An object lesson in keeping your mouth shut...

[Sara_H]

Maybe time to agree to disagree. You asked for thoughts on the incident as a whole. I think yours was a strange reaction to the incident that happened. It wouldn't have occurred to me to react in the same way that you did. You learnt from it, I've learnt from it, so I guess thats something.

 

[Davidsw8]

Good!

hah, don't tell me that was new information?

 

[Sara_H]

hah, don't tell me that was new information?

No!

 

[Davidsw8]

No!

Phew!

 

[DooDah]

So how would you pass comment to something illegal or something that was about to cause danger? In my mind it is only an insult if the person in question found it insulting, which she did not as she did not hear it.

Perhaps it would be: oh silly you, or my,my that is dangerous

 

[sazzaa]

Bitch to me isn't even an insult. Mostly because I'm quite a bitch.

 

[glenn forger]

I imagine you respond to being called a racist with indistinguishable equanimity.

 

[DooDah]

I imagine you respond to being called a racist with indistinguishable equanimity.

Who was that aimed at?

 

[Mugshot]

Who was that aimed at?

sazzaa, glenn is stalking her at the moment.

 

[Kookas]

Rather than basically say you're only allowed to insult men, why not argue against insulting anyone?

 

[glenn forger]

i debated whether to call out RLJers but it's never worth it. I'd never use that word to a woman but now I never shout at cyclists, it's really not what I want to spend time doing.

 

[Davidsw8]

Leaving the bad language aside (hard as that appears to be), it seems a shame that people are too focussed on having an easy life or are too scared of potential reprisals to now say anything about bad behavoiur these days. It's not just supposedly minor offences like RLJ'ing, people turn away all the time. I feel like I've gone this way myself now...

And sometimes then it swings in the opposite direction and people's selfishness and self-entitlement blind them to the needs of a fellow human being. I went on a first aid course in the middle of January and one lady told of someone who'd collapsed on the tube, she went to help and had the tube stopped at the next station and she got a barrage of grief from other passengers for delaying their journeys. None of us were especially shocked at this story...

 

[RedRider]

Leaving the bad language aside (hard as that appears to be), it seems a shame that people are too focussed on having an easy life or are too scared of potential reprisals to now say anything about bad behavoiur these days. It's not just supposedly minor offences like RLJ'ing, people turn away all the time. I feel like I've gone this way myself now...
.

I spend much of my life supporting people through crises and working with challenging behaviour (including, sorry to say) verbal and physical violence towards women. It's what I choose to do and I enjoy it in a funny way, I like to think I'm good at it. Outside of work I have and do occasionally intervene in situations but in the grand scheme, minor infractions by cyclists are way down the list of things worth bothering with. Life is too short.

And sometimes then it swings in the opposite direction and people's selfishness and self-entitlement blind them to the needs of a fellow human being. I went on a first aid course in the middle of January and one lady told of someone who'd collapsed on the tube, she went to help and had the tube stopped at the next station and she got a barrage of grief from other passengers for delaying their journeys. None of us were especially shocked at this story...

IMO People become more selfish underground at rush hour, pushing old ladies out the way etc. Getting on a bike isn't a complete cure - as you say RLJ-ing can be a bit selfish - but aside from walking it's pretty much the most humane (whatever that means) way to travel. It's helped keep me sane in this metropolis anyway.

 

[Davidsw8]

I spend much of my life supporting people through crises and working with challenging behaviour (including, sorry to say) verbal and physical violence towards women. It's what I choose to do and I enjoy it in a funny way, I like to think I'm good at it. Outside of work I have and do occasionally intervene in situations but in the grand scheme, minor infractions by cyclists are way down the list of things worth bothering with. Life is too short.


IMO People become more selfish underground at rush hour, pushing old ladies out the way etc. Getting on a bike isn't a complete cure - as you say RLJ-ing can be a bit selfish - but aside from walking it's pretty much the most humane (whatever that means) way to travel. It's helped keep me sane in this metropolis anyway.

After every tube or bus journey, I say 'Slap me if I ever complain about cycling again!'

 

[Davidsw8]

With regards to the RLJ issue, I was thinking about the excuse for RLJ'ing that some people come out with about how they RLJ because it's 'too dangerous not to'. If you feel so endangered, there are a number of solutions that don't involve breaking the law:

Get off and walk it past the dangerous bit
Pull over and let the dangerous traffic pass
Find an alternate, safer route

I cycle through some of the busiest parts of London in rush hour every day and I have not once felt in danger stopped at a red light. There are a couple of occasions that I'll pull over and let heavy traffic pass or walk it round a dangerous bit, adds an extra minute or so to my journey, big deal.