Today some asshole yelled "Get off the road!" at me while I was riding to work. Now you may or may not know but the "approved" method of dealing with this is to just put your head down and take it. Personally I am tired of this crap and tired of the complete lack of empathy when a cyclist gets yelled at then hit or whatever. The standard response is to ask what the cyclist did wrong to deserve such attention. Or maybe some other cyclist did something that apparently means that I need to be punished for.
Well in my case it is very clear. I yelled "Fuck you" right back at the asshole. And I am tired of all the "blame the victim" chatter that always gets offered up when a cyclist or pedestrian gets hit by a car. So to all the enablers and assholes out there "Fuck you" too.
Just a fed up rant from an Ex-NYer.
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9 comments:
Woo! Duncan.
I'm impressed. Initially I thought Woah! but Nah! Good on ya!
There are places during my rides that don't make sense to cyclists. One such place is newly built where the road goes over the railway. They built a you beaut separate bike lane next to the road with 4 foot high concrete walls. Good for regular cyclists, not recumbents. The other problem is when it rains the wash from the road goes into the bike lane making it a virtual sewer. The third and dangerous aspect is 2 intersections along this road, mainly for trucks going to the port, where you have to travel around the apex of the corner to cross the intersection. With the walls and the bend in the road you lose line of sight and visuals of trucks in the turning lane. Also the first lane crossing is to an island where you then press the button to cross to the other island and then on your own to the other side. Crazy moron engineers.
Consequently I use the road as many others do but, like you, some prick yelled out to use the bike lane.
My reply, "You Fucken use it, idiot!"
Another thing I've come to do is if I see a driver in my mirror just a little too close I reach out my arm and point being wary also to take evasive action.
Most of the time drivers are good. It just takes one idiot sometimes.
Thanks too Duncan for your personal views with regards to your bikes. I've been enjoying the reads.
Regards,
Rick.
Richard,
Thanks for reading. I know what you mean with lanes with poor line of sight. There are a few places like that up here. Narrow lanes with walls that weave a bit. That really kills LOS and makes spots like that dangerous.
I was just a bit fed up this morning, and with some of the accident reports I read. All good right now.
Thanks again,
Duncan
Generally, when I get into confrontations with strangers I always regret it.
But someones I'm glad I did, and these times are always when I'm on my bike and the person just decides to be a total asshole.
I think folks in cars believe they are somehow immune from us since they're separated from the world with steel, but I've caught up with assholes at stop lights and given them quite an earful. I hope this makes them think twice the next time they're feeling like yelling a random hateful sentence at a legally-riding bicyclist.
I had the same words leave my mouth this morning also, after getting yelled at with the same words you got, by somebody whom I was never even in front of. I encountered it turning onto a side street from a car going the opposite direction but not yet at the stop! A lot of anger out there right now I believe. I right there with you my friend.
Take Care,
Nelson.
I get fed-up with turning the other cheek to much. Eventually it has to burst and I prefer it be directed at a driver than Kristin (my wife).
Yesterday was really annoying since it was someone not even going my direction.
Years ago I was a Saturday night taxi driver. There were many occasions I had obnoxious customers who wanted to fight or not pay for stupid reasons. Most were drunk. It would leave me with so much anger I never slept properly for days afterwards thinking of how I would like to kill these people. Try as I might to focus on the 99 good customers was hard. When I think back I should have thanked them all.
When I ride now I always show my appreciation to those who give way or show respect to passing with a wave, a nod and a smile or mouthing the words "thank you".
This way 99 good people will out way 1 fool at the end of my ride and I will know I will have an excellent ride.
regards,
Richard.
I'm just so tired of being angry every time I ride...but the rage boils up nonetheless...
I'm still trying to figure it out... Are most people turning into assholes when they get behind the wheel of a car? Or are most people just assholes?
It is the car. There was this piece on one of the transit blogs I read about it. Automobiles as transit benefit from empty roads. The less other people on the road the happier and better the driving experience.
For trains, the more people who ride train means higher availability and better schedules. Train users want more people to take the train.
For Buses, the same calculus applies.
For bikes, the roads get safer the more people ride bikes vs take trains, buses or drive. Especially drive. Cyclists like to see other cyclists and the roads are safer and prettier when more are on the road.
Driving is the most selfish mode of transportation. Strange but true.
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