I
had the opportunity to read the following little story at the first
ever Inspirational Writers Read at Brewed Cafe on Sabino Canyon Road in
Tucson last week. It was an honor being part of this great experience.
Thanks to Andrea Owen and Cafe owners Phil and Kate for making it all
possible.
Over the past few years I’ve been
making more of an effort to know God intimately, trying to abide in His
presence as I walk out each day. What I’m beginning to realize is that it’s not
about having my head on some heavenly plane, but more about knowing His Word
and then following my conscience when He’s whispering beneath the roar of my
flesh. He’s teaching me these things, not through some kind of divine
revelation, but mostly through daily experiences. And often through my own failings.…
All
I first discovered the electric bike—more commonly known as
ebike—while taking a ride along the beach in Santa Monica and watching several riders
effortlessly glide past me. I’ve always enjoyed riding bikes, and have often
wished I could leave the car behind and ride to work. Tucson has more than 100
miles of off-road paved bike paths, providing a great venue to commute to work
away from traffic. The problem is that I work twenty-five miles away from where
I live and I’m not exactly a fast rider. It would take me too long to get there
and leave me too haggard and sweaty for work. But if I were riding an ebike
instead of a regular bike, then maybe, just maybe the impossible could become
possible. The best part is that I could ride most of the way on the Loop—an
off-road paved bike path that circles Tucson.
I began looking online and found the perfect ebike for $1,500. My kids and my parents pitched in a cumulative $500 as a birthday gift, and by November I had my ebike: A RAD-City commuter. I was ready.
To be honest, I saw the posted sign on the path that states “Motorized
Vehicles Prohibited,” but surely this rule didn’t apply to me. After all, my
ebike is a Class 2. This means that it only moves if I’m pedaling and maxes out
at 20 mph. It also has a handy throttle that helps me start from a dead stop,
but I rarely use it because it drains the battery. The minute I hit 20, a governor in my engine
slows me down. Experienced cyclists often pass me at speeds exceeding 30 mph.
So I continued riding the Loop with a clear conscience.
And then one morning in June a voice barked at me from behind.
“Hey! Is that an ebike?”
Startled, I stopped and turned around. An older man decked
out in riding gear had stopped just behind me, breathless but looking very
determined.
“You scared me!” I told him.
“Is that an ebike?” he said, pointing an accusing finger at
the battery on my bike.
“Yeah,” I said. “It’s
a pedal-assist. But it doesn’t go any faster than 20.”
“It’s a Class 2,” he said. “You’re not allowed on the Loop
with that. You have to ride it out on the road.”
The fact that this man was trying to prevent me from riding a
safe route to work galled me.
“What? Why?” I yelled at him.
“Because it’s illegal,” he said.
“Why?” I said.
“Because those are the rules,” he said. “No motorized
vehicles on the Loop. Look it up. Haven’t you seen the signs?”
“But why are they
the rules?” I said. “It makes no sense. I can’t ride as fast as most cyclists.”
“It doesn’t matter. You can’t ride here.”
“But why?” I said
again.
Finally the man spluttered out that ebikes were dangerous. Even
if I knew how to handle my ebike, he said, other people riding them might not
know how to handle them safely.
I told him that he just made a completely arbitrary statement.
After all, I could easily say that about any bike. Should all bikes be illegal
on the Loop because they could potentially be dangerous to some riders? Then I told
him to leave me alone and rode off.
I was steaming mad. Here I was, going out of my way to be a
model citizen, and this self-appointed Loop watchdog had the audacity to tell
me that I was doing something wrong.
So I went online and found a chat service for the Loop. I
typed out what had happened and asked whether my Class 2 ebike was really
illegal on the Loop. The person who answered me confirmed that the no-motor rule
applied to all ebikes—no exceptions, but suggested I leave a comment with the board
overseeing the Loop. And so I took my case there, making sure to tell them how
safe my ebike was and how much better it would be if they encouraged bike
commuting by allowing an exception for pedal assist ebikes.
Their response? I received an email back stating that all ebikes
were illegal on the Loop and that the board was working to make sure that
ebikes would not be allowed on any of the connecting paths to the Loop as well.
Wow. Deflated and still angry, I told my sad tale to my
friends. And being the good friends that they are, they commiserated with me.
Just ignore the rule and the grumpy old man, they said.
“Have the police stopped you?” one friend asked.
“No,” I said. “I’ve even ridden past two policemen and they
didn’t say anything.”
“Well, there you go then. You should just keep riding it unless
the police say something.”
This made perfect sense. And I was almost convinced to follow
his advice, except for one thing. My conscience was pricking at me. I had a
suspicion that God might be using this whole thing to get my attention.
And so I set it before God in prayer. It didn’t take long to
get an answer. The still small voice of the Holy Spirit spoke to my conscience.
How
did you treat the man who stopped you? Did you respect him? Were you filled
with grace? Did you show him My love?
Sadly, I admitted that I had had no intention of being
respectful or kind. I was far too interested in justifying my own behavior. I
also realized that I have a huge problem showing kindness and love to people I
believe are being unkind to me.
Exhale.
So I confessed my behavior and my wrong attitude to God,
asking Him to help me become a better example to others.
Lesson learned.
Or so I thought...
But my conscience was still bothering me. I had a feeling
there was still some unfinished business I needed to address. So, a few days
later I asked God, “What about the rule banning ebikes from the Loop? Do I
really have to obey it?”
What does My Word say? The voice whispered.
Several scriptures came to mind. “That I’m supposed to obey manmade
laws because the authorities who made them were placed there by God for my good?”
Yes.
“But does that really apply here? It’s just a stupid rule. Do
I still have to obey it if it doesn’t make sense?”
What does my Word say?
Reluctantly, I answered: “As long as it doesn’t come against
the law of God I’m obligated to respect and follow the rules set over me.”
Yes.
So there it was. My conscience seared by the Word of God, I
surrendered and repented. I haven’t ridden my ebike at all since that fateful
day because, frankly, it’s been too darn hot. But I’ve decided to ride to work
on the roads instead of the Loop once the weather cools. Do I still think it’s
unfair? Yes. But that seems like a minor issue now.
Clearly God is doing a deeper work in me, and I desperately I
need His help to see me through.
The odd thing is, once I came to this realization and
surrendered what I already knew to be true in theory, I was no longer filled
with anger or disappointment. I wasn’t even discouraged over failing so
miserably to be a positive witness for Christ. Instead, I was awed and amazed.
God almighty had taken the time to intervene into my little life to show me
areas that needed correction so that I could draw closer to Him. When you really
think about it, that’s amazing!
As A. W. Tozer writes in his book The Pursuit of God: “God wants us all, and He will not rest till he
gets us all. No part of the man will do.”
Note:
I just found out that there is a petition going around to help make
Class 2 ebikes legal on the Loop. So if you're a Tucson resident and
feel sorry for me after reading this story, please sign the petition
:-). Here is the link:
https://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/petition-for-class-2-electric-bikes-to-have-access-to-the-loop/