Help grow the Tribe!

Everyone who uses the roads in this country, and possibly in any country, has seen this - Two motorcycles pass each other on the road and give each other a friendly wave. Now this doesn't always happen or even happen most of the time, but it does happen often enough for everyone to know what it is. You may not have ever thought long enough about it to give it a word so I will. This is really a form of tribalism. One of our basic human needs is the need to feel like we belong somewhere. As a cyclist I can vouch that this sort of tribalism also happens between cyclist. However as a group I think cyclist are a little more selective (snobby) about who they wave at. I have to admit that even I have been guilty of deciding who I will wave at based on how serious or even how well outfitted they look. If some grandmother with a basket on the front of her bike goes weaving past me on the other side of the road, I don't think I would even think about including her into the tribe of cyclist.

I've decided that is a terrible attitude to take not just because it is snobby but because I am giving up a opportunity to make cycling more acceptable to the general population. It is highly likely that the poorly outfitted cyclists that weave their way down the road are much newer to using a bicycle for mobility rather than simple recreation. If someone has made the effort to get out on their bike and risk their life in traffic then they not only need some recognition, then also need some encouragement. A simple wave from a serious looking cyclist could accomplish both. It costs you nothing and if done consistently on a wide scale could make a major impact on bike use.

As I've written before, people are not just going to park their vehicles and start using eco-friendly alternatives just because it is the right thing to do for our planet and for future generations. The masses need incentives. What other incentive is so easy to implement and costs nothing? So if you pass me in the streets of Toronto on your bike, you are going to get a wave from me. You don't have to wave back but I hope you do. Even I sometimes need encouragement.

velomobility