Cycling on an evening in a the city centre - how to deal with aggressive men

[Crankarm]

Why would you want to ride your bike in such a location at such a time unless you HAD to??? I would simply avoid riding there.

You need to give more information.

 

[Ganymede]

If you have to ride these routes - and I think if you use your bike as transport at night in a city you have the potential to get street harassment from men pretty much anywhere - I would try to work out the routes which seem to be the least likely to be full of drunken idiots. I would never engage with them by riding at them etc - just too likely to result in a collision and contact with someone you really don't want contact with. Your best bet is a smart remark, a strong swerve and a fast getaway. Basically they just want attention and to show their mates how funny they are. Some of them want you to feel bad too, but the trick is just get away and leave them in the dust with their own stupidity ringing in their ears.

I'm female by the way. @User13710 is right - you have the right to travel around the public highway and unfortunately the only way is to tough it out or dodge it when the w*nkers want to take charge. NB I think all cyclists get this to some extent in the presence of drunks, it's not purely because you're female, it just has a different, nasty taste to it when it's a bunch of drunk blokes v one girl on a bike.

 

[User6179]

If you have to ride these routes - and I think if you use your bike as transport at night in a city you have the potential to get street harassment from men pretty much anywhere - I would try to work out the routes which seem to be the least likely to be full of drunken idiots. I would never engage with them by riding at them etc - just too likely to result in a collision and contact with someone you really don't want contact with. Your best bet is a smart remark, a strong swerve and a fast getaway. Basically they just want attention and to show their mates how funny they are. Some of them want you to feel bad too, but the trick is just get away and leave them in the dust with their own stupidity ringing in their ears.

I'm female by the way. @User13710 is right - you have the right to travel around the public highway and unfortunately the only way is to tough it out or dodge it when the w*nkers want to take charge. NB I think all cyclists get this to some extent in the presence of drunks, it's not purely because you're female, it just has a different, nasty taste to it when it's a bunch of drunk blokes v one girl on a bike.

In the interest of PCness calling men self-gratification artists ( they are self-gratification artists btw) is not on , if I referred to woman as bitches the fallout would be far and wide !

So to clarify , I agree with you but as every sexist comment men put on tinternet is called into question it is only fair that women ( the weaker sex ) conform as well .

 

[slowmotion]

I really don't think it's worth the trouble to deal with it head on unless you have particular skills. I just avoid that stuff if I can. Of course, thinking about it after the event, I'm "well hard"......
[media]
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flt9K8vlJGE
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[theclaud]

In the interest of PCness calling men self-gratification artists ( they are self-gratification artists btw) is not on , if I referred to woman as bitches the fallout would be far and wide !

So to clarify , I agree with you but as every sexist comment men put on tinternet is called into question it is only fair that women ( the weaker sex ) conform as well .

She was talking specifically about harassers, not about men in general. Out of interest, is it routine for you to be abused by women whilst riding your bike home at night?

 

[User6179]

She was talking specifically about harassers, not about men in general. Out of interest, is it routine for you to be abused by women whilst riding your bike home at night?

I was joking

To answer your question , No , just schoolboys that seem to abuse me when out on the bike , had keep your knees up and could hardly believe my ears when passing a junior school, a wee boy shouted " hoy ya fkn peanut " just the other day

 

[User6179]

Now I know what an eskimo is , still unsure about a daffodil though ?

 

[confusedcyclist]

School boys have been the worst offenders for me personally, with arguably some of the worst behaviour and language, closely followed by school boys on BMX's (clearly not CC members, tsk!), followed closely by drunks. You learn to see these muppets coming. It also helps to have a few come backs prepared for their idiotic comments.

 

[User6179]

School boys have been the worst offenders for me personally, with arguably some of the worst behaviour and language, closely followed by school boys on BMX's (clearly not CC members, tsk!), followed closely by drunks. You learn to see these muppets coming. It also helps to have a few come backs prepared for their idiotic comments.

How do you comeback from Hey Mister your a Eskimo ?

 

[User6179]

Can hardly call a ten year old a daffodil

 

[I like Skol]

Out of interest, is it routine for you to be abused by women whilst riding your bike home at night?

A few months ago I got beeped and wolf whistled at by a car full of young girls..... it was dreadful and I have been a nervous wreck ever since

On a serious note though, it is poor that a person is made to feel this way and it never ceases to disappoint me how badly men can behave towards women (whether sober or not!) and why they become abusive or/and violent when drunk? It also bothers me that this has happened in my home city, I always live in the hope that perhaps Manchester isn't such a bad place, but then reality hits!

 

[confusedcyclist]

Not sure what an Esikmo is? (other than the kind that live in Igloos)

 

[slowmotion]

School boys have been the worst offenders for me personally, with arguably some of the worst behaviour and language, closely followed by school boys on BMX's (clearly not CC members, tsk!), followed closely by drunks. You learn to see these muppets coming. It also helps to have a few come backs prepared for their idiotic comments.

My problem is that I only concoct the "snappy come backs" while endlessly re-running the loop when I'm back home...and seething. Avoiding that crap makes life so much simpler. Yes, I do appreciate that it's a whole different matter for women.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Thanks! it's in main areas it happens. I'm in Manchester. I have friends who bike on a night in the city centre and have never been harassed. The only difference is, they are male and I am female. I don't go into the centre much at all. I think I might only bike through when i am with one of my friends as I have been lucky so far to have not been hurt by these guys acting like this.

I'm Manchester way too & have had the odd idiot in the city centre on the way home from a night out etc. I get rare similar stupidity cycling home from work late afternoon early evening too - and school kids do seem to be a particular PITA for us on bikes.
Whatever the council might like to say, we're still not a particularly cycling friendly city.

I've been riding a long time & as a bloke no doubt do get viewed differently by the knuckle draggers, but even compared to other guys, I don't seem to get/feel the aggro and intimidation others complain of. Maybe its a thicker skin, maybe its riding style: looking confident, decisive, not kerb hugging, steady line, eye contact, use my voice when necessary - polite but firm. Easier said than done and I've no idea of your experience but from your opening post you sound quite new to this type of riding. Friends would be good for moral support and confidence building. Find a good bike oriented coffee shop (Popup bikes near Victoria station for one- great place) have a chat with the staff & see if they know people local to you doing similar time rides, I'm no fan of Critical Mass riding but you could take part in things like that (last Friday in the month I think but not sure what time or from where), you may find confidence in numbers, moral support, advice on different routes, tips and tricks on dealing with morons & maybe people who live somewhere close who could buddy up with you. GMCC meetings at Friends Meeting House, 1st Monday of the month, friendly people mainly south Manchester based & all regular bike riders. Another south Manchester based one is http://plattfieldsbikehub.org.uk/

I'm sure if you posted on here if there was a specific event or something going on you may get a fellow rider, there's a few female Mancunian cyclists on twitter , maybe facebook too but that's not my thing really.

You will always end up encountering occasional morons on foot, in cars and on bikes but I hope that they don't put you off, there is still so much more good to cycling, even in Manchester than there is bad.

 

[User6179]

Not sure what an Esikmo is? (other than the kind that live in Igloos)

Type w'nker then post and you get Eskimo