At the risk of sounding bitter

Nothing sums up the state of cycling in Atlanta like this blurb I discovered at Martino's Bike Lane Diary.  That's right she owns a bike shop but drives a Hummer.  You see for the vast majority of cyclists in Atlanta the bicycle is a toy, it's something to play with before or after work, it's something to put on the back of your SUV and take across town to the Silver Comet Trail.  It's not something you use to get to work or to the grocery store, it's not a means of transportation. 

 

I suppose what bothers me the most about this story isn’t just that it’s a car or even a SUV, it’s that it’s a Hummer and because of the way tax law is written my tax dollars are subsidizing her purchase.  You see by claiming the vehicle is “a cool, outdoor come-on for the business,” the owner is allowed to claim tens of thousands of dollars in tax breaks financed by you and me.  So I’m going to find this bike shop and expose its Hummer driving owner.  They won’t get my business and I hope they won’t get yours either.