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

[slowmotion]

I typed the W word and got this.

self-gratification artist

 

[Ganymede]

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.

Reading your post made me think of a clarification of my advice upthread. What you've got to do is make it look like baiting you would have no outcome. I think that's what you're projecting, @shouldbeinbed - They look at you and think, well, I probably won't get a rise out of that person as they look confident and strong etc. Drunk blokes look at a woman alone and make a very quick assumption that if baited she will blush/wobble/look uncomfortable, ie they will get a reaction, which is what they are after.

Now, there is no question that a person of either/any gender should be able to cycle around without harassment. But the problem exists, and if you subject suchlike self-gratification artists (thank you @slowmotion) to a massive dose of confident indifference, they won't get their "hit". Unfortunately as most women know, a small minority of men can react badly to even a polite put-down, but being on a speeding bike should take care of that.

Sad that we have to think like this.

 

[ufkacbln]

Sat in a queue of traffic, white van driver stops alongside and drive shouts F******* W*******

Obviously expected some sort of reaction, so they got one.... but not the one they expected

Polite email to the company asking if they had basic literacy and numeracy standards

I then pointed out that onanism was essentially a solo effort whilst sex itself was usually two people (or more if you were that way inclined) and if he was going to attempt to insult people could they please use something grammatically and numerically correct because his present effort was just making him look stupid

The email I got back wasn't polite, but at least it confirmed the low standard of literacy, so sent it back corrected in red ink with a link to the local literacy courses


PS - if you do this have a "disposable" account"

 

[ufkacbln]

Reading your post made me think of a clarification of my advice upthread. What you've got to do is make it look like baiting you would have no outcome. I think that's what you're projecting, @shouldbeinbed - They look at you and think, well, I probably won't get a rise out of that person as they look confident and strong etc. Drunk blokes look at a woman alone and make a very quick assumption that if baited she will blush/wobble/look uncomfortable, ie they will get a reaction, which is what they are after.

Now, there is no question that a person of either/any gender should be able to cycle around without harassment. But the problem exists, and if you subject suchlike self-gratification artists (thank you @slowmotion) to a massive dose of confident indifference, they won't get their "hit". Unfortunately as most women know, a small minority of men can react badly to even a polite put-down, but being on a speeding bike should take care of that.

Sad that we have to think like this.

I have two weapons in my favour

The first is that the lead end of the bike is a big chain ring it is guarded but taht is not obvious and acts as a deterrent
The second is the AirZound on full blast - let them dance the funky pedestrian and look stupid in front of their mates

 

[ufkacbln]

Totally OT, but a few years ago I did some work with the Council on bike routes and Sustrans were involved.

Trouble was that the Council's net nanny blocked their site... when investigated it was because on the site they had used the terms "adult clothing"!

 

[Ganymede]

Crumbs, that really really is OT.

The airzound sounds like a good idea but I wonder if a woman using one might provoke a more negative reaction. Though again, if speeding away, it might be ok.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

On riding home tonight a large group of bmx riders approached from the opposite way.
I have to say they were very polite, moving into single file so I could pass, the leader asking for a "High Five".
In Glasgow mean city??
Whatever next!

 

[DaveReading]

Type w'nker then post and you get Eskimo

That's obvious, inuit ?

 

[buggi]

Gun?

 

[winjim]

Type w'nker then post and you get Eskimo

So swearing's not on but racism's fine?

 

[slowmotion]

That's obvious, inuit ?

Not bad!

 

[Hip Priest]

Unfortunately, we live in a world where lots of men thinking it's okay to bully women. They wouldn't do it to a bloke. Changing the route to avoid them would be practical, but also completely unjust.

 

[400bhp]

Unfortunately, we live in a world where lots of men thinking it's okay to bully women. They wouldn't do it to a bloke. Changing the route to avoid them would be practical, but also completely unjust.

To be honest, if it's where I'm thinking (Deansgate from Peter Street down to the Cathedral) it wouldn't matter what gender you are. There's just something about the road that makes it a hotspot for trouble.

Better sticking to a few of the faster traffic moving areas if traversing through Manc on a Friday or Sat on a bike.

 

[jonny jeez]

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 .

Can you imagine if just 20% of the adverts on telly were re written with role reversal.

Men are nearly always portrayed on telly ads as hapless, clueless mankids incapable of shopping, washing, ironing or even looking after their own children.

It seems like a right "larf" but I find it increasingly frustrating.

Perhaps I am actually getting old. Mrs g says its because the ads are aimed at the person in the household who controls the family purse...which is an insult in itself really.


I've just re- read this and I sound about 80.

Sigh

 

[winjim]

Check your privilege!

ETA: Smily face thing so I don't come across as too narky.