Cycling & Social Deprevation!

[Clann]

Measuring social deprivation:
A friend of mine and socio-political commentator living in Belfast used to claim that he could determine the levels of social deprivation in an area by the ferocity of the local dog population. His reasoning suggested that the greater the level of social deprivation the angst was evident in the Canine population. This friend argued that the Dogs of the Antrim Road were disproportionally more savage that their Malone Road cousins, a theory he used to test on his regular jaunts around the city. In fact he was so confident of his theory that he claimed to be able to place a Dog to a region of the city just by its appearance and snarl.

Although I used to humour his theories I was never really a believer...Until I started cycling. However I have now began to apply his dog theory to local teenage populations and the abuse they direct at cyclists. My research was conducted this winter, using Tuesday and Thursday night training rides to collect and aggregate data. I was able to visit a variety of areas and record and chart the verbals received from the local teenage population.
The three months of observations and careful collection of insults concluded that the more socially deprived an area the more violent and aggressive the abuse.At the opposing end of the scale the more affluent an area the greater the attempt of humour in the abuse hurled. Samples recorded:
The old favourite; “Yer wheels are going round”, one with some cycling insight; “get of the road Lance” other included; “I’ll Put ya off th’on bike” , while passing comment on my lights “look at the f***ing UFO”, and my favourite insult of the season: “Yeeeooow yer Sh*te ya horrible rat”
Other observations noted that in areas where abuse was most violent the subjects tended to chase the bicycle for longer, somewhat similar to the dog theory.
This year my winter training involved road running. Training that was completed in the same test areas. Insults recorded: Zero. I am still preparing my thesis as I can’t find solid reasoning to explain the constant abuse that all cyclists face while training. Can anyone help finish my research?
visit: www.clanncc.net

 

[Noodley]

Good first post.

It might be related to yoofs thinking runners can run after them and cyclists are attached to a bike. It comes as a surprise if you stop your bike and they find you have the power to walk, run and swing your hand in their direction whilst snarling....

A few guys I know were out a couple of weeks ago (4 or 5 of them) and they 'encountered' a large gang of yoofs. The yoofs lost big time. Yoofs seem to suffer from the 'we are invincible' gene. Wrong, as us oldies have the 'we can plough through you little twats as we are bid strong and are pissed off with the world so you are the ideal opportunity to twat somebody' gene. Old genes win all the time.

 

[buggi]

The thing about yoofs hurling abuse only at cyclists can also be related to dogs.

i was taught this by a dog psychologist. the same theory applies to postmen as to cyclists. the postman, well it's his job to come to your house, post the letter, and retreat. a cyclist will cycle straight past you into the distance (effectively retreating)

but dogs don't know this. they run to the door and bark at the postman because they think that it is their job to protect the house, and by barking they make the postman retreat. they don't realise the postman was going to do this anyway. hence the behaviour is reinforced and the dog barks the next time the postman comes, and lo and behold the postman goes away again. this is why sometimes dogs only bark at postmen but no one else that comes to your house.

same with cycles... the dog thinks it is protecting you and has "seen the cyclist off" and doesn't realise the cyclist was going to cycle away anyway. hence the behaviour is reinforced and the dog barks at the next cyclist.

so you see, your friend is right. Yoofs and dogs are the same. yoofs think you have cycled off coz they hurl abuse. they don't realise your on a training ride.

 

[Noodley]

yoofs think you have cycled off coz they hurl abuse. they don't realise your on a training ride.

Exactly. It's the 'invincible' gene. Show them otherwise and they will soon learn.
My advice: prove them wrong!

Probably not the kind of advice you'd expect from a social worker but it works...and in line with all study and research. No need to get violent but a strong response usually works.

 

[Clann]

I like your thinking... Should make for a few interesting field tests. Theoretically it should be possible for yoofs to unlearn this set behavior. So if while training circuits, I was to stop, 'diplomatically' challenge their behavior, the abuse should decrease by the second circuit as their attempts to chase the cyclist off have failed??
Best wait and try the behavioral readjustment testing until a group ride!

 

[longers]

I'd definitely wait for a group ride. It will give you an indication of their responses to different and varied stimuli.

 

[Noodley]

I recall one incident where I was cycling to play football and a twat in a car 'buzzed' me with horn blaring. I was mightily unhappy.

But I cheered up somewhat when I saw the car parked in the carpark where I was playing the match. The driver was identified by one of his team mates, and to my great delight I discovered he was opposite me during the match.

I 'introduced' myself to him early on, and the look of shock on his face was a picture! I took every opportunity to remind him just what real intimidation and fear were I think I even saw a dribble of pee running down his leg at one point....

 

[buggi]

I'd definitely wait for a group ride. It will give you an indication of their responses to different and varied stimuli.

turn the whole situation around. arrange a group ride and start hurling abuse at them as you ride past. get in there first

 

[Over The Hill]

Or move to the civilised world

Never had a word of abuse around here

 

[Joe24]

I recall one incident where I was cycling to play football and a twat in a car 'buzzed' me with horn blaring. I was mightily unhappy.

But I cheered up somewhat when I saw the car parked in the carpark where I was playing the match. The driver was identified by one of his team mates, and to my great delight I discovered he was opposite me during the match.

I 'introduced' myself to him early on, and the look of shock on his face was a picture! I took every opportunity to remind him just what real intimidation and fear were I think I even saw a dribble of pee running down his leg at one point....

Him pissing himself laughing at you running around and trying to intimidate him?
As for the, if you go back at them they will learn not to shout absue. I doubt it will work. I once had some twat shout and throw something at me, i skidded my bike around and powered off after him. He just stood there giving me abuse, saying he was gonna get his brother down to beat me up. He will still be a cheeky bugger.
At school, other people on 6th form are paid to stand on the doors of the school to stop people getting in at lunch times. A few have been dumped in bins, smacked and pushed to the floor(only when they have got abusive and have gone like they will smack one of them or just try and barge past) and they will still keep going back and being abusive. They wont be as abusive.

 

[oxbob]

Monkey see monkey do.Some monkeys have better parents

 

[Joe24]

Monkey see monkey do.Some monkeys have better parents

Exactly. I went down to Tesco the other morning to get some breakfast. It was 10:00ish and i saw some chav that was in my year in there with his dad. When i was unlocking my bike, he was walking out with a crate of Carling on his shoulder.
I dont think he goes to college, dont think he works, and ive often seen him walking around at about 2/3pm with a can of something alcoholic in his hand.
I dont think his parents work either. So no real surprise he is how he is.
He is a big girl though, he will mouth off but if you punch him he will run off crying

 

[oxbob]

Exactly. I went down to Tesco the other morning to get some breakfast. It was 10:00ish and i saw some chav that was in my year in there with his dad. When i was unlocking my bike, he was walking out with a crate of Carling on his shoulder.
I dont think he goes to college, dont think he works, and ive often seen him walking around at about 2/3pm with a can of something alcoholic in his hand.
I dont think his parents work either. So no real surprise he is how he is.
He is a big girl though, he will mouth off but if you punch him he will run off crying

Says the boy who is allowed to practice track stands on the dinner table!

 

[Joe24]

Says the boy who is allowed to practice track stands on the dinner table!

Ah well, that was part of my project, and part of someone elses project.



And it was the work table, we dont have a dinner table in 6th form


The work table has now gone, and we have a pingpong table, and some people that are now very very very good at ping pong.

 

[Clann]

Some good points, however can we nail down a solid Hypothesis...
Suggestions:
1. Chav Rants at cyclists are directly related to the amounts of cheap lager imbibed, parenting skills and education levels
OR
2. Levels of Chav abuse are incremental with numbers in Chav group and are not related to social deprevation.