Episode 722: When It’s Bad, It’s Awful. When It’s Good, It’s So Good.

On the Overthinking It Podcast, we’re just trying to have a nice bike ride.

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Peter Fenzel, Mark Lee, and Matthew Wrather use the occasion of Mark’s long bike ride through New York City to talk about their experiences of traveling on two wheels. It ends up in a discussion of the thorny topics around transportation policy, which is always where it ends up, amirite?!

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Supplementary Materials

Larry Crowne, The 40 Year Old Virgin, and American Transportation Policy

Daniel in "The Karate Kid" is harassed on his bike by members of the Cobra Kai. Bruce Banner wears a bike helmet in "The Hulk" (2003), directed by Ang Lee.

5 Comments on “Episode 722: When It’s Bad, It’s Awful. When It’s Good, It’s So Good.”

  1. Margo #

    I haven’t commented in awhile, but I just wanted to pop in here and say how happy I am that you have joined The War on Cars, which is actually a really good podcast and well worth a listen. I would love a follow-up about where you overthink car advertizeing and how it pepetuates tropes about cars (especially the big Pickup Trucks and SUV’s) being neccesary for worthiness. Pickup Trucks and Jeeps advertize “Ruggedness” whereas, as you point out, there are few things more rugged than going places under your own power with maybe a bit of an electric assist.

    I can not get all smugly Canadian here, we Canuks are perhaps even more car-addicted than you Americans, depending on where you live.

    Reply

  2. Mike O #

    Parking garages on the edge of cities. Only buses, taxis, bikes allowed within cities.
    My hometown was nestled between a lake and highway. Walking out was like playing frogger. A bike was easier so you could speed past the off/on ramps. That 100m of death prevented walking in and out.

    Reply

    • Matthew Wrather OTI Staff #

      I see the benefit with respect to the cars behind you in the lane, but isn’t the real problem with a cyclist making a left turn the oncoming cars?

      Reply

  3. Squin #

    Perfect timing as I got rid of my car recently, been taking the bus, and just this week really getting back to biking, as I’m nearing recovery from getting hit by a car 6 months ago (while walking, not biking). I have quickly been radicalized in the war on cars.

    Reply

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