Every so often we are fortunate enough to discover a piece of
writing that becomes part of us, that continues to contribute to our view of
the world. An article originally published back in 2005 in Bicycling Magazine called “Invisible
Riders” is one such gem for me. I still draw inspiration and perspective
from it as I work to overcome misconceptions about people who depend on their
bike every day.
The article is a surprise, not only because it was the first
and last of its kind to be published in a bicycle-enthusiasts’ magazine (that I
know of...please send links to others if I’m wrong!), but because the author
himself had set out to write a completely different article. His subjects for
the article are day laborers in Los
Angeles , California .
Most are illegal immigrants from Mexico and were a bit nervous about
taking part.
Most fascinating to me is not what the bicyclists told the
reporter, but how the reporter changed as he wrote the article. Before he
started, he envisioned an article about changing some of these riders into bike
racers and enthusiasts. What he ended up writing was far more profound to him
and his readers. We often do not even see these, the most prevalent sort of
bicyclists in our cities, and because of this, transportation policies, bike
shops, and even bicycle programs often don’t even consider accommodating their
needs.
When I taught a university course on social change through
bicycles, I made this article one of the required reading assignments. It
always caused lively discussions with my students. Some even referred to it
well after the course was over as we discussed their plans with bicycles for
the future. It truly is a timeless piece and I’m glad to bring it back through
this blog post.
Give the article a
read. It’s only five pages long. My guess is that you will be as captivated by
the reporter’s personal story as I continue to be.
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