[Closed] Why do they hate us??

I have no useful contribution to make!

I give it three pages.

Anyway, coffee, anyone?

Because it makes them feel superior to do so. Nothing else.

Basically there are lots of dicks about and some of them own cars and some of them own bikes and some of them have access to the internet

everyone hates something. i tend to not worry about haters, or even dislikers.
and i used to be the worst kind of hater. no any more. 😀

Mainly because the Internet is full of twunts.

Look at YouTube comments (for anything) and you will never need to wonder about this sort of thing again.

I think I need to block that site from my PC I will only upset myself, read a dozen, already depressed 🙁

everyone hates something

Unfortunately, the world is populated by a worryingly large percentage of people who, at best, can only be described as utter and complete ****s!!!

Just avoid them as best you can

I think that guy needs to find something useful to do with his life rather than worrying that a few people on twitter dislike cyclists.

I can't imagine hating anyone enough that I'd think it was [i]funny[/i] to risk killing them with my car:

Driving close & fast past cyclist causes them to wobble 🙂 if they're cycling side by side (lane hogging) they both wobble. What fun!

Just elbowed an elderly cyclist into a wet hedge.

Wonder how many cyclist poop them self this morning after I nearly knocked them off hahaahaha

graham I think a lot of those are idiots who can't see the consequences of their actions, they see falling off/getting knocked off as an inconvenience (for the cyclist) not the KSI possibilities. Which is still dangerous but is (massive) ignorance rather than homicidal tendencies

...possibly

I don't know. It's not as simple as saying that they're all just idiots. It's an acceptable form of hatred for some. I know a few otherwise reasonable people who turn into utter hate-filled ****s when the subject of cyclists is raised (usually by them). They don't batter on about all the shit driving they doubtless see all the time, but should they see someone on two wheels commit some minor indiscretion then by god they're going to twist your ear off about it for days.

I've just taken to avoiding these people as far as possible, I don't have time or energy enough to deal with them appropriately. And I'm not sure where I'd hide the bodies...

I think that guy needs to find something useful to do with his life rather than worrying that a few people on twitter dislike cyclists.

I think it is a pretty useful approach: people are challenged and held to account for their public tweets, in front of their friends and family. Some of them are reminded that "cyclists" are people too, some even apologise.

It's also a pretty good barometer for public feeling: e.g. lots of them are complaining about cyclists taking primary position, which shows more education is needed there.

these people feel emboldened by relative anonymity and are also encouraged by clarkson type rants. I would hope that some would be done for incitement, because we know that some do kill--

Rob Gregory?@FJR_ROB

****ing cyclists!!!!!!!!!

This guy has a poppy and least we forget as his avatar.

anyways, from what we have seen in the news about people "hate" tweeting anyone fancy making a police complaint?

My last visit to the barbers was interesting. Me sat in a chair with shop owner cutting my hair. Some bloke in the next chair, one of the girls cutting his hair:

Bloke: Bloody cyclists are a menace, I saw one riding on the road today!
Me: Eyebrows raised
Bloke: They're always in the way. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to hurt one but if they insist on riding out from the kerb I'm bound to come by close.
Girl: Yeah, I usually just run them off the road, blimmin nuisance, titter titter.
Shop owner: There should be a rule against them using the road, it's not like they pay road tax
Me: Trying hard not to laugh at their stupidity and then rant long and hard.
Bloke: It's quite good fun to see how close you can get to them.
Girl: Yeah, titter, and run them off the road.
Bloke: There's always some idiot in a car that insists on waiting for ages to pass them too. I'm like, what's your problem mate, just squeeze by, they'll be fine.

At which point I can take no more and point out that I'm a cyclist, commute over 100 miles a week, and find myself in dangerous situations at least once a day because of people like him. I regale them with hilarious tales of almost being run off the road by impatient morons who insist on trying to squeeze by because some other considerate soul 'took too long to pass' only to find themselves with the uncomfortable (but quite easy) choice of (in order of preference) a) run the cyclist onto the grass verge, b) hit the approaching traffic head on, or c) hit the brakes and admit their stupidity.

Queue tumbleweeds and a very prompt haircut.

It gives meaning to thier pointless little lives, hating someone percieved as a lower status than themselves.
If we had a charismatic hatefilled political leader, handing uniforms out to members, they'd be first in line.

I know a few otherwise reasonable people who turn into utter hate-filled **** when the subject of cyclists is raised (usually by them).

Indeed. And some otherwise reasonable people turn into twunts when they get behind the wheel of a car.

They're probably nice people really, just misunderstood.

Does anyone else remember that bit from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back where they get a list of people who made derogatory comments on the internet and, erm, pay them a visit?

e.g. lots of them are complaining about cyclists taking primary position, which shows more education is needed there.

Indeed. The sooner that cyclists get educated that pootling down the middle of a road at 5mph is not a wise course the better 😀

I like that there are several people responding to a lot of them too

http://bamboobadger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/thinking-out-loud-are-cyclists-new.html

Surprised how many "hate tweeters"are women.

I like that there are several people responding to a lot of them too

If I could be arsed signing up to ****ter I would too.

The sooner that cyclists get educated that pootling down the middle of a road at 5mph is not a wise course the better

Like this poor guy:
[img] ?t=FQQVBBhMaHR0cDovL2Rpc3RpbGxlcnlpbWFnZTkuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9mYjlhNWExNjIxZTQxMWUyOGQwNjIyMDAwYTFjMDc1Zl83LmpwZxQCFgASAA&s=54Jnhh1yFkY8XPGwcU7W56zoEs0QEB4UDozz6p6KNs4[/img]
https://twitter.com/CharlieeSimpson/status/262952828966932480

No idea what exactly he is doing so wrong that the driver thought he'd get his phone out and take a photo rather than, say, concentrate on driving!

He should get right into the car door death zone - surely everyone likes a bit of russian Roulette

Drac - Moderator
They're probably nice people really, just misunderstood.

😆

That photo is taking from the left side of the car though. Not sure why he's angry though.

It's because cyclists are a minority, and the minority always becomes a convenient scapegoat for the fears and insecurities of the majority, giving them a common opponent against whom they can identify (see also Black people, immigrants, travellers, etc, etc)
Get more people cycling, and that prejudice disappears, because cyclists are no longer "the other" (seeThe Netherlands )

http://bamboobadger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/thinking-out-loud-are-cyclists-new.html

Yeah I like Ian Walker a lot. He has written a lot of good stuff about [url= http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/archive_home.cfm?volumeID=25&editionID=217&ArticleID=2136 ]the psychology of treating cyclists as an "out group"[/url]

As a bit of a side issue: I don't bother with Twitter myself, but has anyone on there ever tweeted anything that isn't utterly moronic?

Its not just the bile-filled crap spewing forth on there. It just seems that its a platform for brainless self-obsessed narcissists, with premiership footballers being a prime example, to talk complete shite, and normally get themselves in all manner of trouble while doing so.

Mintimperial the new body disposal technique is to dissolve the bodies and flush down the drains. It's an alternative to cremation.

(Not that I've given this any thought, oh no!)

That photo is taking from the left side of the car though.

Could be - though that presumably means he is driving along the hatchings straight at the traffic island while he takes a photo with his left hand 😕

Could be - though that presumably means he is driving along the hatchings straight at the traffic island while he takes a photo with his left hand

Or he was the passenger.

I just took a look at that link and three things struck me:

1) Most of the remarks appear to be flippant and/or typical of the kind of ignorance that comes from last riding a bike aged 10.
2) Those that aren't flippant are made by the sort of people that wouldn't dare say anything to your face, but would equally not have the slightest clue about the consequences of their actions behind the wheel.
3) Twitter is a bit weird.

As a bit of a side issue: I don't bother with Twitter myself, but has anyone on there ever tweeted anything that isn't utterly moronic?

Its not just the bile-filled crap spewing forth on there. It just seems that its a platform for brainless self-obsessed narcissists, with premiership footballers being a prime example, to talk complete shite, and normally get themselves in all manner of trouble while doing so.

but has anyone on there ever tweeted anything that isn't utterly moronic?

I find the internet just allows some folk to let thier inner self out

Saddly their inner self is a despicable hate filled cretin who should rightly be oppressed by the rules and norms of society.
Or they are so dull in real lif ethey just crave attention

Or he was the passenger.

That's a doubt I'm not prepared to give him the benefit of. 😀

http://bamboobadger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/thinking-out-loud-are-cyclists-new.html

So a person doesn't really notice 25 cyclists stopping at a red light and 50 riding on the road, but spots the one who cuts the light and the one who rides on the pavement because these are what they expect to see.

It'll always be an issue; no matter what cyclists do. The thing I find most effective to alleviate the problem is to either "flip the bird" and shout abuse, or motion the international sign language for "w****r" and wait for the come back. Guess what, most of the time they drive off, because they know they have done wrong.

I relish the day they do stop though and my retort is quick and effective:

"I've noted your registration number down and I will be reporting you to the police for dangerous driving".

If however the driver is built like a brick s**t house, I'll bunny hop onto the pavement and peg it in the other direction.

binners +1

They're mostly kids, probably just passed their test and trying to distance themselves from the kids in the "year below" (and themselves of a year ago) that are still riding round on pushbikes.

They're not going to understand the point of view of the grown up men that are worrying about the shite they're spouting.

They're mostly kids, probably just passed their test and trying to distance themselves from the kids in the "year below"

Some are. The scary ones are older with more detailed reasons for hating us. This bloke even seems to have got in a tussle with Terrahawk (formerly of this parish).

https://twitter.com/Jimmy__Jacobs

They're mostly kids, probably just passed their test and trying to distance themselves from the kids in the "year below" (and themselves of a year ago) that are still riding round on pushbikes.

The number that get injured on the roads riding them is staggering. The ones who survive then go on to think they're driving gods, trying to ruin their parent's no-claims for them.

Ooh, look at that, my first STW double post.

Its not just the bile-filled crap spewing forth on there. It just seems that its a platform for brainless self-obsessed narcissists, with premiership footballers being a prime example, to talk complete shite, and normally get themselves in all manner of trouble while doing so.

Its like the rest of the internet. You find what you are looking for.

As a bit of a side issue: I don't bother with Twitter myself, but has anyone on there ever tweeted anything that isn't utterly moronic?

Yes.

That's a very succinct answer Jamie. I note you've also resisted the temptation to point out that's its probably all my fault

[b]What have you done with the real Jamie, you monster?!![/b]

😉

GrahamS

You could well be right, but I don't want to spend my life worrying about stuff that probably won't happen.

Besides, that guy seemed mostly annoyed at RLJers and abusive cyclists, both of which I can understand.

Edit: and cyclists getting shirty with him on twitter isn't exactly going to help.

lol at STW regulars pouring scorn on the brainlessness and bile on Twitter.

It's just easy to type shit.
I hate Audi drivers. Next time I see one I'm going to throw a petrol bomb in their window.
See? Meaningless drivel, just like all those Twitter posts.

Terrahawk (formerly of this parish).

Or not so [i]formerly[/i] it would seem 😀

lol at STW regulars pouring scorn on the brainlessness and bile on Twitter

I reckon a majority of people posting on there are trying to big themselves up. Outside of the virtual world, they wouldn't say boo to a goose.

What is terrifying is how young so many of them are- a lot of them look like they're still on provisional licenses!
It's the kind of attitudes you expect from pensioners and middle-aged ****s in BMWs. Scary that it's so aggressive from people so young.

lol at STW regulars pouring scorn on the brainlessness and bile on Twitter

STW regulars pour scorn on the brainlessness and bile on STW too though. It's standard operating procedure

We're a tiny minority, so people who post these things may quite possibly not know anyone who cycles.

We're an out-group, regularly vilified in the mainstream media, so any observations of cyclists breaking road rules are immediately seized upon as confirmation of that image.

The stereotype of cyclists is that we're poor and ineffectual, and some people feel much happier raining hate on targets that they perceive to be powerless.

The other stereotype of cyclists is that we're a source of havoc in urban environments, kind of like a deadlier and less detectable version of the Batmobile

There's massive cognitive dissonance between the way cars are advertised and the realities of driving in urban areas.

There's widespread misunderstanding, promoted by the use of misnomers like "road tax", about cyclists' rights to use the road and our role in paying for their upkeep.

We live in a society where ranting about innocuous targets is seen as a valid, unquestioned form of entertainment.

STW regulars pour scorn on the brainlessness and bile on STW too though. It's standard operating procedure

See what I did there 😉

The stereotype of cyclists is that we're poor and ineffectual, and some people feel much happier raining hate on targets that they perceive to be powerless.

Yeah, as Ian Walker says, we are a minority outgroup that is [i]"engaging in an activity that is deemed slightly inappropriate in a culture that views driving as normative and desirable and, arguably, views cycling as anti- conventional and possibly even infantile."[/i]

That fits well with some of the insults hurled on twitter there: #growup #getacar etc

I had a conversation with a guy in YouTube who suggested cyclists should "put some trousers on" and buy a car, and that [i]"there are too many poor people riding around on pushbikes who can't afford a car... The government should give them a grant so they can buy cars and salvidge some manly pride."[/i]

There it is again. The premise that driving a car is "manly" and cycling is for children or the poor. 🙄

These people seem genuinely astonished when you tell them that you have a perfectly good car sat at home and yes, you earn a perfectly good wage thanks.

Seen the latest one?

My [b]driving instructor[/b] calls cyclists "Pedal pests" Lol.

Jeebus.

You sent that picture of you in your bibs then 😀

Binners, I give you https://twitter.com/tinytwinks/status/245266008888205312

Y'know JY, I think that might have sent him over the edge 😀

mragreeable (and tinytwinks) have saved my day 🙂

Graham, it's definitely a recurring theme, isn't it. Reminds me of this old (and very amusing) bit of American proto-Clarksonia:

We are a nation that worships speed and power. And for good reason. Without power we would still be part of England and everybody would be out of work. And if it weren't for speed, it would take us all months to fly to L.A., get involved in the movie business, and become rich and famous.

Bicycles are too slow and impuissant for a country like ours. They belong in Czechoslovakia.

http://www.bikereader.com/contributors/misc/menace.html

Hard to be angry at someone that can use "impuissant" correctly in an insult! 😀

There some truth in the above comments "outgroups" etc.

But I think the reality is much simpler. Its just simple jealousy

Motorists believe - rightly or wrongly that they pay a fortune to drive and in a society geared towards personal transport driving and owning a car are seen as rights rather than privileges

So when you are stuck in your traffic jam burning expensive fuel and going nowhere and a cyclist sails past you get jealous that their choices have proven to be better than your own.

http://www.bikereader.com/contributors/misc/menace.html

Except that's PJ O'Rourke and he's a satirist. He also wrote articles about:

Decorating for bachelors:

Decorating With Alcohol: (1) Start with an empty room and take a big drink. (2) See, it looks better already. Take another drink. (3) Drink a bunch more. (4) Hey, this place looks great, dammit! Know what I mean? This is a great-looking place. Looks great.

and and article called

[i]How to Drive Fast on Drugs While Getting Your Wing-Wang Squeezed and Not Spill Your Drink[/i]

So maybe don't take him seriously. Unlike Clarkson who you should take a little seriously because idiots think he believes what he writes.

How to Drive Fast on Drugs While Getting Your Wing-Wang Squeezed and Not Spill Your Drink

Link please? 😉

http://bit.ly/Q4dNUh

😉

Atlaz, yeah I know the rest of his work too. "The Batchelor Home Companion" is a fave. It's very well-written humour but I don't think it's satire - he genuinely is a reactionary neo-Conservative type.

Edit: and whaddya know, here's one of his later works.

[img] [/img]

A nefarious group that O’Rourke identifies as “The Fun Suckers” have latched onto the automobile, turning it into “a public enemy, an outlaw they could persecute without compunction.” From pollution controls to safety features, from speed limits to DUI hysteria, this “Fun Sux Klan” has deprived generations of the essential freedom, fear and fun that O’Rourke most highly prizes in his automotive interactions.

So when you are stuck in your traffic jam burning expensive fuel and going nowhere and a cyclist sails past you get jealous that their choices have proven to be better than your own.

We're also more likely to be better educated, wealthier and healthier. It's no wonder they get upset, the poor lambs.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/mods-can-you-fix-the-new-page-glitch-please

the more I page down I get a warm feeling from the knowledge there are so many frustrated car drivers out there.

http://cyclingfront.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/congratulations-on-coming-out-as.html

8. Write letters to your local newspaper -or even become a reporter there! Regional newspapers only get read by a small number of people, but as most of them are ****ers over sixty that vote for the UKIP they'll like to read it.

😆

Why? A few reasons imo.

1) there's a number of tiny-minded morons with inferiority complexes around who like to publicly hate something to make themselves feel better about their own failings or insecurities. being part of a group of haters makes them feel valid. how many 'groups' can you abuse in public these days? not many really.

2) some people need cars as status and still haven't realised why they feel so angry / hopeless when driving many grand's worth of product that was wrapped up in status and 'experience' when bought but turns out to be hours of misery on slow-moving roads and becoming a government cash-cow. they seem to spend many hours behind the wheel raging against anything but the actual reason they're in that situation.

3) some people simply have not developed an ability to reason in their lives. they react from an infantile level rather than using learned or emotional intelligence.

4) there's a big chunk of internet-hardman BS in all this too. made-up tales of aggro like an online version of the friday night heroes recounting how they had a fight and were the new bruce lee etc.. see point 1 about inferiority complexes i guess.

excuse my amateur/crap psychology .. but that's how i see most of them.

friday night heroes recounting how they had a fight and were the new bruce lee etc

A mate of mine used to do this as well as talking about shagging girls in club toilets. Until I caught him coming out of a toilet with a bloke zipping up his fly. I view a lot of the internet "I'll run them all over" haters like that.

I view a lot of the internet "I'll run them all over" haters like that.

Like what? Homosexuals?

there's a big chunk of internet-hardman BS in all this too. made-up tales of aggro like an online version of the friday night heroes recounting how they had a fight and were the new bruce lee etc..

definately some of that. their are lot's of people who like to imagine they walk around kneecapping those who offend them in life; in reality they buzz a fee commuters on their morning commute! their twitter profile is not them and toting a gun.

[img] [/img]

Like what? Homosexuals?

No, like people who pretend they're one thing but do another. I don't think I consider people joking about killing cyclists as fabulous (or other stereotypical homosexual description of your choice)