Why Planners should bike instead of drive
By: Earl Javier
Tags: Strategy, Planning, Musings, Creative Thinking, Biking

I took up biking around a month and a half ago. Got myself a road bike and rode the pandemic bike-hype train.

That shadow is my idiot self taking a photo as a I stand on the road, rushing to take a photo on a bridge. No time to consider the lighting situation lest I get run over.

A couple of things you should know: First, Manila isn’t the most bike-friendly city to say the least. It’s the city notorious for Carmaggedon, terrible for motorists and commuters alike. Second, bike lanes were not very common pre-pandemic. Third, the last time I owned a bike was before my teenage years, and the furthest I remember getting on two pedal-powered wheels was to the village right next to the one I grew up in. Barely even a kilometer away.

I’ve been driving ever since my senior year in college. Manila’s public transport system is serviceable at best, so ever since I got my license, driving’s been the default way I got around. Except on the occasional night out where heavy drinking was expected, but that’s a story for another time.

Which is why I never expected to enjoy biking as much as I do now, let alone hype it up for others to try (my friends and colleagues know this, I haven’t shut up about biking for a few weeks now). And if you’re a Planner who regularly takes four-wheeled vehicles to work, here’s why I think you should give biking a try.

You pass the same road but see a completely different side to it. I still don’t ride too far, just to nearby cities. I don’t venture out to unfamiliar roads just yet to stay on the safe side, so the roads I bike on now are roads I’ve passed by countless times. But without the windows and the air conditioning separating me from the street, details that I never noticed before are now unmissable. It’s a great lesson in how much you discover just from a simple change in perspective. You get to go places cars can’t. Narrow side streets, wide ones with pedestrians spilling over onto the road, ones that suddenly turn into dead ends. Having a tiny(er) vehicle that can you can easily turn around, counterflow, and even take strange short cuts is great for exploring. You become confident that you can find an alternative route just because it’s easier to maneuver your ride. You hear the street. Before I started driving, I would commute to my university, which was four cities away from where we lived. I’m no stranger to eavesdropping on people I pass by, but riding around with nothing between you and the street is different. Your senses are 100% in contact with the world around you, especially your sense of hearing. This morning I rode through a subdivision and I heard a radio ad blasting from one of the neighborhood stores, and I got reminded of how the people we reach out to experience our work: it’s in the background of things that are more important in their lives. You’re reminded that ads get played in places that are very different from the places where they’re deliberated in — and how invaluable that is when you think of how ordinary people will see, hear, and experience them. Plus you still get to eavesdrop. You’re forced to ride defensively. I get the occasional burst of road rage, much to the fear of my unlucky passengers. Because when you drive in a city like Manila, it’s a car-cut-car world. Defensive driving just isn’t the norm, so you get conditioned to ram your way through traffic at every given opportunity. It’s a completely different story when you don’t have doors and an airbag to count on for protection. It’s a great way to force yourself to take stock of everything around you constantly as you move forward. You aren’t focused on getting to your destination as fast as possible. Driving is efficient; you can speed up and rush to your destination. When you bike, you already know you’re not going to get there as fast as you would have if you drove. (Note: I speak as an amateur, those who’ve been biking for longer might not agree) And you deliberately consider as many alternative paths to the destination, some possibly taking longer but safer to bike through. Some quicker but with more drivers. As in Planning, you are conscious that there’s more than one way to get to the destination. And the factors to consider can change as you ride along. You realize how much generosity matters. I’ve never met a group strangers that are more courteous to each other than cyclists. And I think it’s because you know that every ride is unpredictable, and you might need the help of a stranger at one point. Earlier today, I made the rookie mistake of not checking my tires before heading out. After a few pedal strokes I realized by rear wheel was flat. I didn’t have a pump on me. I almost turned around and went home, but I was determined to go for a ride so I took a chance and walked to the nearest spot where I knew bikers gathered to see if someone had on on them. I approached two strangers, and without any hesitation, they patiently helped me get my wheel ride-ready. I’m reminded that I never have all the answers, and people are willing to offer it if you ask nicely. You (I) realize just how much of an asshole you (I) were (was) on the road. Even with the occasional bout of road rage, I used to think I was a nice enough driver. I let pedestrians pass instead of speeding past them (not very common in this part of the world). I always signal before switching lanes (again, another one of those surprisingly uncommon things). But I used to hate it when motorcycles and bikes would squeeze themselves in between me and the car on the lane beside mine while we all queue up at a stoplight. I always thought they were doing that just to one-up us bigger vehicles. Now I realize it’s because being at the very front of the pack feels much safer than being surrounded by cars with drivers that are highly likely assholes that just wanted to get ahead of each other. I’m reminded that I’m never always in the right, and being more considerate to what other people think doesn’t take much except pausing and waiting for my cue to go on ahead.

If that doesn’t convince you to try biking, here’s one more thing — it’s much easier to stop for snacks when you can stop anytime, anywhere. And Planning, like life, is always better with snacks.