Simple Machine
October 20, 2008
In partnership with:
Simple Machine from Eric Hires on Vimeo.
Story by: Mike Fretto
In the last few years, I have learned that possessing a car is an enormous blessing. I have met families from low economic backgrounds who do not have what I have, people who get around on foot and would never imagine owning a vehicle in any shape or form. In my own community of St. Augustine, Florida, I've talked to families that rely on others to get their groceries for them, pick up their drug prescriptions, drop off their child at child care, or even get to and from their job. It's a long-standing problem in this town, like many other towns, where public transportation is not the most convenient for folks in these unfortunate situations. The public buses only pick up in certain areas that are not easily accessible by many in need. These folks may never own a car, but I believe there should be more options for them.
Last December my roommate and I met someone in one of these situations. This person didn't own a vehicle and was either walking an hour to work or depending on someone else to take him there everyday. Whether via taxi or coworker, his ride was often late, and he was being charged a ridiculous amount of money to get there. With all of his income, which wasn't much, going to supporting his girlfriend and two young children, our friend was very low on his options. Without $10 or more needed to spend on a ride, there was little to no hope to continue on. Knowing that he sadly may be better off tapping into the welfare system, our new friend was easily tempted to give up on his job.
Later that week, my roommate asked if I knew anyone that would like to buy his old bike. We immediately considered of our new friend. We thought that perhaps we could give him the bike, because all of his transportation challenges. We didn't know him too well, and we had doubts on simply giving this bicycle away to him. "Would he pawn it for cash? Might it get stolen? What if he uses it for the wrong reasons?" These were the questions we, now regrettably, were asking ourselves at the time. Despite our wrongful prejudgment, we decided to deliver the bike to him. It was with much excitement when we ran into him on the bike three months later! The bike was cleaned up, well taken care of, with new tires and a bike lock wrapped around the bike frame. Our friend explained to us the radical impact this bicycle was having on his family and him. He was now able to rely on himself to get to and from work, save funds for his necessary expenses, and "get a nice workout at the same time," as he joked. It was moving to know that our friend and his family were directly being impacted by this simple machine. A one hour walk had become a ten-minute ride. The world had suddenly become more accessible and a degree of independence was gained. A bike is a simple machine. And yet it can have such an impact on someone's life.
Knowing how blessed I am to own a car, it's sometimes hard to imagine what it would be like to not have one. If you're like me, and have your own reliable transportation, think honestly for just a moment what life might be like for you if you didn't. How would it affect your life? Your family's life? Your job and income? The opportunities you may not be able to access? What I have learned is that a bicycle can swing open doors of new opportunities, inflate the radius of experiences, and even promote an environmental impact. In this t-shirt, I wanted to create a design that would evoke the idea of a radius expanded. New circles of the community have yet to be explored, opportunities are now within grasp given this new freedom and independence.
Proceeds from the sale of this shirt pay for the commissioning of recycled bikes, which will be given to people in our city of St. Augustine, who stand to gain such independence. It's certainly not a necessity for anyone to own a vehicle, but I believe there's an immense need for transportation in this city, especially among the poor. Enabling and empowering our neighbors to get from point A to point B, we may have the ability to begin solving some problems simply, one pedal at a time.
Simple Machine from Eric Hires on Vimeo.
Story by: Mike Fretto
In the last few years, I have learned that possessing a car is an enormous blessing. I have met families from low economic backgrounds who do not have what I have, people who get around on foot and would never imagine owning a vehicle in any shape or form. In my own community of St. Augustine, Florida, I've talked to families that rely on others to get their groceries for them, pick up their drug prescriptions, drop off their child at child care, or even get to and from their job. It's a long-standing problem in this town, like many other towns, where public transportation is not the most convenient for folks in these unfortunate situations. The public buses only pick up in certain areas that are not easily accessible by many in need. These folks may never own a car, but I believe there should be more options for them.
Last December my roommate and I met someone in one of these situations. This person didn't own a vehicle and was either walking an hour to work or depending on someone else to take him there everyday. Whether via taxi or coworker, his ride was often late, and he was being charged a ridiculous amount of money to get there. With all of his income, which wasn't much, going to supporting his girlfriend and two young children, our friend was very low on his options. Without $10 or more needed to spend on a ride, there was little to no hope to continue on. Knowing that he sadly may be better off tapping into the welfare system, our new friend was easily tempted to give up on his job.
Later that week, my roommate asked if I knew anyone that would like to buy his old bike. We immediately considered of our new friend. We thought that perhaps we could give him the bike, because all of his transportation challenges. We didn't know him too well, and we had doubts on simply giving this bicycle away to him. "Would he pawn it for cash? Might it get stolen? What if he uses it for the wrong reasons?" These were the questions we, now regrettably, were asking ourselves at the time. Despite our wrongful prejudgment, we decided to deliver the bike to him. It was with much excitement when we ran into him on the bike three months later! The bike was cleaned up, well taken care of, with new tires and a bike lock wrapped around the bike frame. Our friend explained to us the radical impact this bicycle was having on his family and him. He was now able to rely on himself to get to and from work, save funds for his necessary expenses, and "get a nice workout at the same time," as he joked. It was moving to know that our friend and his family were directly being impacted by this simple machine. A one hour walk had become a ten-minute ride. The world had suddenly become more accessible and a degree of independence was gained. A bike is a simple machine. And yet it can have such an impact on someone's life.
Knowing how blessed I am to own a car, it's sometimes hard to imagine what it would be like to not have one. If you're like me, and have your own reliable transportation, think honestly for just a moment what life might be like for you if you didn't. How would it affect your life? Your family's life? Your job and income? The opportunities you may not be able to access? What I have learned is that a bicycle can swing open doors of new opportunities, inflate the radius of experiences, and even promote an environmental impact. In this t-shirt, I wanted to create a design that would evoke the idea of a radius expanded. New circles of the community have yet to be explored, opportunities are now within grasp given this new freedom and independence.
Proceeds from the sale of this shirt pay for the commissioning of recycled bikes, which will be given to people in our city of St. Augustine, who stand to gain such independence. It's certainly not a necessity for anyone to own a vehicle, but I believe there's an immense need for transportation in this city, especially among the poor. Enabling and empowering our neighbors to get from point A to point B, we may have the ability to begin solving some problems simply, one pedal at a time.
