Why do so many people hate cyclists?

[Cycling Dan]

"Haha you're a self-gratification artist" tends to be my typical response

 

[Dmcd33]

No they're not. The latter is not an issue at all, and the former is a minor issue blown out of all proportion for political reasons.

The two abrest thins I agree is minor and we have every right to be there. The red light jumping is a predominantly central London issue i think?

 

[Peter Armstrong]

I just hate all road users

 

[theclaud]

The two abrest thins I agree is minor and we have every right to be there. The red light jumping is a predominantly central London issue i think?

Companionable cycling is not an issue, minor or otherwise. It is to be positively encouraged. Red-light jumping by cyclists is a minor issue in terms of road safety - it is only a regarded as major issue because of the way cyclists are viewed and resented.

 

[steve52]

wow!!!!! some people hate cyclists? well i never,hope i dont meet one.

 

[vickster]

I just hate all road users

Including cyclists?

 

[Peter Armstrong]

Including cyclists?

Yeah!

 

[Spinney]

Almost fell out with my sister once, even though she cycles herself. We were driving along an A-road, with a cycle path to one side beyond a wide grassy verge. A-road only one lane each way. Cycle path about a foot wide, with grass encroaching. I said I'd be cycling on the road, as I couldn't go fast enough on the cycle path and there was no room to overtake peds or other cyclists (or to pass anyone coming the other way). She seemed to think that drivers' ability/need to travel at the speed they wanted to outweighed the right of a cyclist to use the road (how inconsiderate it was of me to make all those car drivers have to overtake me....)

And like I said, she's a cyclist herself...

 

[Melonfish]

i think we should just hate all road users equally, its the only way to be fair.

i always thought a fair world would be really, really horrid tho.
people keep complaining about things not being fair, i guess we'll just have to give it a go.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

A chap at our church is an 'anti' and seems to always want to come and find us for a rant. I have pointed out that road tax does not exist and that the car is not the be all and end all of life. He calls cyclists 'cockroaches' and says that its his mission to do close passes and scare cyclists off the road. I suggested that was not a terribly Christian attitude and had he not got to the bits in the bible that talk about tolerance.

He has nearly had us off a couple of times when leaving church. His rants though can be heard clear across the coffee room.

tape a glass scribe to the end of your bars, give the dangerous imbecile a copy of the highway code with safe passing highlighted and if he gets close enough after that its his lookout.

or more sensibly work on his wife, explain how bad he is and how frightened his driving has made you feel, show her media pics of crushed bikes as to what he could be responsible for and lay it on with a trowel what a boorish unchristian embarrassment he is making of both of them. He sounds like a total a'hole.

people have stopped having this sort of conversation with me at work for some reason.

 

[Profpointy]

tape a glass scribe to the end of your bars, give the dangerous imbecile a copy of the highway code with safe passing highlighted and if he gets close enough after that its his lookout.

or more sensibly work on his wife, explain how bad he is and how frightened his driving has made you feel, show her media pics of crushed bikes as to what he could be responsible for and lay it on with a trowel what a boorish unchristian embarrassment he is making of both of them. He sounds like a total a'hole.

people have stopped having this sort of conversation with me at work for some reason.

You could patiently explain to him that he should not generalise cyclists' behaviour, after all, you don't generalise that all Christians are spitefull murderous hypocrites like him.

 

[Glow worm]

A chap at our church is an 'anti' and seems to always want to come and find us for a rant. I have pointed out that road tax does not exist and that the car is not the be all and end all of life. He calls cyclists 'cockroaches' and says that its his mission to do close passes and scare cyclists off the road.

Blimey - good to see Church goers practising such tolerance and understanding !

I reckon he, and other 'cyclist haters' are simply jealous. This was touched on in another thread the other day - I reckon it's a freedom thing. They see us buzzing about the place, smiles on our faces, unregulated and free, lither, fitter, and always better looking of course - while they waddle back to their precious w*nkpanzers that they can barely afford, (but had to buy because next door just got one) and spend half an hour seething in traffic jams for the half mile drive home.

 

[snorri]

They see us buzzing about the place, smiles on our faces, .

Hey! Easy boy, there are some serious cyclists on CC you know.

 

[Scoosh]

Some useful responses here - from someone who really has 'been there, done that' !

 

[pauldavid]

Tolerance is a virtue, but you can be too tolerant for your own good. This guy needs to be reported to the police before he kills someone, it could be you.

Alternatively, kick his mirror off as he performs his close pass. I would imagine he'll feel more inclined to give you room when close passing costs him significant money.