jwgd

I've been cycling seriously for about 5 years. Mostly on rural and suburban roads. Most of the insults I get either question my masculinity ("Pu$$Y!") or my sexuality ("F@g!") or my right to be where I am ("Get the Hell off the road!). I've learned to pretty much ignore these and just ride my ride.

Since I've started commuting (about 1 month), I now ride through some urban neighborhoods. So today, a school bus passes me in this neighborhood and I get ready for the usual verbal assault from these pre-teen punks. The first thing I hear is "You ain't got no liiiicense!" followed by "You can't driiiivvee!"

I about fell over laughing. It never occurred to me that someone would see me this way. Thought y'all would get a kick out of that.

Dead Extra #2

When I'm on my commuter, I get the feeling I'm being mistaken for a DUI reject. It's funny how riding a bike makes you a "weirdo".

Roody

In some areas, many adult cyclists either have lost their licenses due to DUIs, or they simply can't afford a car. Anyway, they are commuters like us, just not so voluntary.

jwgd

I don't think I mind being thought of like that. Maybe people will think I'm not worth messing with.

gudel

I'd reply, I have lots of guns... wanna see the business end?

77Univega

--- I expect insults should diminish as gasoline prices rise. Especially after it hits $5.00 per gallon.

Mehow

I think that they will increase for that very reason.

CagerTools

okay first off...

I'm not a weirdo. I have a car. I just ride my bike to work.

If you think people are thinking you are a weirdo, its because YOU are thinking that. Those thoughts are coming from YOU, and no one else. I would bet most people don't even think much else but, oh, there's a guy on a bike...and after 3 seconds they pass you anyways.

Toasted

That about sums it up, but next time notice who's throwing the insults...I find it's usually the passengers, not the driver's...which makes for an extremely fun rhetoric while peddaling along

Roody

I hate to admit it but I do more yelling than getting yelled at.

steveknight

since riding my bent on my commute I have not had anything bad yelled at me only good stuff.

EricDJ

Ask them what it feels like to get theis a$$ kicked by a ("Pu$$Y!") or ("F@g!") as you said.

lala

I've been singing this song since I read your post! It' ssooo funny. In fact, I'm confusing my roommates.

ItsJustMe

YOU don't have a BIIIIIII-ike! YOU can't RIIIII-ide! neener neener.

joejack951

I got a "Good job" from a driver yesterday who followed me up a relatively steep hill. I replied with "Thanks" as I usually try to treat most comments from driver's as positive ones. I figured she was complimenting both my commitment to commuting and my pedalling prowess When I mentioned it to my girlfriend, the first thing she thought of was "Did she think you were a kid or something?" Who knows, maybe she did which would make the comment quite amusing to me. Almost makes me want to get a t-shirt printed with "Yes I'm 26 and I still ride a bike."

tokolosh

is that how it works? but then everyone under 16 in this country is weird.

actually, that explains a whole lot.

New2Cycling

It's amazing how many people think that bikes are just for kids and not adults. I'd buy that shirt!

worker4youth

You know what the problem is...our commuter bikes are usually our beaters. If you were riding a Trek Madone to work everyday, these comments would likely stop.

joejack951

I'm planning on doing an experiment this week. I finally got my Specialized road bike set up with a rack so I can use it for my commute when I don't feel like riding the MTB. I swapped my lights onto it this weekend for a trip to my parents so I figure I'll leave them on the roadie for the week and take it to work. I wonder how many more/less honks I'll get than with my full fendered MTB. I'll be moving a little quicker so I'm thinking less but who knows.

2manybikes

There is a guy who hangs out at the LBS. He is a little slow, he's not capable of getting a license. He gets treated with respect, included on slow recreational rides, and they let him clean up sometimes, so he's there a lot. He gets to know everyone that shows up at the shop.
I've known him for a few years, I always show up on a bike. The other day I showed up In my car.

His comment....................."I didn't know you had a license!"

nycm'er

HAHAHAHA ha ha he..he....he....he.....he........he...... ... (gulp) damn, that's me too.



Actually I have stopped yelling and just take the lane and don't bother, my rides are so much more relaxed and happy. I find city drivers communicate with a swerve of the wheel instead of yelling.
A friend and I rode from Boston to NYC this past week, got a few "Go Lance!"s and a few other indiscernible shouts.

Django

In my neck of the woods if your not on an expensive road bike then you must have lost your lisence or can't afford a car which for some reason makes you less of a human. Sad but true. I've had bottles thrown @ me and was hit by a squirt gun(which was refreshing). I just laugh @ them all.

oboeguy

You folks must live out in Bumblebutt, USA. In "sophisticated" NYC bike riding is pretty normal, if not universally appreciated.

Revtor

I commute by bike everyday I can to a middleschool. (Im a teacher) most of the kids ask me if I have a car or a license.. which I do of course, and then I have to explain to them that riding a bike is freedom, I hate traffic, and I try to do my part for the environment no matter how small it may be. To alot of kids (near me at least) it seems like a bike is another "extreme" activity like a skateobard or . . i dunno bungee jumping or something. So if you have a bike its for bombing down local ski resorts in the summer or jumping off piles of dirt. Not for leisure riding. Ive ridden a F.S. 'huck boom jam MTB a few miles through town once and pedaling the thing is no fun! ((until you see a set of stairs to fly off of) I wouldn't be doing much distance riding between towns if I only had one of those I m afraid. And to top it off, department store bikes of course are following the trend of fullsuspension bikes and they do such a crap job becasue of trying to make it for as cheap as possible, that the things are even harder to ride and heavier.

I smile when I see a group of kids on their bmx's cruising through town . . .

~S

CBBaron

For several weeks last year I got the Jingle from "1-800-Safe-Auto" sung to me from the front porch in a neighborhood I ride through. I guess because he has seen me ride by the house everyday for over a year with several different bike he may realize I do it by choice and the jingles have stopped.
Craig.
[edit] In poorer neighborhoods it is quite common for bicycle commuters to be people who have lost thier license. Given how nice many of the cars are I see in these neighborhoods I'm guessing that most put a very high priority on driving and couldn't imagine riding a bike instead unless it was absolutely the last choice.