The first thing that came in my mind when reading this story about the ingenious biking solution one Portland mother uses to transport her children was, christ, who has six children anyway? If you’re worried about sustainability, this is not the way to go about it. But never mind that. What I really found strange is the following:
Before we rolled out, I met the young Finches: Nathan, 11; Mary, 9; Lucy, 7; Ben, 5; Olivia, 4; and Maya, 2.
Emily’s usual set-up is three kids up front, one on the child seat, one pedaling an attached bike (usually Mary), and Nathan riding by himself. As we set off toward OMSI, I got to observe the Finch-mobile in action. It was massive and it was alive with sounds and movement. Heads and arms bobbled while music blared from the on-board sound system.
By my count that’s at least three kids who could ride their own bikes rather than hitch a ride with mumy: Nathan, Mary and Lucy, with Ben on the cusp. So why go through all this rigomarole? Is it just American paranoia about child safety and kids biking through traffic, or is there something more going on?
Where’s dad in this story anyway? Oh, wait: “The Finch family owns a car. It’s a sedan and only Mitch drives it. He takes it work everyday.” Hmmm…
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