Goin' to the dawgs

I've lived in both red states and blue states. They have different cultures. Take the blue state where I currently reside. I notice how often I see people walking their dogs. What's notable about that, you ask? What's notable is what's so often missing from this picture. How frequently I see people walking with dogs rather than kids. A dog culture replacing a child culture, where dogs become substitute children. That's not something I saw very often growing up. There's been a sea change. 

I see some people, not just with one dog, but two, three, four or more dogs. Now that's their business. But when dogs outnumber kids, that's a problem. That reflects inverted priorities.

I also notice a biker culture. I don't mean motorbikes, I mean bicyclists. Not just individual bicyclists. Often they come in groups. They apparently belong to formal or informal biker clubs. And they're suited up in biker uniforms, as if they were racing in the Tour de France. 

They often bike along nature trails, where they compete with pedestrians. The bikers have to dodge pedestrians, and vice versa.

Now, I understand why people like to walk along nature trails. They enjoy the scenery and seclusion. But the bikers are moving too fast to take in the scenery. Not only that, but when you're on a bike, you have to pay more attention to potential obstacles. Your focus is on avoiding an accident. So what's the point of scenic bike routes? 

Frankly, I think that for a lot of these bikers, bicycling is an alternate religion. It makes them feel virtuous. Part of their Green ideology. 

After all, there are many other forms of exercise. And there are other ways of getting around. For instance, I often see skateboarders frequenting supermarkets or fast-food joints. They don't do that to send a message. For them, that's an efficient way to get around. Quicker than walking, and saves on gasoline.