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How to make money while improving your health and seeing the great outdoors
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I came upon this letter to the editor as I was reading the July/August 2008 edition of the American Bicyclist, a publication of the League of American Bicyclists. This magazine, as well as the organization, is a great one for bicycle advocacy news for a bicycle commuter such as myself, and the letter renews my motivation and serves a reminder for one reason that I ride rather than drive. Enjoy...
The letter reads:
Dear Editor:
Riding a bicycle in the Houston area gets you point-to-point at about 12 mph average speed. Driving a car point-to-point in the Houston area, very roughly, doubles the bicycle average speed to about 25mph. Case in point: from my northwest suburban home to the Houston Galleria business district, about 25 miles, it could take an hour on average to drive. Worse at peak times, better at slack times, but an hour is typical average that I use for time budgeting.
The cost of driving is 60 cents per mile (according to the IRS). The cost of bicycling is about 1/10 of that, or $0.06 per mile (could be less, but thse are my costs). If I bike ride 25 miles, it will take me two hours. If I drive, it will take me one hour. But I'll save $13.50 in the proess, so riding a bike "pays" me $13.50 tax-free for that extra hour spent. I would have to earn about $20 per hour before Federal income taxes and SocSec/Medicare deductions to get back $13.50 after-tax. Everything depends on my particular tax bracket, of course.
I like the thought that I get paid $20 per hour to improve my health, and see that outdoors and wildlife.
Peter Wang, Houston, Texas
Now, how about that?
For more on the League of American Bicyclists visit their website at www.bikeleague.org. Annual membership costs a song and the money is put to invaluable use.
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