I like to think you’re right that we could do something, but tbh, similar anti-prejudice campaigns that have seen success (sexual and racial equality spring to mind) haven’t come about from the ‘victims’ changing their behaviour.
AFAIK the change has come from a multi-faceted and sustained approach – from government legislating, enforcing the legislation and general pressure on changing cultural and societal norms. It’s taken decades too…
I’m like Bails – I ride 100% legally but still get harrassed and close to being hospitalised. I get harrassed when I drive too – there’s nothing rational we can tackle here, it’s hatred and anger based on a selfish sense of entitlement and jealousy because driving these days is such a frustrating experience.
Even if every person on a bike was a paragon of virtue with regard to cycling legally, with helmet, high vis and lights, we’d still be on the receiving end of vitriol…
If the anti-cyclist brigade were rational, you wouldn’t get silly little girls boasting to the whole wide world that they’d come close to killing someone… this has got to be one of the biggest social media facepalms for a long time 😯