"Those things are not safe"

[Smokin Joe]

Funny how people are only too willing to tell you that anything on two wheels is dangerous and you'd never catch them on one because their foreman's brother in law's butcher's third cousin was killed on a bike or motorbike. Yet no-one says they'd never get in a car because someone they knew was killed in one.

 

[ufkacbln]

It is one of the weird anomalies

A single distant relatives' injury or death is a reason why you should stop using a bike....... but insufficient reason to deal with the real issue of dangerous driving

 

[mjr]

It is one of the weird anomalies

A single distant relatives' injury or death is a reason why you should stop using a bike....... but insufficient reason to deal with the real issue of dangerous driving

and unless you are very careful, pointing out this inconsistency gets you labelled as anti-car and that's a bad thing and reason to ignore your points, apparently.

 

[PaulM]

I'm afraid I've had this quite a few times. There are the well-intentioned but often nervous drivers (who perhaps even care, though may be just anxious about passing you), the passive-aggressive drivers (resent you occupying their space) and the downright abusive (who seem to have a grudge). I've had all three. I like to say that I'll still be doing this in 30 years time, when in my 80s, long after they have died of heart disease and are buried in ground, from inactivity and/or stress.

 

[davidphilips]

strange how a motorist takes it for granted its ok to tell a cyclist whatever type of cycle they have how dangerous there cycling is (in his estimation) yet the same driver may not even think of approaching a smoker to tell them the real dangers of smoking or indeed going into a night club and tell everyone the real dangers of drinking?

 

[Smokin Joe]

strange how a motorist takes it for granted its ok to tell a cyclist whatever type of cycle they have how dangerous there cycling is (in his estimation) yet the same driver may not even think of approaching a smoker to tell them the real dangers of smoking or indeed going into a night club and tell everyone the real dangers of drinking?

Wanna feckin' bet?

 

[BlackPanther]

The most dangerous part (for others) is that drivers are distracted with you being so visible that they focus on you and not on the road ahead.

View: https://youtu.be/nn5sVcMWgL4

 

[tyred]

strange how a motorist takes it for granted its ok to tell a cyclist whatever type of cycle they have how dangerous there cycling is (in his estimation) yet the same driver may not even think of approaching a smoker to tell them the real dangers of smoking or indeed going into a night club and tell everyone the real dangers of drinking?

I had the "do you know they kill you" routine from many strangers when I smoked. I had similar when I switched to Ecigarettes (usually from smokers claiming it was healthier to smoke). I even once had someone tell me white bread is bad for me whilst sitting on a park bench eating a sandwich.

The polite, printable version of my reply is usually something along the lines of "My dearest sir/madam, I thank you greatly for your concerns for my well-being but I'll mind my own business, why don't you mind yours?

Some people seem to like telling other people what to do.

 

[byegad]

I had an older gent (I'm 65 and he was older than me.) stop his car on a bend on the brow of a hill and walk back to me grovelling up the hill* to tell me I wasn't safe on that thing. Rather than waste precious breath on him I just ignored him.


* I do a lot of this these days!