A smaller, more intimate world
a column by Chris Jungle

It's the end of the year again which usually means people are reflecting and rating how this year stacked up against others. Something happened to me that brought me back to a time not often revisited. My car broke down right before Christmas, leaving me bumming rides to work and biking for presents. For people who do not own cars or have them on an infrequent basis, it is not that big a deal for the car to peter out. But for a person who grew up in New Mexico and had a driver's license since fifteen years of age, the experience brought back memories of a much blocked out time called "The Early Teenage Years."

While I still bike often, it hasn't been my main mode of transportation since junior high. Although there is no official driver's license for bicycles, it's pretty much understood that if you know how to keep your balance then you're allowed to do it as much as you want. (For that reason, I never compare sex to riding a bike.) But basically, for about nine years of my life, I either biked or walked to get to destinations.

The first thing you notice when you bike instead of drive is that your world is smaller. Since most cars can go hundreds of miles without problems, a motorist can go many more places. Bicyclists and walkers travel smaller distances, but strangely, their worlds aren't less interesting. When on a bike, a person notices their surroundings much more than a person in a car. I still remember a pothole on the side of the road on Remuda Street I used to hop as a kid. Once I got a car, I didn't notice the pothole anymore. Walkers travel even less, but notice more than bikers.

There is also a more friendly, open feeling when a person is walking or biking. The main reason for that is that the person is in direct contact with the elements. If it's windy, they feel the wind, and when it is a nice day, they appreciate it more than car drivers. Walkers and bikers will often even give each other quick greetings as they pass each other. While the phrases "Morning" and "Nice Day" usually won't make or break a day, it's still a good feeling. Most people in cars don't even acknowledge the person in the car next to them (unless it's an extremely attractive individual, and then they ogle), and end up listening to the radio play the same songs the person heard yesterday.

There's also a strange hybrid of traveling which some people take called the public transportation service. These people walk short distances and ride long distances. It sounds like a logical process, but unfortunately, most cities in the United States have a very poor version of this, and people end up buying old clunker cars instead.

Even though cars often have a pet-like quality, people need to stop relying on them so much. It's easy to get sucked into the feeling that you have to drive everywhere. Even if it's only a few blocks. Trust me, I was doing it as much as the next guy and gal. With driving, most people take the largest roads to get to places. Mainly for the intelligent reason that the larger roads get them to their destinations quicker. With biking or walking, trips down side roads are common and actually desired. Soon, bike routes are established and little things become more intimate. The hill you have to climb, that house with yellow window panes, and the dog that barks every time you pass by.

Even with my car fixed and out of the shop, I'm hoping to use it less for getting around. If I have to go less than three miles, I can either hoof it or bike it. Not only will it keep me from running my car into the ground, but I'll actually be mistaken for doing some sort of exercise. You know? This is starting to sound more and more like a New Year's resolution with every word, and wait a minute, what time of year is this?

That's right, I suckered everybody into this one, but at least it's for a good cause. Even if your New Year's resolution is to watch one less porno flick a week, give it a try. See if you have any will power left in that body. Besides, even if you fail, Lent is coming around in February so you'll have another shot at it.

Chris Jungle is well-known around the Big Q as that chunk of stud-meat accompanying Mattman.

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