Can we be honest and finally admit the “woman” factor contributing to carbrainism and hatred of cycling? A lot of “men” I know stopped cycling or carried about urban design precisely so they could appeal to women.
Women who are older than students and don’t live in the city centres and surrounds are extremely disgusted by non-drivers and consider it a huge red flag, to the point where they will stop chatting with someone if they mention they don’t drive or start acting cold if it’s brought up in the date itself. It would not be an exaggeration to say that having a car is basically mandatory to not be disqualified in the eyes of most women.
It mostly comes down to signals. Having a car signals:
- Provider value: you can use the car to chauffeur women and take them on road trips, or cool non easily accessible places
- Financial status: you can afford the car and its ongoing maintenance costs
- Social compliance: you adhere to social norms and are not stubborn/ a weirdo, you can make concession in a relationship
- Stability: the car signals that you can provide stability in a potential family, driving the child to the doctor, handling emergencies, taking the kids to school and activities etc
- Safety: the safety provided by being surrounded by a metal cage vs the vulnerability of being a cyclist/biker. (This safety is also one of the main reasons for people changing personalities and acting like assholes when inside a car)
So what can be done about the female issue? What are the /n/ suggestion to bring women closer to our beliefs?