This is a story about perspective and vision. In my last article, I established that if one tries to teach someone something by means of anger and humiliation, they are wasting their breath. One cannot teach someone if they don’t understand them, and one cannot understand someone if they don’t try. Furthermore, approaching a difficult situation with aggression usually results in fueling conflict rather than contributing to positive change.
I’ve recently become fascinated with city design. There is, as expected, plenty of diversity among the citizens of Greater Victoria, which has unfortunately translated to some disunity when it comes to deciding how our municipalities will be designed in the coming years.
Being an environmentalist and cycling advocate with a vision of a safe and green city, I find it so easy to become angry with drivers, the lack of safe infrastructure in Greater Victoria, and the blaring noise of city traffic during rush hour. Much like 300,000 Victorians commuting to work in individual vehicles, anger is not sustainable.
Through many thoughtful conversations with fellow humans, I’ve begun to try to widen my perspective. Some people I’ve spoken to drive because they love their car. They’ve put time and thought into their vehicle; this is easy for me to appreciate because my (awesome) dad is a mechanic. On the other hand, nobody likes driving in rush hour. Imagine putting all that time and money into taking care of your sports car, just to spend most of your time sitting in traffic. We’re on the same page.
The vast majority of drivers choose the car because it’s the only convenient way to get to work, go to the store, or visit their parents. In the municipality of Victoria, cycling is a great option because of the newly built bike-centric infrastructure. Meanwhile, cycling in Saanich can be incredibly dangerous and inconvenient. It is unreasonable to expect everyone to bike on dangerous streets and hidden trails. The problem is not the people; our municipalities need to make a change in infrastructure.
It’s easy for anyone to list off the benefits of having a bike-centric city that is complete (e.g. Amsterdam). We can talk about safety, smaller and cheaper roads, cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions, beautifying the city, and improving citizens’ overall mental health. With open minds, we can recognize that changing the way we build our towns can also benefit car-lovers, commercial vehicle drivers, and folks who may not be able to cycle.
Even though the transition to prioritizing active transportation benefits everyone, including drivers annoyed by too many cars on the road, it is easy to become frustrated in the short-term. Victorians have had very split views about the changes Downtown, and it is easy to speak against the difficult transition.
The fact of the matter is that change is imminent. I could yell at drivers for taking out their frustrations on the road, and if we’re being honest, I have. They always yell back. This behaviour is contributing to the disunity that holds us back. We can be angry with each other and make the transition slow and painful, or we can support each other and learn one anothers’ perspectives, wants, and needs. We’ll forget all about gas prices before you know it.
“Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self.” -Baha'u'llah
Emily Mahbobi, BMus (UVic), is a pianist, composer, and music executive in Victoria, BC. She is a part-owner of Quadratic Sound, a studio dedicated to serving Victoria’s music community. Emily is a member of the Baha’i Community.
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking, HERE: /blogs/spiritually-speaking
* This article was published in the print edition of the Times 91原创 on Saturday, February 19, 2022
