Is Bicycle Touring A Form Of Deviance?
What are some good reasons to show how bicycle touring is a form of social deviance? what are some things that influence people to even do it?
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I think you confuse social deviance with conformity. For example, in High School, riding a bicycle to school is considered very uncool, a violation of adolescent conformity. In college, riding a bicycle is cool again. Driving an automobile is so easy, the nation has filled with obese, mass-media influenced, zombies that don’t know the meaning of adventure. Why do mountain climbers, or any other adventurers do the climb? I think to test themselves, to prove they have the guts, the energy and the drive to accomplish the incredible.
Why I enjoy touring, written on the way to Durango:
Escaping from reality (my daughter’s assessment.).
Feeling good from the constant “endophin rush” cycling provides (my doctor’s assessment.)
Relishing the Adventure of the Road and the illusion of self-sufficiency.
Meeting interesting people and listening to their stories.
Becoming one with the slowly passing scenery and the weather of the moment.
Realizing the obvious health benefits of exercise.
Eating a lot with no pangs of conscience.
Reading myself to sleep in my cozy tent.
Doing something very few get to do.
Writing a journal of the adventure for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to marvel at their crazy granddad’s daring-do (stab at immortality?)
Social deviance? Hell yes! Anybody that rides a bicycle cross country solo and wild camps is by definition a social deviant. But so are bungie jumpers, sky divers, Nascar drivers…the list could go on and on. All walk to that different drummer, but most are law abiding, productive citizens when they aren’t out being “deviant.”
Slide into heaven shouting “man, what a ride!”
I just want to add this experience ..
Although I still ride my bike at short distances now-a-days (about 20 miles 3x a week) there was a time when I’d go out 60 -70 miles out (of course, there’s still the trip back, so …) I did enjoy those times where you feel the blow of the wind against your face, sweat slowly dripping down your face and the great feeling that you have gone farther than you have before.
the undulation of people looking at you when you stop for a break. sure, they not saying anything but they’re looking at you, secretly admiring your accomplishment. you can feel it in their eyes. and after a long day, you sit back and say, “now I don’t have to wonder what its like to have gone through this adventure” and when you’re old and gray, these would be one of the best and fondest memories you’ll have.
so, is this deviance? in a great sociable way, I’d say it is .. not a lot of people can be daring as you …
I believe only if you do not enjoy it
Where I live many/most people thinks that if you own a car, you should not be cycling (so it becomes a sort of social deviance). Otherwise, it should be fine
Cyclebum has it right, just give him the points right now.