Sometimes life on the T seems like a comic strip

I think the point is that often riding the T isn't a a place to read a book, talk to a friend or take a nap. Just yesterday a friend relayed a tale on the bus that after moving to the back to avoid two homeless people arguing, she had a an angry encounter with a student who had a heavy bag that kept hitting her in the head. She said excuse me, but the student was wearing noise canceling headphones. When she then pushed the bag, the student started yelling at her saying she could have said "excuse me." This is an example of what happens pretty much every day on the T, especially the bus. She was on the #1, btw.

"Artistically nice but logically flawed. She focuses on the extraordinary event of a subway evacuation for her depiction of MBTA use but then contrasts this with a pleasant day out biking."

Evacuation of a subway car should be extraordinary, but its becomming common place. I would argue even a crappy day riding beats being trapped in a subway car for hours, especially if you require a bathroom.

"Why not contrast the annoying but relatively safe experience of a subway evacuation with the terrifying and dangerous experience of a biker getting doored, or hit by a car,"

Because these events are extraordinary, and illegal.

"or contrast the warmth and dryness of the T with the experience of trying to bike to work in a cold driving March rain?"

Rain sucks, you either deal with it, or take the t that day, which will also suck thanks to the wet dog smell riders get. You also seem to have forgotten the fun of riding in a car where the ac is broken and you can taste others sweat, busses without heat, and the dripping water on seats.

"Or contrast the effort needed to bike to work with the freedom public transit offers to do something else like read a book or talk to a friend or take a nap."

This is the one thing that keeps me taking the t occasionally, however I would say the times I actually get a seat AND have room to pull out a book are more rare then an on time 66. Don't forget the oppertunity to make friends on the t as they grope you, or hit you with their backpacks and strollers.

"Furthermore, the biking portion of the cartoon shows them leisurely biking along the esplanade, something done more for amusement and exercise than for commuting."

I commute via the esplanade three times a week. I assume so do most of the other cyclists I pass with bags and in work clothes.

"After work or on weekends you'll find a lot of people who ride the MBTA enjoying the esplanade on bikes or on foot."

And on weekdays you find commuters who don't feel like battling with ignorant drivers on comm ave. The esplanade is a viable commuter route from the west for cyclists, to think its not used for that purpose is to think the red line doesn't have to get shut down this winter because its in such terrible shape...

Look at the bright side - you can tell your friends/relations from your previous abode that you're getting tougher.

Riding a bike around Boston is like skiing in New England. When you go somewhere else, people who are being honest will compliment you on your technical skills.

Just as any dope can ski in in a wide-open bowl with thigh-deep powder, any nimbo can cycle to work in a temperate climate with good roads, dedicated and protected bike lanes and courteous drivers. It's skiers with eastern hardwood streaks on their ski jackets and helmets (after all, we're not dumb) and worn down ski edges, and bikers who can navigate our old cowpaths and around idiot jaywalking pedestrians that you want to hang with.

Now get out there and distinguish yourself as an excellent and durable cyclist!

Develop multiple options.

For example, you can actually combine transit and biking. One coworker leaves a beater bike at North Station for that "last mile" problem. I have a folding bike for that same reason. Bikes can go on racks at the front of buses. Carpools can be arranged for the worst days, with a chip-in for parking.

I bike to and from work. I also walk a half mile on each end of an express bus. I also have a folding bike that goes on the express bus with me, or on the commuter rail trains, or on the subway if I have to get somewhere from Alewife, or get to a soccer game in Melrose or Malden, etc. or otherwise rendesvous with the car somewhere. If my husband has to get somewhere downtown, we will sometimes drive and use the express lane. My neighbors sometimes scoop me up so they can use that lane, too. If I'm tired or something on my bike isn't working right (like the time my headset bolt sheared ...), The full size bike will usually fit on the front of an express bus (that took me right to JRA Cycles ...).

I don't see it as "transit versus cycling" - the two are complementary, and sometimes overlap - and sometimes provide needed redundancy. The more options you have, the better off you are in the event of a bike you can't field repair, a sudden spate of bad weather, or a Massive T Fail.

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Just for fun:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highways_in_Nunavut