Ok, so I’m just ripping off content from Bill, (and a few days late none the less, despite being a few hours ahead) but this is an interesting column piece from the Times over in bad teeth land (England). Ignore the random tripe in the bottom half, it’s the top stuff that you might find interesting. I love a good, angry, pro-cyclist rant, especially one that tackles the ol’ red light issue. After taking part in a university study regarding the attitudes and opinions of cyclists and motorists (towards cyclists), I was left fairly bloody shit scared. Reading the end result and the quotes from motorists, I finally realised how much bloody danger we are in when we’re out there. People actually want to kill us. They fantasise about swerving into us, or deliberately dooring us, or using actual weapons to gun us down. What the fuck? How can a simple form of transport inspire such hatred? I’ve always been an aggressive rider when I’m on the street. I’m sure I’ve documented it here, but I’d rather have someone aware of me and angry, than completely oblivious to my existence. I’d also rather stay as far ahead of cars as possible, where I’m visible and obvious, and hopefully not slowing anyone down. Apparently this just makes me an object of rage though, so it’s obvious you can’t win. The solution? Ride like a mad fucker, take your life into your own hands, and do what it takes to stay alive on your bike.
Sure, it’s important that we have well mannered, hi-vis clad cycling advocates who are doing their best to make things better for us (I honestly salute you guys, you do good!), but it ain’t going to stop some angry redneck bogan fuckwit with a small dick and a big car from taking it personally when I overtake him and retaliating by putting me under when wheels of his truck. Similarly, it’s not going to stop the middle aged family man who’s heading to work and gets sick of being passed by someone on a vehicle that costs 1/30th of what his car loan is worth, and looks like they’re having a lot more fun than him, and as such decideds that a love-tap is what’s deserved. And it sure as hell isn’t going to stop the fucked up, angst-ridden, sexually confused and over-homeworked P plater from thinking the ultimate display of superiority is to rev their engine and speed past an inch away from my bars travelling at twice the legal limit.
The fact is, nothing’s going to stop that, no matter what we do. Motorists hate us and there is no rhyme or reason to it. We can do no right, and when we try, it’s wrong. Our existence is a bane to the egos of motorists across the world, and we’re not going anywhere. So as far as I’m concerned, getting there alive is priority number one.
But I’ll try and be polite about it along the way.
Calm down dear.
Perhaps a cup of tea & a lie down will help?
I’d like to add, I’ve gone a full circle in my attitude towards the bullshit and it works a treat. I started riding in Launceston a couple of years ago and copped some royal abuse for cruisin past people and blowin the odd red light when no cars were anywhere in sight. For the first time in my life I felt like the most haited bro out there, but I fought back with some grand tirades of return abuse and some excellent face squashed against the driver windcreen with the big finger saluting too. I was goin hard on the survival attitude of me versus them and was doin ok.
then however, after talkin to a few crew who just let the crap wash over and didnt retaliate, I cancelled my agressive ways and chose to chill the fuck out. I also started riding with an ipod at full vol so I couldnt hear em anyways. its completely changed my style, I’m on the road on average 2.5 hours commutin a day and I’ve had about 1 incident in the last 4 months (I think the bloke was just out of risdon, missed his methodone appointment and had been jailed for 20 years for killing a cyclist so his behaviour was excuseable.
anyways, moral of the story, there is a lot of fuckwits on pushies out and about, and I think this has a lot to do with the driver hatred. Did you know that sitting in traffic increases the risk of developing serious stress, anixiety and anger by over 30% (World Health Organisation). By just focussing on keeping out of harms way and ignoring any immature crap (with good tunes going) the warzone becomes a ceasefire and those small dicked drivers feel like nobs when they get no responce from their tauntings!
I do my fair share of letting it all wash over me I think (ok, maybe the odd shake of the head), but there are times you need to let people know they just almost ended your life. But yeah, I’d much prefer to be out on the bike risking life and limb (and having a great time) rather than stuck in a car cursing the traffic.
Right now, I’d rather just be in bed.
…cycle commuted virtually every day since 2004: have also chilled out rather than spurt venemous rage at EVERY moron behind a steering wheel. They’re gonna be aggressive and dangerous no matter what you do, and they could care less when you point out the errors of their ways, no matter how strongly (believe me, I;ve tried). Plus, I’m in a shitty mood all day at work if I’m screaming my head-off at 7:30am.
Dude, a friggin’ ipod? Why not ride blindfolded for extra sensory deprivation?
Actually, Mischa’s description of motoring types could very easily be transposed to certain cyclists.
Just browsing by and noticed a typo in this passage – sorry to be so pedantic – but you seem to have misspelt ‘assertive’, having spelt it ‘aggressive’ in error I suspect?
Again my aplogies for being so pedantic, for what it is worth.
That recent (?) ad from England where you get the bear moonwalking through the group of basketball players I found to be quite a good representation of how different groups seek different priorities. Even though neither group is setting out deliberately to harm the other. This was a perspective that the Amy Gillett Foundation followed up rather well with the ad which started with the close up of the man and woman arguing. However as the camera pulled back, you realise that it is not a gender based argument, but one about how perspectives differ, depending whether driving a car or riding a bicycle.
For what it is worth, leave 1 earbud in, and ride like you enjoy it! The point you make about risking life and limb, rather than sitting in a car complaining about the congestion, enjoying the adrenaline highs of near misses, is not to be denied. But surely far better to wryly shake your head at the antics of non-sharing motorists than to be shaking them from side to side after you catch them up at the next lights, pointing out the error of their ways?
In my rather limited experience, most people recognise in themselves that they have errored. But embarrassing them openly and clearly allows them to take that embarrassed energy to power a vitriolic attack on cyclists in general. Sometimes it is more effective to let the driver know that you know that they know that they were wrong. That you will let them off this time, but only because it is the last time that they will ever do such a thing again! Hence there will always be those that this is not going to be the last time and/or a mistaken piece of judgement. So those are the ones to come down hard on … preferably with a little bunny hop onto their bonnet before bunnying off again, so as to leave them a little reminder of your warning 😉
Hey guys and gals this is worth a read.
http://www.gonecycling.com/commuter/Aspects%20of%20Transportation%20Cycling.pdf
Cheers
Tim
outventing: I’m kinda unsure of the point you’re making?
I’m painting motorists with a broad brush, shamelessly and probably unfairly. But hey, that’s half the fun of a rant, right?
I know that not everyone is out there deliberately trying to kill us, and that a lot of motorists are just plain ignorant or dismissive when it comes to cyclists. Whatever, they’re the least of my worries. The ones that get my blood up are the aggressive fuckers I’ve mentioned, who harbour ill intent towards anyone with pedals.
And yeah, I ride in an assertive manner, but the actions of others can get me aggressive. That said, I’ll usually back off pretty fast if it’s looking to get me killed.
Tim: Yep, it all makes a lot of sense really!
the ipod actually helps tune my sensory sharpness. I can still hear everything, its just softer. try riding to hobart up the southern outlet most days and you’ll get my drift. And it blocks out any unneccesary crap that gets yelled at me.
And nothing like a good bit of angus and julia stone la la ling away to keep one from rageing in busy traffic!