Do You Find That Most People Hate Cyclists?

[carve1]

I've been riding for over 50 years. Now I'm in a new home, new city. And this city has a lot of new bike lanes all painted bright green. It's still very much a vehicle-oriented city though. Suburban sprawl might've been the case here two or three decades ago. Now growing beyond. Very dense near the freeways. New homes all three-stories and taller, narrow townhouses, tiny parcels. Businesses still very suburban. Shopping strips have endless parking lots. Boulevards wide and fast. Camera-monitored traffic lights. You get the idea about context.

So I thought I'd take advantage of cycling for weekly errands instead of driving my car. Post office, bank, groceries, convenience store, etc. Helps for personal fitness, too, I'm thinking. Too much working from home. Indirectly good for the environment I guess, reduce congestion, whatever. But mostly, for me it's just a change of pace from driving. And getting some cardio. I'm not one of those who ride rain or shine.

However, not only is there a complete lack of means to stop and lock the bike, but the attitude of NEARLY EVERYBODY here is that they hate cyclists! We have a Nextdoor chat group, but every time I post something about cycling safety, there comes these sly, sarcastic and underhanded comments that always escalate into insults, ridicule and ultimately complete post removal. Cycling is controversial?!? WTF? And it perfectly resonates with the confrontational store owners too. One time I called the cops on them, and the officer was shockingly dismissive of a cyclist like me — complete unsympathetic shoving and a huge contrast compared to my usual appearance getting out of the car. And I ride an expensive bike, too. It's not like I'm a novice or a scruffy skidrow bum. It just shows how many people truly hate cyclists. One person (in the chat group) blames me for pedestrians HAVING TO MOVE out of the way. On and on.

WTF is happening?

Have I entered some kind of "twilight zone," where, as soon as I get on my bike, I'm considered the most despised scum on earth? This is Fremont, CA.

Anybody relate?

 

[Brandane]

This is Fremont, CA.

This site is mostly used by UK residents, but there are quite a few international contributors too. You'll be glad to hear it's not just a USA thing - we are not the most popular road users "over here" either. We get abuse because we don't pay road tax (which was abolished in the middle of last century), we're not insured (a lot of us are, and a lot of car drivers are not), we hold up traffic (but they will happily sit in stationary queues for hours on motorways where there are no cyclists), and we don't use cycle lanes (because they're mostly not fit for purpose).
Having said all that, I don't think it's as bad here as you have it in the car-centric USA, or from what I read, Australia too. The tide is very slowly turning here but not quickly enough.

 

[Paulus]

I think it is partly a jealousy thing. We can cycle more or less everywhere on the road network, which if we pay any kind of tax we contribute to, but the 'haters' seem to not realise or forget.
We don't have to pay extra taxes, ie. fuel, VED(vehicle excise duty) vat on servicing, spare parts, MOT testing etc, which also gets the 'haters' backs up because overall it is pretty cheap to cycle around.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I think society looks down on cyclists as failures and therefore easy pickings. It is wrong of course, but the mindset of the Anglosphere is that you're supposed to "upgrade" to a car as soon as you have the means to as a sign of success and status. Why else would anybody want to learn to drive, so they can sit in obedience, in a traffic jam behind lights. This would explain their holier than thou attitudes in complete ignorance of the facts of motoring and the abuse handed down to other road users, be it horses, bicycle and even small cars...

 

[kayakerles]

I've been riding for over 50 years. Now I'm in a new home, new city. And this city has a lot of new bike lanes all painted bright green. It's still very much a vehicle-oriented city though. Suburban sprawl might've been the case here two or three decades ago. Now growing beyond. Very dense near the freeways. New homes all three-stories and taller, narrow townhouses, tiny parcels. Businesses still very suburban. Shopping strips have endless parking lots. Boulevards wide and fast. Camera-monitored traffic lights. You get the idea about context.

So I thought I'd take advantage of cycling for weekly errands instead of driving my car. Post office, bank, groceries, convenience store, etc. Helps for personal fitness, too, I'm thinking. Too much working from home. Indirectly good for the environment I guess, reduce congestion, whatever. But mostly, for me it's just a change of pace from driving. And getting some cardio. I'm not one of those who ride rain or shine.

However, not only is there a complete lack of means to stop and lock the bike, but the attitude of NEARLY EVERYBODY here is that they hate cyclists! We have a Nextdoor chat group, but every time I post something about cycling safety, there comes these sly, sarcastic and underhanded comments that always escalate into insults, ridicule and ultimately complete post removal. Cycling is controversial?!? WTF? And it perfectly resonates with the confrontational store owners too. One time I called the cops on them, and the officer was shockingly dismissive of a cyclist like me — complete unsympathetic shoving and a huge contrast compared to my usual appearance getting out of the car. And I ride an expensive bike, too. It's not like I'm a novice or a scruffy skidrow bum. It just shows how many people truly hate cyclists. One person (in the chat group) blames me for pedestrians HAVING TO MOVE out of the way. On and on.

WTF is happening?

Have I entered some kind of "twilight zone," where, as soon as I get on my bike, I'm considered the most despised scum on earth? This is Fremont, CA.

Anybody relate?

The surroundings you live in sound exactly like mine. I'm 65 and live in Maryland in a city of 82,000 people right outside of Washington DC. I think different places in the US just have different tolerances for bike riders. Having grown up in NYC, I am always watching out for the next vehicle to hit me. Thankfully it has not happened yet. I would suggest just dropping the nextdoor chat group that you are on, or alternately, just stop writing about bike riding. But what biker rider wants to do that?! But seriously, who deserves negative vibes for doing something normal, and on a neighborhood forum at that? Wow, some neighbors! Anyway, just ride and be safe. I stay off all major thoroughfares and ride through residential neighborhoods, or on trails where I can. You just need to find your safest routes. Looking at maps helps. Best of success, and don’t be confrontational with automobile drivers when you are out. One of them may decide to bump you, or worse. Some states, like Colorado I gather, have so many bikers everywhere that automobile drivers have learned to a greater extent to be respectful of them as human beings, and are careful around them. The Washington DC area is such a mishmash of people from all over the country, and the world for that matter, that you never know what someone’s attitude toward two wheelers may be. Keep us posted. Find safe routes to ride, and enjoy.

Welcome to this forum. Lots of nice and knowledgeable people here. They even except us “Yanks” for the most part.

 

[dodgy]

I don't think that most people hate cyclists, but I do think it is just about socially acceptable to hate us without being challenged. A noisy minority.

 

[carpiste]

Mmmm. I`ve actually found it to be the opposite! Since covid there are a LOT more cyclists both on roads and paths. I can only assume people see their own friends and relatives cycling so give a bit more respect to the rest of us. I`ve had neighbours asking about the bike, where I cycle, distances etc. They seem really interested and a few have said they want to take it up but for a lack of bikes for sale!
I understand the USA have a great love of cars, fossil fuels and a love of all things V8 I don`t know whether that has anything to do with attitudes towards these new fangled, non petrol guzzling, self propelled juggernauts flying down the street!
There will, I fear, always be one or two idiots who believe they own the road and that it isn`t for the likes of us!

 

[lazybloke]

No, I don't find that most people hate cyclists. It's generally not hate I experience, it's more like I'm the pantomime villain. I do believe the media portray cyclists in a toxic manner, which contributes to a general malaise on the roads which includes impatience and a lack of courtesy.

Perhaps the recently discussed alterations to the Highway Code will be of help, although to be completely honest I didn't look much further than the headlines so I can hardly expect drivers to be aware of the updates.

For safer roads I'd say there needs to be more enforcement of the rules/law, and an extensive & long-term public information campaign on TV and radio.

 

[presta]

In my experience, there's a big difference between big cities and smaller towns and rural areas. I explained why once, but as it was deleted I CBA with typing it all again.

 

[All uphill]

When I am occasionally forced to get off the bike and into the driving seat of a car I realise that the minority of unpleasant drivers hate other cars as much as cyclists. That still leaves me vulnerable on my bike, but at least I know it's not personal!

Seems to me that the only answers are more cyclists and better infrastructure.

I support a local walking and cycling campaign and recommend it!

 

[kayakerles]

I think society looks down on cyclists as failures and therefore easy pickings. It is wrong of course, but the mindset of the Anglosphere is that you're supposed to "upgrade" to a car as soon as you have the means to as a sign of success and status. Why else would anybody want to learn to drive, so they can sit in obedience, in a traffic jam behind lights. This would explain their holier than thou attitudes in complete ignorance of the facts of motoring and the abuse handed down to other road users, be it horses, bicycle and even small cars...

Younger people in the US seem to be shifting towards seeing automobiles as an inconvenience rather than a status symbol. Hopefully that mindset will spread.

 

[Arjimlad]

There are a lot of loudmouths on social media, don't let their stupidity colour your perception of the general public on the whole. 99% of people are careful around other people on bikes.

 

[IaninSheffield]

No, I don't think that in the UK cyclists are generally hated. By a small but not insignificant section of motorists perhaps, but not widely.

As for your concerns as a new cyclist in Fremont, I guess you'll already have checked out what your local government's policy is regarding cycling?
https://www.fremont.gov/534/Bicycle-and-Pedestrian-Program
There's some Resources on there and a link to some local community and advocacy groups - might be worth checking out for a more friendly reception than the Nextdoor chat group? Perhaps better to leave cycling out of those online discussions ... at least for the moment?

 

[GuyBoden]

And I believe, that things are getting better each day, as the years go by, so don't be downhearted now, because I believe, that things are getting better each day.............

 

[Cycleops]

As cycling has become more high profile in the U.K. cycling has become more popular and less perceived as a poor persons pastime. Motorists are now required to give you a 2m (I think) margin when passing. This together with cycle lanes has created hostility towards us. Unfortunately there’s always going to be the make them wear helmets, have registration plates, insurance etc brigade but things aren’t too bad.
I'd be terrified to cycle in the US not due to the heavy traffic but because nearly everyone seems to carry a gun. What if a motorist takes exception to you