Commuting. The very word conjures up visions of frustration and long lines of vehicular madness. The idea is as old as man, even predating the invention that is responsible for our present state of insanity. The wheel.
Before the appearance of these circular objects, mans' mobility was limited to that of his lower appendages. In the process of time, our Homo Sapient ancestor would eventually tire from having to lug around his paltry but necessary possessions and come up with a better means of haulage. His wife would aptly become a source of contention in this matter of constant uprooting.
Now that he had created something he could roll around on terra firma, he set about finding a practical use for the wheel. Having observed that two of anything (not wives) is better than just one, his engineering prowess percolated towards the marriage of these two wheels to a single wooden axle. Add a box-like structure to this assembly and Presto! A chassis.
It was human-powered, no less, but certainly now was taking on the form of something supremely useful. By harnessing human bodies as a power source, there would be no limit to "man power" except for the confines of space. With a large family, you could have more than one vehicle parked on the street. The concept of "mass" (not mess) transportation was born.
If necessity is the Mother of invention, then innovation is the Father. The wheel, being the result of the desire for easier locomotion, would evolve a number of "must haves." Namely, essential features that would enhance and complement the operation of this new contraption. Such as brakes, for example.
Mans' trial(s) and error(s) would soon uncover the laws of gravity and inertia, spawning the realization that stopping a moving object is just as important as getting it started. Chugging up a hill with a fully loaded cart was the pits, for sure. The subsequent downhill ride initially seemed quite euphoric, to say the least. That is until the affected occupants with its cargo decided they wanted to get off before...the tree! A third wheel was added to this conveyance. It's called the "steering" wheel.
When man finally succeeded in the domestication of certain species of the animal kingdom as a new power option, it freed him to concentrate his energies on improving this marvel of mobility. Over time, he would add comforts, enclosures and other "niceties" (rear view mirror, glove box, horn, and a mirror on wifes' sun visor.)
Now let's fast forward to the 20th century. At its beginning, gasoline powered vehicles began to appear. Modern man and his unlikely nemesis, the dinosaur, had come full circle in the form of fossil fuel. (These beasts were no doubt the prime reason for man having to become increasingly more mobile. Anyway, who likes to get trampled on?). After more than 100 years of development and engineering expertise, humans' love affair with the automobile would generate many perplexities. Pollution, city congestion, road deterioratiion, energy shortages, road rage; and more recently, a keen focus on global warming and skyrocketing fuel prices. And they call this progress?
So we thought dinosaurs were "extinct". Well, it looks as though they have come back to haunt us in the form of Black Gold. Now who is in danger of extinction? There seems to be only one solution for humanity. Buy a bicycle. Or better yet, stay home.
Author of this article resides in Tidewater, VA. with wife and 2 college age daughters. Enjoys writing as a hobby, vacationing in his native state of Colorado and is a licensed private pilot.
