Cyclist Hating, Like a socially acceptable racism/zenophobia?

[chap]

You write an erudite (but patronising) tome, but can't spell 'LOSES'. (Seems to be the most commonly misspelt word in this forum - looses = unties, sets free etc)

I shall take the spelling correction into consideration. As for the patronising tone: I think you mistake a polite correction for a smug treatise, just like you mistook a typo for a lack of lexical ability.

Finally, 'yet' would be more apt an adverb, 'but' implies contrast, 'yet' allows for extension through contrast.

 

[swee'pea99]

I haven't read the whole thread, but while you may have a point in baulking at viewing anti-cyclist feeling/rhetoric as 'on a par', to use your expression, with racism, it seems to me there is one serious and important sense in which the two are directly comparable - the expression of hatred for a group, not for individuals within it or action taken by some of its members.

People hate 'peanut motorists'; they don't hate 'motorists'. But many people seem to have no problem with expressing an indiscriminate hatred for 'cyclists', per se. In that sense, it is indeed directly comparable with racism.

 

[chap]

[quote name='swee'pea99']I haven't read the whole thread, but while you may have a point in baulking at viewing anti-cyclist feeling/rhetoric as 'on a par', to use your expression, with racism, it seems to me there is one serious and important sense in which the two are directly comparable - the expression of hatred for a group, not for individuals within it or action taken by some of its members.

People hate 'peanut motorists'; they don't hate 'motorists'. But many people seem to have no problem with expressing an indiscriminate hatred for 'cyclists', per se. In that sense, it is indeed directly comparable with racism.[/QUOTE]


Must dash, so shall be short - or indeed longer than necessary. However, these examples ignore intent, and extent. Generally what you are describing is prejudice. Despite cross-overs, there is a difference between 'racial'-prejudice and racism. Likewise, this is a case of prejudice against Cyclists, rather than...for lack of a better word, Veloism.

Were we to say, that we hate SUV drivers, Labourites, Tories, or 'Liberals', then that to an extent will be more on par a direct comparison. You hate what they represent, although this is just fuel for your prejudice.

 

[Defy78]

Must dash, so shall be short - or indeed longer than necessary. However, these examples ignore intent, and extent. Generally what you are describing is prejudice. Despite cross-overs, there is a difference between 'racial'-prejudice and racism. Likewise, this is a case of prejudice against Cyclists, rather than...for lack of a better word, Veloism.

Were we to say, that we hate SUV drivers, Labourites, Tories, or 'Liberals', then that to an extent will be more on par a direct comparison. You hate what they represent, although this is just fuel for your prejudice.

The difference is that certain prejudices (religion and race being up there) are generally speaking socially unacceptable today, where as prejudice against 'cyclists' seems to be generally accepted even though quite wrong. I think this is the point people are trying to make.

 

[Garjenkins]

Must dash, so shall be short - or indeed longer than necessary. However, these examples ignore intent, and extent. Generally what you are describing is prejudice. Despite cross-overs, there is a difference between 'racial'-prejudice and racism. Likewise, this is a case of prejudice against Cyclists, rather than...for lack of a better word, Veloism.
QUOTE]

Fantastic flexing of your knowledge muscle!....SO, in short.

....Cyclist hating, Like socially acceptable racism/zenophobia?...answer....no, it's more like a form of basic prejudice that some find acceptable to participate in....and anyone who says its remotely like racism is a wally and further to that..some long words you probably don't understand.

I do agree with you actually, its of course not as serious as racism ........but it's become less of a chat thread...more a sociology and semantics essay.

p.s Dont bother correcting me on any of these points! I know Im a wally...and I wouldnt understand why if you tried to explain it!...plus everyone reading this has fallen asleep long ago.

 

[BentMikey]

TRL 549 explains it all rather well.

 

[chap]

The difference is that certain prejudices (religion and race being up there) are generally speaking socially unacceptable today, where as prejudice against 'cyclists' seems to be generally accepted even though quite wrong. I think this is the point people are trying to make.

Oh the point was understood. Whilst my post was made with serious intent, it was also meant to be rather light-hearted as well - since this IS a pet hate (esp. with it's pervasiveness and encouragement from the lower media forms a la Daily Mail), perhaps my jocular tone did not come through.

Fantastic flexing of your knowledge muscle!....SO, in short.

....Cyclist hating, Like socially acceptable racism/zenophobia?...answer....no, it's more like a form of basic prejudice that some find acceptable to participate in....and anyone who says its remotely like racism is a wally and further to that..some long words you probably don't understand.

I do agree with you actually, its of course not as serious as racism ........but it's become less of a chat thread...more a sociology and semantics essay.

p.s Dont bother correcting me on any of these points! I know Im a wally...and I wouldnt understand why if you tried to explain it!...plus everyone reading this has fallen asleep long ago.

Hmm, flexing ones 'knowledge muscle', I am sure there is a chat up line in there somewhere.

It is not a dig, and no you do not come across as a wally (unless you think the Daily Mail is the last bastion of truth - although I'll keep that for the P&L board...) Unfortunately, there is a creeping spectre of approximation, against our wealth of words, which results in redundant phraseology and consequently lazy thought. As you may have guessed, I blame, to a large extent, the media but particularly the newspapers who really ought to know better - just don't get me started on reasoning.

Needless to say, Sensationalism is the moth for whom dinner is that rich tapestry, the English language.

And on with the show!

 

[Defy78]

Oh the point was understood. Whilst my post was made with serious intent, it was also meant to be rather light-hearted as well - since this IS a pet hate (esp. with it's pervasiveness and encouragement from the lower media forms a la Daily Mail), perhaps my jocular tone did not come through.

Yeah didn't get the light-hearted intent, kinda came across like a serious lecture...anyway talking of sensational media I was directed to an intersting web page recently (Kill or cure). Basically highlights reported causes and cures of cancer from various sources, some ridiculous claims. Not just tabloids but BBC get in on the act. Breakfast ran with "...every 1hr of TV will increase your chance of heart disease by 20%" the other day. Haven't read the study referred to but it came across as if to say "5hrs of TV would kill you" .

 

[dellzeqq]

people - at least some of them - seek out victims. The motivation - hatred - is the same. We can only be thankful that the consequences are so limited as to be not worth bothering about.

 

[Greenbank]

Is zenophobia the fear of tranquility and calm, or is it a fear of paradoxes?

 

[Defy78]

Is zenophobia the fear of tranquility and calm, or is it a fear of paradoxes?

I think it is more the fear of 'Buddhism' in general

 

[chap]

Yeah didn't get the light-hearted intent, kinda came across like a serious lecture...anyway talking of sensational media I was directed to an intersting web page recently (Kill or cure). Basically highlights reported causes and cures of cancer from various sources, some ridiculous claims. Not just tabloids but BBC get in on the act. Breakfast ran with "...every 1hr of TV will increase your chance of heart disease by 20%" the other day. Haven't read the study referred to but it came across as if to say "5hrs of TV would kill you" .

Don't worry with time and practice, you'll be able to distinguish the correct tone of ones text

I've read about that page, I believe it was written - or at least part written - by the talented developer that created the BBC iplayer hack.