Melanie Phillips article in today's Daily Mail

[Drago]

Who cares what they think of us anyway?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Who cares what they think of us anyway?

I do for one. Because orthopraxy (right doing) seems, on our roads, to follow from orthodoxy (right thinking). A pretensious way of saying if they thought better of us they might treat us better.

Foolish I know, given I was cut up grievously last month by a 4WD with two high spec full boingers on the tailgate rack.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I do not see motorists now as being scared. And I do not imagine they think that cyclists are right... As you said at the beginning of your post, things haven't changed significantly since the 80s.

.

I think the scardiness of the drivers is subconcious and it's because they realise that their precious comfortable urban box is in the twilight of its existance and they too, one by one, will have to face-up to joining us or suffer overcrowded public transport. They hate our freedom, our determination, our efficiency at getting from A to B whilst they languish in fumes. They detest the very fact that the commute they hate is our temporary playground, our reason for getting out of bed. It hurts their ego that even in the worst of weathers they cannot sit smugly in their temperature controlled leather-seated lovliness because we glide on by with manic grins on our faces. Our journeys are not distorted by weather, or incident, the cyclist always gets through, on time and smiling come hell or waters high. But what scares the driver most is envy, he cannot allow his poor choices to be mocked by those whose choices he considers inferior to his own .... but who outclass him in every way.
Every cyclist that passes a driver is another small knife in the drivers heart ... to die by a death of a thousand cuts is a scary enough thought.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I think the scardiness of the drivers is subconcious and... (edited as it's the post above this) to die by a death of a thousand cuts is a scary enough thought.

Blimey... I have to say that as a very enthusiastic cyclist and car commuter for many years when cycling was not a viable option, I do not recognise this driver you describe.

Not in myself, not in friends and former colleagues... Not by perception in the drivers I encountered as both a cyclist and a motorist.

He or she may be out there, but not on my radar.

 

[Glow worm]

He or she may be out there, but not on my radar.

They're on mine for sure - every day - and FF has hit the nail on the head with that post.

 

[Licramite]

I love these know it all god like journalist's, who the hell is she, you could add her life up on postage stamp. - half of em are only 12 years old and have done nothing in there entire lives.
they write their rightouse little articles on a newspaper that is barely good enough to wipe your arse with.

having read it , all I can say is I value her opinion - just not very much thats all.

 

[slowmotion]

Fab Foodie Your post #24 was simply brilliant......"They detest the very fact that the commute they hate is our temporary playground, our reason for getting out of bed."
Just wonderful. Thank you.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Fab Foodie Your post #24 was simply brilliant......"They detest the very fact that the commute they hate is our temporary playground, our reason for getting out of bed."
Just wonderful. Thank you.

Yes, I click-liked the post but I agree it was an excellent contribution!

 

[slowmotion]

Yes, I click-liked the post but I agree it was an excellent contribution!

I thought that the choice of the word "playground" was inspired!

 

[Fab Foodie]

It's nice to wax lyrical once in a while ... shove that up yer arse Mel P!

 

[Fab Foodie]

I thought that the choice of the word "playground" was inspired!

But it is! I always felt when cycling in London, that it's a giant cyclist playground. It's why I prefer urban cycling to Rural cycling. The bicycle was made for the city.

 

[slowmotion]

I know.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I know.

I guessed