Ivan Illich wrote Energy and Equity back in the 1970s. Copies are easy to find and download on the web, and I highly recommend it, if you can stand to wade through the overly-intellectual mambo-jahambo. Illich’s main assertion is that as the speed of transport increases beyond human-scale – i.e. faster than bicycle speed – inequity follows naturally. By having cars that travel at 60 mph, the 60-mile commute becomes a reality for many people with the means to afford a 60 mph car. As more people begin to accept a 60-mile commute as the status quo, the commuting options at shorter distances quickly become diminished. One hundred years ago, most people could take care of all their business within a few miles of home – i.e. walking distance. When destinations can be reached on foot, the poor man and the rich man are equals. How many people can do their daily business as pedestrians now? Now that the ability to regularly operate within a 1-hour drive of home is considered normal, those who can’t afford that luxury are at a hopeless disadvantage. The widespread use of the automobile creates inequity; more cars on the road is not the solution to the problems created by having more cars on the road.

Thanks for your wisdom.

I agree by the worlds standards even many of the poor year live in a bit of luxury, but before you and I get on our pedestals because we bike to work, let’s acknowledge some things.
The poor don’t have as much freedom of choice in this society as you or I might. The commute to work is not something they have much say over because there are only certain places one can afford to live and certain places one can manage to get a job at. There isn’t the luxury of spending time picking and choosing a career, and there isn’t the finances to pick up and switch living spaces. I completely agree these are the things that need to be addressed, but they aren’t simple lifestyle changes, there are some structural things like affordable housing that need to be dealt with.

There are any number of ways to make progress in this country on a variety of issues. Invariably, however, these moves toward progress are hampered (at least in “progressive” circles) by the idea that progress is somehow hurting the poor. I don’t dispute that high gas prices adversely affect a poor person more than they adversely affect a rich person. That is unfortunate, but maybe a solution could be proposed to help poor people adapt to the new reality. Remember that high gas prices are a reality, not the result of some transient political arrangement, amenable to democratic will in the next election.

Everybody has choices. This is as true of poor people as it is of rich people. Where I live, a lot of poor people decided driving was too expensive many years ago, and many take the bus. I used to live somewhere where there was no bus, and people somehow got by, even the poor people. I have decided to accept the fact that poor people often will get the short end of the stick, and that this is unfortunate and we should do what we can to mitigate their disadvantage. Why the relative disadvantage of poor people is an argument for maintaining the status quo, I’ll never understand. Will higher gas prices squeeze the poor? Of course, but they’re being squeezed now. They’ve been squeezed forever, and will be squeezed on into the future. The current system isn’t good for poor people, and future systems won’t be any better, and probably not any worse. But we mustn’t lose our perspective. Getting off oil dependency is a good thing, a necessary thing, an urgent thing. High prices will help people see a motivation for making this positive step. Usually rich people set trends, with lower socioeconomic classes following. In this case, by necessity, the poor will become the trendsetters for once.

For two years, I commuted by bicycle 10 miles each way (now I live/work close enough to walk). Many people I’ve met believe that riding a bicycle this far is an act of superhuman strength. But, when you see me, you will see that is not the case, as I am nothing if not average. Unfortunately, the widespread use of the automobile for trips of less than 10 miles has made us believe that an automobile is necessary. It isn’t. How many poor people are scraping by in some beater car driving 10 miles or less to work? For the price of a beater car and the cost of operating and maintaining it, a great bicycle can be had, and those 10 miles of beater car uncertainty can be a thing of the past. As for those who live 30-40 miles/minutes from work… Anybody, rich or poor, who lives more than biking distance from work, excuse me, is living a life of splendid luxury, far beyond our collective means. It is only a matter of time before such arrangements will become impossible for everybody, whether we like it or not.