Why Cyclists are hated

[Postieboy]

I will always filter to the front of a queue of cars if I don't think I will get through the next change of lights. If I wanted to sit in traffic all day I would drive to work instead

[il padrone]

Most people wait patiently when traffic banks up. That's life.

Not if there's room to get past safely. Which there nearly always is for a person on a bike.

[Mulger bill]

Most people wait patiently when traffic banks up. That's life.

Not if there's room to get past safely. Which there nearly always is for a person on a bike.

This is the thing. By seeing us using our vehicles to best advantage they feel cheated and therefore resentful. Not all of them of course, just enough
Oddly enough, I don't feel resentful of their roofs when I'm out in cats n dogs conditions.

[boss]

Oddly enough, I don't feel resentful of their roofs when I'm out in cats n dogs conditions.

Ding.

Most people don't hate cyclists. The ones that do have a list of excuses as long as my arm.

[Summernight]

Oddly enough, I don't feel resentful of their roofs when I'm out in cats n dogs conditions.

I know why you're not resentful of their roof:



Problem solved.

[Nobody]

I will always filter to the front of a queue of cars if I don't think I will get through the next change of lights. If I wanted to sit in traffic all day I would drive to work instead

Good argument. I doubt the car drivers see it the same way, which is the problem.

[il padrone]

I doubt the car drivers see it the same way, which is the problem.

Most people wait patiently when traffic banks up. That's life.

Not if there's room to get past safely. Which there nearly always is for a person on a bike.

All motorists would do exactly the same, if only they could squeeze their car through

[Nobody]

All motorists would do exactly the same, if only they could squeeze their car through

No doubt. But it's not about what's right or possible, it's about why they hate us. They won't think of what they would do, they can't so they just want to victimize us.

[Marx]

It’s almost as if some believe only reason roads have been built is specifically for cars.
I mean, it’s not like the Romans or Napoleon had cars, but they had roads.

[London Boy]

I will always filter to the front of a queue of cars if I don't think I will get through the next change of lights. If I wanted to sit in traffic all day I would drive to work instead

Good argument. I doubt the car drivers see it the same way, which is the problem.

I'm pretty sure that the whole thread is nonsense.

I think what we're really talking about is the inherent tribalism of the human species and our associated tendency to take out our frustrations on those who belong to a different tribe.

On the roads, when traffic conditions are frustrating, we moan about cyclists. If no cyclists we moan about the quarry truck as it heaves itself slowly away from the lights. If no truck we moan about the doddery old dear in her Honda Accord looking for the right road to the seniors' club. So on it goes.

When we ride along in our Spandex, we mark ourselves out as 'different', as 'other'. Of course we will be picked on.

And be real, reasoned argument will not wash. Correcting 'facts' will not help even slightly. It does not matter that rego does not pay for the roads, or that as many motorists as cyclists disobey the road rules, or that yes, we can ride two abreast on a single lane road. None of that is even remotely relevant.

The only thing that will change motorists' views of cyclists is when cyclists stop being 'other'.

When the motorist is a rider him or herself, or has riders in his or her family, or maybe when there are just so many of us that we cease to be different through sheer weight of numbers.

[il padrone]

It's not about rules at all, it is simply the politics of envy - taking a very narrow field of view as well.

The only thing that will change motorists' views of cyclists is when cyclists stop being 'other'.

This happens as more and more people take up cycling. I don't hear of such complaints from the Dutch or Danes - they all know what it is like to ride a bike for transport.

[human909]

There queue of bicycles at canning-princess st intersection yesterday morning was 2 abreast 15 deep. All got across during the light change.

A 15 deep car queue at a minor road crossing a major road would often take 2 light cycles. Cycling intersection flow rate is 5-10x faster than cars.

[Marto]

I will always filter to the front of a queue of cars if I don't think I will get through the next change of lights. If I wanted to sit in traffic all day I would drive to work instead

Good argument. I doubt the car drivers see it the same way, which is the problem.

I'm pretty sure that the whole thread is nonsense.

I think what we're really talking about is the inherent tribalism of the human species and our associated tendency to take out our frustrations on those who belong to a different tribe.

On the roads, when traffic conditions are frustrating, we moan about cyclists. If no cyclists we moan about the quarry truck as it heaves itself slowly away from the lights. If no truck we moan about the doddery old dear in her Honda Accord looking for the right road to the seniors' club. So on it goes.

When we ride along in our Spandex, we mark ourselves out as 'different', as 'other'. Of course we will be picked on.

And be real, reasoned argument will not wash. Correcting 'facts' will not help even slightly. It does not matter that rego does not pay for the roads, or that as many motorists as cyclists disobey the road rules, or that yes, we can ride two abreast on a single lane road. None of that is even remotely relevant.

The only thing that will change motorists' views of cyclists is when cyclists stop being 'other'.

When the motorist is a rider him or herself, or has riders in his or her family, or maybe when there are just so many of us that we cease to be different through sheer weight of numbers.

+1 That seems to be what the "hate" is based on.

[Mulger bill]

All motorists would do exactly the same, if only they could squeeze their car through

Isn't that what freeway emergency lanes are for?

[Mustang]

AM 1116 Brisbane radio, DJ, (?) Hargreaves conducted a reply to some idiot driver who honked continuously for 200meters at a group of cyclists.
Apparently, later, they conducted a protest outside his office.
That was lost in the programme as one after another the motorist's canned every cyclist on the road.
Hargreaves did a good job warming the anti cyclist lobby.

[K2]

..... The only thing that will change motorists' views of cyclists is when cyclists stop being 'other'.

When the motorist is a rider him or herself, or has riders in his or her family, or maybe when there are just so many of us that we cease to be different through sheer weight of numbers.

Unfortunately, for some people [the name Hull is jumping out at me here for some reason ], cyclists will always be "other". As you alluded to, other drivers are "other" to many, and to be fair other cyclists are just as otherly to some other cyclists. Until some folk cease rejecting the concept of "Do unto others etc" [no, I'm not religious] then even the above is unlikely to change things much. Nevertheless, a possible solution to accelerate arrival at this distant utopian destination....

I don't know if it's the same in all states, but if your kid wants to qualify for a provisional driver's licence in the good old Q of LD they now have hold a learner's licence for 12 months and amass 100 hours of on-road experience before taking the exam.

Imagine if a requirement to spend 6 months riding a bicycle [predominantly on-road] was added to those conditions, perhaps even before qualifying for a learner's! When they did get behind a wheel, beside having already attained some very handy skills, knowledge, and health benefits, they would no longer have to imagine what it was like being a curb hugger, and even the thickest of parents/siblings might be able to form a link between how they behave around cyclists and how they'd like everyone else to treat their kid. [I did say "might"....Have you seen how some folk treat "P" platers?]

Never going to happen though. It is akin to placing children at risk en masse [given the driving ability and mental state of way too many current drivers*] to assist future pavement sailors [™ The Mighty Boosh ].


* In an attempt to ameliorate this apparent othering of "others", I am not just saying that as a cyclist. The opinion was formed many moons ago and is reinforced every time I hit the streets no matter what the form of transport.

[g-boaf]

..... The only thing that will change motorists' views of cyclists is when cyclists stop being 'other'.

When the motorist is a rider him or herself, or has riders in his or her family, or maybe when there are just so many of us that we cease to be different through sheer weight of numbers.

Unfortunately, for some people [the name Hull is jumping out at me here for some reason ], cyclists will always be "other". As you alluded to, other drivers are "other" to many, and to be fair other cyclists are just as otherly to some other cyclists. Until some folk cease rejecting the concept of "Do unto others etc" [no, I'm not religious] then even the above is unlikely to change things much. Nevertheless, a possible solution to accelerate arrival at this distant utopian destination....

I don't know if it's the same in all states, but if your kid wants to qualify for a provisional driver's licence in the good old Q of LD they now have hold a learner's licence for 12 months and amass 100 hours of on-road experience before taking the exam.

Imagine if a requirement to spend 6 months riding a bicycle [predominantly on-road] was added to those conditions, perhaps even before qualifying for a learner's! When they did get behind a wheel, beside having already attained some very handy skills, knowledge, and health benefits, they would no longer have to imagine what it was like being a curb hugger, and even the thickest of parents/siblings might be able to form a link between how they behave around cyclists and how they'd like everyone else to treat their kid. [I did say "might"....Have you seen how some folk treat "P" platers?]

Never going to happen though. It is akin to placing children at risk en masse [given the driving ability and mental state of way too many current drivers*] to assist future pavement sailors [™ The Mighty Boosh ].


* In an attempt to ameliorate this apparent othering of "others", I am not just saying that as a cyclist. The opinion was formed many moons ago and is reinforced every time I hit the streets no matter what the form of transport.

Your suggestion about cycling for 6 months might be the single most thoughtful and well reasoned statement I've seen on here in a very long time.

[citywomble]

Making cycling a component of driving licence will not change a bad driver.

Recently watched two Lycra clad cyclists commuting on the PSP from Perth arrive at the car park where I work, load bikes onto parked car, then drive through STOP sign over shared path, causing cyclist to have to brake hard. They reverted to smoke box mentality in just two minutes. Poor cyclist almost crucified himself on the bikes while trying to clear behind without coming off.

Once and idiot always an idiot.

[outnabike]

I reckon everyone has pet hates, but when you act on the hate is when you show your darker side.
Cyclists hate cars and their drivers as well, despite that most on the forum drive cars.
Cyclists hate the "hun abuse paper" and when quoting from it almost always qualify there words with "we get it at work" as if even reading the weather constitutes a crossing to the "other side"

cyclists hate cyclists as well. Who gave them the title "Lycra Louts"? Why, there enemy the "motorists", because its derogatory and it stings. It is meant to.

But who came up with hipster, a flat bar, a bso, road warrior, bell-les boof, helmet-less hoon, I over took this numbie...Well I learned this stuff off this cyclists forum. So cyclist don't love each other that well either....There is actually not that much love to go around at all.

In every case of some wrong doing by others it is not enough to state the facts, like the rider did this or that, it's got to be, that "Lycra clad" dill, not the cyclist did this or that.

We don't get, "he rode on the foot path ." It's that dope "without a helmet" rode on the foot path.
Did you get cut off by a rider? No you didn't . It has a "hipster" on a "Bso.
Invariably it will be added that it was a goose with no legs and unfit and fat as well. ..... Like the bozos you are always passing.
And this is just cyclists talking about other cyclists.

So I reckon that hate is a wonderful thing to add to our descriptive vocabulary and should be fostered in all its forms. It appears that if you are not hated you don't exist. And that is not a good feeling.
When I was doing large construction work it was a known fact that if your name was not written on the dunny doors together with a few descriptive drawings....well you hadn't made it as a boss.