Umlobi wesayensi waseBrithani uHG Wells wake wathi: “Uma ngibona indoda endala igibela ibhayisikili, ngeke ngiphelelwe yithemba ngekusasa lesintu.” U-Eins uphinde abe nesisho esidumile ngamabhayisikili, esithi “Ukuphila kufana nokugibela ibhayisikili. Uma ufuna ukugcina ibhalansi yakho, kufanele uqhubeke uqhubeka.” Ingabe amabhayisikili abaluleke kangaka ngempela kubantu? Ibhayisikili, abantu abaningi abalisebenzisa namuhla ukuxazulula uhambo “lokugcina”, liye laphula kanjani izithiyo zesigaba nobulili ngokomlando?

Encwadini ethi “Bicycle: Wheel of Liberty” ebhalwe ngumlobi waseBrithani uRobert Payne, uhlanganisa ngobuhlakani umlando wamasiko kanye nokusungula izinto ezintsha kwezobuchwepheshe bamabhayisikili nezinto azitholile kanye nemizwa yakhe njengomthandi webhayisikili kanye nomthandi webhayisikili, okusivulela ithuba. Amafu omlando acacise izindaba zenkululeko “eWheel of Liberty”.

Cishe ngo-1900, amabhayisikili aba yindlela yokuhamba yansuku zonke yezigidi zabantu. Okokuqala ngqa emlandweni wesintu, isigaba sabasebenzi saba ngabantu abahambayo—babekwazi nokuhamba beya futhi bebuya, izindlu ezazinabantu abaningi ezazikade zigcwele manje zase zingenalutho, izindawo ezisemadolobheni zanda, futhi indawo yamadolobha amaningi yashintsha ngenxa yalokho. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abesifazane bandise inkululeko eyengeziwe kanye namathuba okugibela amabhayisikili, futhi ukugibela amabhayisikili sekuphenduke indawo yokushintsha emzabalazweni omude wabesifazane wokufuna ilungelo lokuvota.

Ukuthandwa kwebhayisikili kuye kwehla kancane ngesikhathi sezimoto. “Maphakathi nawo-1970, umqondo wamasiko webhayisikili wawusufinyelele ezingeni elibi eBrithani. Lalingasabonwa njengendlela ephumelelayo yokuhamba, kodwa njengethoyizi. Noma okubi nakakhulu—ingozi yethrafikhi.” ​​Ingabe kungenzeka ukuthi ibhayisikili likhuthaze abantu abaningi njengoba belilokhu lenza emlandweni, ukugcina abantu abaningi behilelekile kulo mdlalo, ukwandisa lo mdlalo ngesimo, ububanzi kanye nokusha? UPayne unomuzwa wokuthi uma wake wazizwa ujabule futhi ukhululekile ngenkathi ugibela ibhayisikili, “khona-ke sabelana ngento ebalulekile: Siyazi ukuthi konke kusebhayisikilini.”

Mhlawumbe umthelela omkhulu wamabhayisikili ukuthi ubhidliza izithiyo zesigaba esiqinile kanye nobulili, futhi umoya wentando yeningi owulethayo ungaphezu kwamandla alowo mphakathi. Umbhali waseBrithani uHG Wells, owake wabizwa ngokuthi “umnqobi womgibeli webhayisikili” ngomunye umlando, wasebenzisa ibhayisikili ezinhlotsheni eziningana zamanoveli akhe ukuze abonise izinguquko ezinkulu emphakathini waseBrithani. I-“The Wheels of Chance” yanyatheliswa ngo-1896 ochumayo. I-protagonist uHoopdriver, umsizi womthungi wezingubo wesigaba esiphakathi nendawo, wahlangana nentokazi yesigaba esiphakathi nendawo ohambweni lwebhayisikili. Washiya ikhaya. , “Hamba uye emaphandleni ngebhayisikili” ukuze abonise “inkululeko” yakhe. UWells usebenzisa lokhu ukuze ahlekise uhlelo lwesigaba sezenhlalo eBrithani nokuthi luye lwathinteka kanjani ngokufika kwebhayisikili. Emgwaqweni, uHoopdriver wayelingana nentokazi. Uma ugibela ibhayisikili emgwaqweni wasemaphandleni eSussex, izimiso zomphakathi zokugqoka, amaqembu, amakhodi, imithetho kanye nokuziphatha okuchaza izigaba ezahlukene ziyanyamalala nje.

Akunakushiwo ukuthi amabhayisikili asungule ukunyakaza kwabesifazane, kufanele kushiwo ukuthi intuthuko yalezi zinto ezimbili iyahambisana. Noma kunjalo, ibhayisikili laba yinguquko emzabalazweni omude wabesifazane wokuthola ilungelo lokuvota. Abakhiqizi bamabhayisikili, vele, bafuna nabesifazane bagibele amabhayisikili. Bebelokhu benza amabhayisikili abesifazane kusukela ekuqaleni kwezinhlobo zamabhayisikili ngo-1819. Ibhayisikili eliphephile lashintsha konke, futhi ukugibela ibhayisikili kwaba umdlalo wokuqala othandwa kakhulu ngabesifazane. Ngo-1893, cishe wonke amabhayisikiliabakhiqizi babesenza amamodeli abesifazane.