DR. WALLACE: My birthday is coming up in early August, and I tried to ask my parents for an electric bicycle as my primary birthday gift. Unfortunately for me, my father shot that idea down pretty quickly. I don't have enough money to buy a used car, and it's way too far to walk to school each morning. Taking the bus is unreliable and a big waste of time, so I'd like to find my own way to school if possible. I'll be a junior this fall.

I shifted gears and requested a regular 10-speed pedal bicycle for my birthday gift, but my father told me it would be a waste of money. When I asked him why, he said that within a year, regular bicycles will be obsolete because everybody will have electric bicycles.

I told him I didn't agree. Where do you land? — I Need My Own Transportation to School, via email

I NEED MY OWN TRANSPORTATION TO SCHOOL: I side with you. Yes, electric bicycles are currently all the rage and will likely be here to stay, but regular pedal bicycles of all sorts will likely still be around for decades.

Pedal cycling not only gets you where you're going but also helps you stay in shape. It's cost-effective, with a reasonable cost of entry and no fuel costs associated with it. Riding a bicycle to and from school helps cut down on traffic and avoids putting pollutants into the air.

Many police departments and security firms across all 50 states use pedal bicycles due to their ability to move in and out of small spaces quickly and effeciently. Therefore, I don't see pedal bicycles disappearing from our landscape anytime soon.

I'M NOT SURE HOW TO PROCEED IN THIS SITUATION

My best friend has had a casual boyfriend for about the last six months. I'd say casual because they always seem like they're on the brink of breaking up.

She tells me she likes him a lot but that he drives her crazy sometimes and that there's too much friction in their relationship.

I've noticed this summer that he has been making moves on a few other girls — including me a couple of times.

Last week when we were out boating at the lake, he and I were near the docks away from some of the other attendees, and he walked over and asked me if he could ask me out after he breaks up with my best friend.

I acted surprised and asked him why he would even want to break up with her. He said they really didn't get along that well and it was only a matter of time until they split up.

I told him that I'd have to think about it and that I noticed him looking at a lot of other girls. He told me that was true but that he would rather look at me than the other girls he's been considering.

If he breaks up with my best friend, is there an easy way for me to explain going out with him? — Not Sure How To Proceed, via email

NOT SURE HOW TO PROCEED: Apparently, you don't consider your friendship with your best friend to be too valuable. Most friends would avoid dating the ex of one of their closest friends, especially when the two friends are girls.

Many guys are somewhat less offended than girls tend to be in these circumstances based on the feedback I've received over many years, so proceed carefully here.

You should also consider the reasons why their relationship hasn't gone well and the fact he's out looking around at other people while he's still dating her. Does he really have the character you're looking for, and is he really someone you would even want to date? Are you willing to date him and lose your friend temporarily, or for an extended period of time or perhaps forever?

These are questions you should consider before you make your decision. My advice is to think things through several times before you take any action regarding him. The choice, of course, is indeed yours to make, but you'll live with the resulting consequences for a long time either way.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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