tbh even when I’m driving I get plenty of harassment, I just don’t get so scared about it.
A lot of people are scared about the future at the moment (globalisation, rise of China etc could mean we’re a poorer and less significant country than we used to be) and sitting protected in a metal box makes you feel safe and therefore very easy to behave like a bully to try and make yourself feel better.
Plus the driving experience is pretty crap in the UK – congestion all the time, lots of lights, few fast straight roads… so people get stressed and then just take it out someone else.
Cyclists are just today’s minority to take it out on.
Interestingly all the arguments given out for hating cyclists fail to stack up against the evidence and facts:
Road Tax
Roads made for cars
RLJ
2 abreast
Primary position etc
which just tells you that hatred of cyclists is just an excuse to bully a minority group.
Without invoking Godwins Law, Hitler managed to get a whole country to hate a minority group when times were hard… it’s much the same, just on a smaller scale and not quite as extreme…
Meanwhile, I enjoyed my (nearly) hassle-free ride today by going mountain biking instead of road. It was bliss 😀