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Spat at, abused and run off the road
Spat at, abused and run off the road: why do some people hate cyclists so much?Link to article in Guardian (UK) |
Sounds like the driver read too many threads at BF .....
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Interesting article. Two passages stand out, for me:
Chamberlin points out that cyclists have an unfair reputation for being aggressive simply because they often shout back when they are threatened by drivers. Cars pose an existential threat to cyclists in a way that doesn’t apply the other way around, he says: “The cyclist experiences something much more unpleasant, much more threatening and terrifying than an occupant of a vehicle. That’s why when you threaten a cyclist, they may have a massive rush of adrenaline and swear back at you. That’s why the interaction sticks in the brains of both sides in a way that other road rage doesn’t." Yup. Close calls from inattentive drivers almost always get a reaction from me. We recently moved to a small city in which my spouse has a very high-profile position -- people we've never met literally come up to introduce themselves because they know who we are. No anonymity. I'm trying my best to NOT curse or flip the finger at careless drivers, even then they richly deserve it. “I’ve been cycling in Manchester for the last 15 years and I’d say that in the last two years, I’ve noticed a definite decline not just in driving standards, but also an increase in aggression. Close passes. And not really giving a lot of consideration to cyclists,” she says. I think the whole Western world has gotten ruder in the past couple years, for a couple reasons that only belong in P&R. All in all, an interesting article; thanks for posting. Makes me glad, as always, to not live in a large city. For most of my riding years, I've been in semi-rural areas where cyclists are rare, which means that drivers have less reason to be angry at us -- after all, familiarity breeds contempt. |
The part about the way cyclists dress, in lycra and spandex and high vis helmets, being the source of the problem I find rather troubling.
Some may say we are just too damn smug. Others cannot stand the sight of our bottoms in Lycra as we wait in front of them at the lights. Sarah Mitchell, chief executive of Cycling UK, another membership organisation, thinks that special cycle clothing helps drivers to “other” cyclists, leading Australian researchers to report a few years back that a third of people see cyclists as “less than fully human”. “People can behave aggressively towards cyclists because they see them as dehumanised,” Mitchell agrees. “One of the things I feel I have a responsibility to do as a leader of Cycling UK, and as a woman, is to cycle around in ordinary clothes.” Some believe the wearing of hi-vis and helmets encourages drivers to behave badly. One memorable study from Dr Ian Walker of Bath University found that cars passed closer to cyclists who were wearing helmets. They also gave riders a wider berth if they thought they were women (he wore a long blond wig for that part of the experiment). |
Originally Posted by Koyote
(Post 22629737)
I think the whole Western world has gotten ruder in the past couple years
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Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
(Post 22629741)
The part about the way cyclists dress, in lycra and spandex and high vis helmets, being the source of the problem I find rather troubling.
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I had always assumed if I looked like I was taking visibility and safety seriously, it would lessen the antagonism, not increase it.
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you're just highlighting the target.
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Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
(Post 22629741)
The part about the way cyclists dress, in lycra and spandex and high vis helmets, being the source of the problem I find rather troubling.
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Nice article, thanks!
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Originally Posted by urbanknight
(Post 22629756)
I always figured, if anything, the cycling "kit" makes drivers feel more justified because they assume (1) you have no NEED to be on the road and are just riding recreationally, and (2) you are part of the group of cyclists who frequently break the rules and put their own lives at risk. Even my friends and colleagues don't understand why I wear tight, bright lycra while riding 50 miles.
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Originally Posted by urbanknight
(Post 22629756)
I always figured, if anything, the cycling "kit" makes drivers feel more justified because they assume (1) you have no NEED to be on the road and are just riding recreationally, and (2) you are part of the group of cyclists who frequently break the rules and put their own lives at risk. Even my friends and colleagues don't understand why I wear tight, bright lycra while riding 50 miles.
I dress in construction refector vests and T-shirts so I look like one of them. Plus I carry a big pannier full of stuff giving the impression I'm going somewhere instead of just riding around. Don't know if that has any neutralizing effect but my rear facing camera sure helps. |
Article about some girl seeking attention over Twitter comments. The guardian is terrible.
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Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
(Post 22629746)
I had always assumed if I looked like I was taking visibility and safety seriously, it would lessen the antagonism, not increase it.
Originally Posted by DonkeyShow
(Post 22629781)
Article about some girl seeking attention over Twitter comments. The guardian is terrible.
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Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
(Post 22629746)
I had always assumed if I looked like I was taking visibility and safety seriously, it would lessen the antagonism, not increase it.
Originally Posted by Troul
(Post 22629747)
you're just highlighting the target.
Personally I'd rather chance that wearing brightly colored stuff will prevent one of the many people not bothered by my presence from not seeing me in time as opposed the the even more unlikely encounter of the one person that would intentionally harm me. |
Originally Posted by Daniel4
(Post 22629780)
I had never considered that being dressed in cycling gear while cycling triggers anger in drivers. Oh well, hatred is illogical.
I dress in construction refector vests and T-shirts so I look like one of them. Plus I carry a big pannier full of stuff giving the impression I'm going somewhere instead of just riding around. Don't know if that has any neutralizing effect but my rear facing camera sure helps. I wonder if people even know I'm riding with cameras. They're not very large and are also lights. |
I tend to agree with @Iride01. The people who are going to get mad at lycra are already mad, they are just looking for targets. Wear what works and deal with the loonies.
Not sure what urban areas are like but I find people in suburbia to be a lot more cycle-conscious than when i first started urban commuting, back before bike lanes and "share the road" commercials. Just the fact that there are so many more bike lanes makes me think that urban commuting would be a little better (smart-design bike lanes, too---when cities first started painting bike lanes back then, they would end in holes, 8-inch curbs, whatever ..... or get squeezed out by turn lanes.) I haven't had anyone throw anything at me or try to run me off the road in a couple decades, though ..... |
Originally Posted by Iride01
(Post 22629799)
Well it only makes you a target for that one crazy person in the many that aren't bothered at all.
Personally I'd rather chance that wearing brightly colored stuff will prevent one of the many people not bothered by my presence from not seeing me in time as opposed the the even more unlikely encounter of the one person that would intentionally harm me. |
Originally Posted by Maelochs
(Post 22629807)
I haven't had anyone throw anything at me or try to run me off the road in a couple decades, though .....
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Originally Posted by Koyote
(Post 22629737)
I think the whole Western world has gotten ruder in the past couple years, for a couple reasons that only belong in P&R. . ...i made a very rude gesture in the direction of my woman, as she sped away. :o |
Originally Posted by Maelochs
(Post 22629807)
I haven't had anyone throw anything at me or try to run me off the road in a couple decades, though .....
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...probably more an A+S topic, but the average driver will not suffer any serious consequences as the result of a car versus bike collision that kills the bicyclist. There's only one person talking to the cops at that point, and the story almost always gets written down as, "He just suddenly veered out into the traffic lane. There was nothing I could do." I've seen it so many times in the news, I've lost count. And I used to work the same accident scenes as the cops. They all think anyone who rides a bike on city streets is nuts, and probably ought to expect bad things to happen. I've not spoken to the bicycle cops, because they were not the ones responding to car vs bike collisions. But it wouldn't surprise me at all if they feel the same way. You're on your own out there. |
In the area where I live, there has been a sharp increase the past few years in auto vs. pedestrian and auto vs. cyclist accidents, many resulting in fatalities. It's not just a perception; the rate of these accidents is actually way up.
I also see and hear about a lot of speeding, aggressive driving, and distracted driving. Surely these trends are related. Another contributing factor could be the rapid population growth we're seeing here. More people = more traffic, and roads becoming more crowded. It is very troubling for me as a cyclist, and I'm disappointed that the problem is not getting more attention. I mean, people are being killed every week. A high percentage are kids and youths. It happens in our cities, suburbs, and rural areas. Victims include people from all walks of life and socio-economic segments. Many incidents involve hit and run. It's a very difficult problem. |
Originally Posted by Broctoon
(Post 22629840)
In the area where I live, there has been a sharp increase the past few years in auto vs. pedestrian and auto vs. cyclist accidents, many resulting in fatalities. It's not just a perception; the rate of these accidents is actually way up.
I also see and hear about a lot of speeding, aggressive driving, and distracted driving. Surely these trends are related. Another contributing factor could be the rapid population growth we're seeing here. More people = more traffic, and roads becoming more crowded. It is very troubling for me as a cyclist, and I'm disappointed that the problem is not getting more attention. I mean, people are being killed every week. A high percentage are kids and youths. It happens in our cities, suburbs, and rural areas. Victims include people from all walks of life and socio-economic segments. Many incidents involve hit and run. It's a very difficult problem. I value the limited number of fair weather days we get by riding as much as I can outside. It's refreshing to ride, to get in the exercise, see the community with its' changes..... but with the disregard by the public's care for our safety, I'll eventually get ran over & killed or severely injured then get obese from not being able to ride.... society will then have to bare those problems... |
I've actually observed the opposite where I live. I'm finding drivers to be more respectful and cautious around me than they used to - say 20 to 25 yrs ago. I expect social media has played a part in this in that people seem to have a little more empathy.
I've heard stories from friends who live in Portland where it's a whole different story. There apparently are quite a few drivers in the Portland area that immediately go into intimidate and harass mode whenever they see a cyclist. |
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