People staring
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:04 am
I went to the local shopping center for milk and groceries today, and I took my 2 year old with me in the trailer. My local shopping center is Stocklands at Wetherill Park. It is next to the T-way, which links to a bike path that runs a block from my place, so except for a short bit on a quiet street it's all off road bike paths to/from the shops.
It was my first trip to the shops with the trailer behind the 'bent and I wasn't expecting the amount of interest it drew. A small crowd gathered as I locked up, most just gawked, there were lots of positive comments, and of course there was one who had to make a negative comment about irresponsible parenting and exposing my child to danger.... that was from a pregnant woman pushing a pram and smoking. I just let it go without saying anything, she presented a pathetic enough portrait of a 'parent' as it was without me having to state the obvious.
When I came out of the shops again a small crowd gathered to watch me load my bags and child into the trailer. It was OK at first and I was happy to chat with people that were curious about the bike. I was a little surprised that nobody I talked to had ever see or heard of a recumbent before, many even thought I'd built it myself! ...Then I started getting a little annoyed with people that just stood and gawked as if they were at a freak show, so I said to my daughter as I buckled her in "look sweetie, everyone is staring, but we don't stare because that's rude, isn't it" I said it loud enough for everyone to hear but not everyone got the message.
How do you guys deal with the unwanted attention? I don't mind people talking to me about the bike at all, I just dislike people standing there and staring, especially when I have my kids with me.
It was my first trip to the shops with the trailer behind the 'bent and I wasn't expecting the amount of interest it drew. A small crowd gathered as I locked up, most just gawked, there were lots of positive comments, and of course there was one who had to make a negative comment about irresponsible parenting and exposing my child to danger.... that was from a pregnant woman pushing a pram and smoking. I just let it go without saying anything, she presented a pathetic enough portrait of a 'parent' as it was without me having to state the obvious.
When I came out of the shops again a small crowd gathered to watch me load my bags and child into the trailer. It was OK at first and I was happy to chat with people that were curious about the bike. I was a little surprised that nobody I talked to had ever see or heard of a recumbent before, many even thought I'd built it myself! ...Then I started getting a little annoyed with people that just stood and gawked as if they were at a freak show, so I said to my daughter as I buckled her in "look sweetie, everyone is staring, but we don't stare because that's rude, isn't it" I said it loud enough for everyone to hear but not everyone got the message.
How do you guys deal with the unwanted attention? I don't mind people talking to me about the bike at all, I just dislike people standing there and staring, especially when I have my kids with me.