The most bizarre mom moment of the week? Seeing a Portland, Seattle woman drive her six kids around town on a super-sized bicycle.
That's right. A bicycle built for seven. She traded in her gas guzzling Suburban for this unusual mode of transportation. While I admire this mom's stamina -- and God knows she's doing more for the environment than I am -- there is one huge, huge problem with her pedal, powered contraption.
I have wonder, is this really safe on the open road? What if it turned over or, God forbid, they were hit by a car? Emily Finch Wheels her children (2 to 9) around town in this bike outfitted with a wheelbarrow and various other types of seats. It's quite impressive the way she zips down the city streets fully loaded (kids, backpacks, groceries, etc). It just seems dangerous.
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Though, that doesn't seem like a worry to Finch, who sold her vehicle when the family moved to Portland. "I started looking at my life... I was living in a giant house and had a nine-person Suburban. I remember thinking, there's no reason I can't walk or bike around town," Emily told BikePortland.org. "I was at a time in my life when something had to change. When I saw that bike, I knew it. I said, 'This is it. This is going to change my life.'"
A noble decision, to be sure. But still a crazy one. I can't imagine what a pain that thing is in the rain. I would take that monstrous Suburban in a heartbeat. To each her own, I suppose.
Would you ride your kids around on a super-sized bike like this?
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Comments 65
I do think it's an interesting concept but wouldn't work where I live.
And those random times its just my SO and myself, we'll walk even farther to rent movies from redbox, or even to have dinner.
There's nothing wrong with getting around town under your own power when you don't HAVE to be in a vehicle.
I wonder if that 'bicycle' is even street legal. Also, she moved here...and apparently hasn't experienced the rainy season yet. Those poor kids.
All of you who are saying she won't be able to weather the summer are failing to realize that she's been doing this for three years now. *facepalm*
THEY EVEN SAID SO A COUPLE TIMES.
Anyway, this is similar to my goal. My husband and I don't have a car and have one child and one on the way. Ours broke down and we just couldn't afford to fix that POS so we junked it. All we have now are our feet and the transit system and my husband's motorcycle. I'd really like to get a trike (I have bad balance, but not so bad that I can't ride a trike) and a trailer since there are a lot of bike paths and bike lanes in my community. I'd be able to get all my errands run so much faster! With the right kind of trike I could even strap a car seat in the basket for the newborn, depending on when this happens. Maybe one day if I got better at biking and fixed my balance issue I'd get a bike like that, it's pretty rad. I'd rather have a system like that than a car, those require insurance, maitenance, and gas. Bikes on require maintenance.
I live in nh (where I'll have feet of snow come Jan too). We simply cant afford to fix our car and have been biking/ walking with the monterous double stroller for weeks now. Even in the rain, or snow when the time comes, you bundle the kids up if you have to get out. We have trails through the woods that will take us to almost every major place (food, doctor, school) we need to go and only are near cars at the start and end of our journies. Its very safe and some times the only option for people.
You shouldn't knock the lady for it