So, yesterday on my ferry ride home a couple French guys are noticing my bike. Apparently they are in town working for Air France at OAK. They start talking louder and getting closer and closer to my bike. Finally one of them turns to me with his hands thrust out, ah...izz itt a tree speed? I reply, no it's an 8 speed. Oh fabulous!..So we chat about the bike. They think I should start a business selling my bikes. One of them finally after a long uncomfortable silence asks... Can I ask you something. I can tell he has seen something curious, something not like it is back home, something he doesn't understand. I often when going someplace new and foreign purposefully try to look for what's different than back home. I want somebody to explain it. But usually I am too chicken to ask anyone. Well he does it. Can I ask you something? My reply, Yeah sure. He asks, How come there are no scooters? No one is riding scooters. Huh, I hadn't noticed, but yeah your right there aren't many scooters. So...why? Yeah everybody drives here. After another long silence he says, but Isn't that like putting a thumb tack in with a sledge hammer? moving only one person from A to B? I had no answer for why we move ourselves around so inefficiently. Do you?