Sexism and fat shaming

[bianchi1]

Well I tend to believe the blogger and I say that as a former professional cynic.

The blogs been shared 2000+ times on Facebook and 500+ times on Twitter. Her blogs normally go relatively unnoticed. This all a week after a jogger has become a minor web based celeb after being called fat by a van driver...I remain sceptical.

In over 150000 miles of cycling (and I'm fat, slow, bald and wear glasses) no cyclist has ever abused me...let alone 3 in one day!

 

[vickster]

Are you a woman though?

 

[bianchi1]

Are you a woman though?

No, but my daughter is and she can confirm that no cyclist has ever said anything disparaging to her either.

Males and females, young boys and girls have always had quite specific taunts aimed at them that ruin lives, stop participation in sport etc. With women and girls it's often body size, while men and boys it tends to focus on genital size strangely. But you would never equate the size of a mans penis with his worth...would you?

 

[double0jedi]

I had someone shout something at me, I started a thread about it on this very forum, and I received nothing but support from every one. Thank you.
At the time I was incensed, very angry and I have to be honest hurt. I've always struggled with my weight, and someone attacking that weak point really pissed me off. The worst thing was, he was gone before I could respond properly, by the time I realised something had been said he was gone.
Looking back I feel a bit stupid, guy was just a dick. I would bet every penny I have if I ever got to confront him he would be meek as a kitten. Just a dick shooting his mouth.
Why wouldn't cycling have its portion of dicks?
I mean with it being so popular, the law of averages says a percentage the community are going to be dickish.

 

[vickster]

No, but my daughter is and she can confirm that no cyclist has ever said anything disparaging to her either.

Males and females, young boys and girls have always had quite specific taunts aimed at them that ruin lives, stop participation in sport etc. With women and girls it's often body size, while men and boys it tends to focus on genital size strangely. But you would never equate the size of a mans penis with his worth...would you?

These weren't teenagers though, nor were the four peanuts who recently hurled a barrage of abuse at me several times from a taxi recently while in traffic. I'm. Just glad the driver looked suitably embarrassed, I expect he was glad to get rid of them

Their big mouths were evidently making up for some deficiency, be it penis size or lack of intelligence

 

[double0jedi]

Why is penis size always cited as a cause for some one being a dick? Are all well endowed men "upstanding " ( scuse da pun) citizens? Maybe it's related to brain size?
:-))

 

[bianchi1]

These weren't teenagers though, nor were the four peanuts who recently hurled a barrage of abuse at me several times from a taxi recently while in traffic. I'm. Just glad the driver looked suitably embarrassed, I expect he was glad to get rid of them

Their big mouths were evidently making up for some deficiency, be it penis size or lack of intelligence

Being shouted at by car passengers, drivers, pedestrians etc is a weekly event, but the blogger was picked on (apparently) by 3 other cyclists...on one ride. I'm just not buying it I'm afraid.

Also I'm interested...at what size does a penis become sufficient as opposed to deficient?

 

[totallyfixed]

I only wish we had been with her at the time, first dr_pink could have "chicked" them going up the hill, then I could have "explained" the serious error they had just made.
There are an increasing amount of nobs out on road bikes these days, my impression is that they are generally newbies who think because they have all the gear it gives some kind of power to say and do what they like. I would be very surprised if a club cyclist ever behaved in this way and if they did it would be easy to report them.

 

[Crandoggler]

Being shouted at by car passengers, drivers, pedestrians etc is a weekly event, but the blogger was picked on (apparently) by 3 other cyclists...on one ride. I'm just not buying it I'm afraid.

Also I'm interested...at what size does a penis become sufficient as opposed to deficient?

If you have to ask, you already know!

 

[buggi]

When I'm doing cycle/driver training at work, one of the things we talk about is the small minority of drivers and cyclists who are complete knob heads. I tell them that it is not the mode of transport that defines their personality, if they are a knob in the car, they are a knob on the bike and vice versa, and a knob in life in general... and they should be judged as such individually and not be allowed to cloud your judgement of the next cyclist and driver that you come across.

This is a clear case of two such knobs who just happened to be riding a bike. They are probably the kind of people who upload their ex girlfriends images to revenge porn sites to regain a feeling of control after being dumped bcoz their girlfriend realised they were a knobhead.

Coming on this site restores my faith in men when I hear the way the majority of you talk about women. Most of you have a level of respect that is rarely seen these days.

 

[Scotchlovingcylist]

Theres a guy I see regularly who overtakes me in a morning, his bike looks ridiculously expensive and he looks about 9 stone wet through. I on the other hand am 18 stone and carry a rucksack and ride an entry level bike. He always stares at me as he passes far too close with a really smug look on his face as if to say haha. Yeah right mate great achievement your faster than the heavy lad.
Some people take their hobby way to seriously.

 

[BigCoops]

As a somewhat rotund hector, I ride for myself, in a state of zen. Other people, whether motorists or those providing 'negative encouragement' very rarely pierce my bubble.

A lion cares not for the opinion of sheep. It really is that simple. If someone else wishes to use me to cover their own shortcomings, crack on, a few barely intelligible words make zero difference to me.

Besides which, there are advantages to being a little on the 'heavy' side of life.

I bounce better and I'm far, far harder to kidnap.

 

[swansonj]

sorry but what utter tosh...

I'd be happy to have a rational debate about this if you wanted, but I'm afraid you might have to expand on the reasons why you disagree with me beyond just "tosh".

In the meantime:

I agree. I reckon the detachment brought about by closing yourself off from the outside world has an effect. It may be greater in some than others but it is not nothing.

already starts to expand on one of the points I was making.

 

[Spinney]

The comments about not believing that three people (in two incidents) insulted her on the same ride - maybe it was the double whammy that made her write the blog article?

And if the media/magazines/'beauty'/fashion industry didn't make such a thing about women being thin/skinny then maybe being 'fat' wouldn't be something that some people choose to use as an insult.

I do occasionally have a mental 'tut tut' at very overweight people (although I would not dream of saying anything to them or about them) - but these are the ones who are unhealthily and grossly overweight and who are sitting stuffing their faces with burgers, chips, cakes etc (and are obviously not refuelling after exercise).

 

[EltonFrog]

That blog story is shocking, if it's true then the behavior of those cyclists is abhorrent, and if they ever get to read the feedback that is on social media about this story I hope they are ashamed of themselves. Apart from attention seeking I can't think why the blogger would want to write such a story if untrue, so I'm inclined to believe it.

Yet, I find the story incredible too, my wife has ridden ten thousand miles in the last three years, mostly on her own, and has never ever reported any verbal abuse. I have never experienced verbal abuse either and I'm no lightweight. Dangerous and inconsiderate driving on nearly every ride, but never abuse.