commuting in the dark rant

[MissTillyFlop]

I saw a ninja or 2 this morning. I decided to shout "ninja" at one in a rather sarcastic voice as I trundled past. No idea why the outburst but kept me amused for 10 seconds.

Would it be considered racist to make ninja noises?

 

[calibanzwei]

Favourite recently - be-wheeled ninja, sans lights, alternatively hopping between (lit) road and path up ahead with bag of Chinese dangling. He disappears to the left and I assume he's turned off (parked van blocks my view) at that junction.
Just passing that left turn myself and the bugger almost runs into into me when he decides to use the road again...after bawling a few choice phrases at him he goes 'How was I meant to see you?' !!COUGH SPLUTTER!! Hi-Vis and full lights for myself....

The kicker? He was at least 10 years my senior and I'm 32....

 

[gambatte]

Would it be considered racist to make ninja noises?

If ninjas are making noises... they're doing something wrong

 

[Jezston]

Ninjas are cool.

We need to stop referring to lightless cyclists as ninjas. We need to appropriate a term that has less positive connotations.

Hmm ...

Only term I can think of is that fits is essentially a racial slur.

 

[Arjimlad]

My kids call me a bike ninja when they see me put on my balaclava on cold days (although I am lit up and hi-vis'd).

As for an alternative name,

How about pimpernels ?

or spectres ?

or shadow bikers ?!

 

[4F]

My kids call me a bike ninja when they see me put on my balaclava on cold days (although I am lit up and hi-vis'd).

As for an alternative name,

How about pimpernels ?

or spectres ?

or shadow bikers ?!

My alternative name suggestion would be tw@ts

 

[MissTillyFlop]

Ninjas are cool.

We need to stop referring to lightless cyclists as ninjas. We need to appropriate a term that has less positive connotations.

Hmm ...

Only term I can think of is that fits is essentially a racial slur.

I'm going to call them a broken christmas tree

 

[Cubist]

I'm going to call them a broken christmas tree

How very left-field!

 

[BentMikey]

They can't be that cool as they're crappo ninjas. We all see them no problem, much as they annoy us.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Loads of them out tonight

No lights, front or back

Oh no, hang on, they were motorists

 

[MattHB]

Loads of them out tonight

No lights, front or back

Oh no, hang on, they were motorists

It's mad how many of those seem to live around here.

 

[MattHB]

Why won't quote work properly?

 

[BentMikey]

Loads of them out tonight

No lights, front or back

Oh no, hang on, they were motorists

I'll bet it works fine here...

 

[MissTillyFlop]

How very left-field!

Not really, because if the christmas tree has one bulb broken none of them work, so no lights!

 

[fimm]

WHile driving, I saw a guy on a bike with no lights. I saw him in lots of time and distance, and was able to go round him with no issues. Admitedly this was on a wide, well-lit, urban road.

Stopped at the lights on my bike, I looked behind me and noticed that the driver of the car behind hadn't turned their lights on. So I made flashing gestures at them until they realised what I was trying to communicate to them, and turned the lights on and gave me a wave of thanks.

But the interesting one was this morning. Someone got off the train in front of me with a red flashing rear light. Close up it looked quite weedy and I decided that there wasn't any point in putting my lights on as it was pretty light, and I was wearing a high-vis tabard. "If they can't see the high-vis, they're not going to notice me full stop" was my logic. However, as the other cyclist pulled away I realised that their rear light did make a difference from a distance, and I wished I'd put mine on too. (Not that I actually stopped to put them on!)