I rode my bicycle to school when I grew up. Whenever it rained, I put on my raincoat -- not exactly a coat, more like a big tarp with a hole where my head can get out -- and still biked to school. Many people wore this kind, too. It protected me very well under "tarp", I never really got wet wearing it.
When I was preparing packing for my student life in the U.S., I naturally went to a store, got a brand new and bright red raincoat and packed in my suitcase.
However, I rarely saw people wear this kind of raincoat on their bikes, when it rains. They wear normal sportswear, probably water-resistant or water-proof ones, and just bike away like that! I talked to myself a few times -- don't they get wet that way? Why no one wear my tarp kind raincoat? Do they even know there's such a thing? Is it just a San Francisco thingy? What about people else where?
If no one wears it, I feel weird if I do. I probably shouldn't care that much, and it just got me thinking whether this meant I was seek some kind of social proof -- I wanted to look similar to other people, I didn't want to stand out, I don't want to be perceived as "a person wearing weird bright red tarp".
Hmmm. The "tarp" raincoat has been sleeping in my closet all these years probably just for that reason.
