore wouldn’t recognise good cycling
behaviour, is nothing but an excuse to ride poorly and it does nothing
to improve all road behaviour. As a coping technique it is simple and
effective because motorists are always to blame. This context does not
allow for emotional growth because the cyclist does not reflect on the
truth-value of their presumption. This context is closely associated
with Vagabond and Volatile cyclists and often with Vigilant cyclists
until they further develop their awareness of social responsibility.

The presumption that other road users mostly do not intend to endanger
cyclists is sociable and generous but not entirely dependable for
accident avoidance. As a coping technique it is difficult to
constantly rationalize but, if the cyclist reflects openly on his or
her experience, this presumption will lead to emotional development and
a better understanding of traffic. This presumption of riding is
associated with Vigilant and Veloquent cyclists before they learn to
reflect on changes within them self, society and traffic.

Lastly, the presumption that motorists are unaware of cyclists leads to
constant stress. These hyper-vigilant cyclists are all alone with the
rest of traffic instead of being a part of it. As a coping technique
this presumption rates very poorly because of the cognition required
and anxiety produced by manoeuvring through traffic as if anything
could happen. This presumption of riding is associated with Volatile
and Vigilant cyclists until they develop a sense that they must
interact with traffic to understand and survive it.

Cyclists, who adhere to emotional contexts presuming ignorance,
innocence and danger, become emotionally overwrought because they are
constantly reacting to their perception of motorists motivation or
traffic itself. To diffuse emotions, a more comprehensive emotional
context is required to make sense of traffic and concerns for self and
society.the inter-actionist context for transportation cyclists.

(Diagram: This diagram illustrates the inter-actionist context for
transportation cyclists)

This model shows three variables that Veloquent cyclists consider
during each ride and try to improve upon whenever possible. Motorist
ability ranges from good to bad. The Traffic Environment ranges from
good to bad. Cyclist ability ranges from good to bad. Crashes occur at
the far end of each range where two or all three of these ranges meet.

Cyclists safeguard their emotions and cope better with traffic when
they accept that both lack of ability and poor environmental conditions
lead to crashes. Poor motorist behaviours are countered with excellent
cyclist behaviours. Presuming motorists’ behaviours are motivated by
Ignorance and Innocence, or presuming all traffic is dangerous all the
time, is stressful and creates emotional reactions of hate and
disappointment. Accepting that behaviours need development, not
motivations, gives transportation cyclists, advocates and educators a
place to make a difference. The Inter-actionist context suggests there
is room for personal and social development and prevents uncalled for
emotional reactions.

Transportation cycling requires mental and physicals skills that can
compensate for other road users and the environment. Because these
skills take time to develop and some road users never do develop them,
it is important that other facilities co-exist, with major traffic
routes, where cyclists can hone their skills in an environment that
favours cyclists and reduces interaction with motorists.

Cyclists choose their route to accommodate their emotions and
presumptions, not their physical skill level alone. Vigilant cyclists,
those with undeveloped skills but with a moderate degree of social
responsibility, prefer bike routes even when it means longer travel
times. Veloquent cyclists, those with a moderate degree of skills and
social responsibility, have developed a comprehensive context to deal
with traffic. They have the ability to ride any route and choose their
route by the amount of time available and how they feel that day.

Cyclists need to develop attitudes that safeguard their emotions and
they need to develop physical skills to help them remain emotionally
and physically intact for another day of riding. Accepting there are
personal and societal responsibilities, transportation cyclists become
better communicators, understand the need for courtesy and contribute
to their own and societal development by participating in advocacy any
way they can.

Cycling well IS Cycling Advocacy


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cfsmtb