[Closed] Colleague hates cyclists

No just report him to the Police, sounds a weapon grade cock womble.

You are not alone, some of the things I hear said about cyclists at work shock me, they also know I cycle and are close colleagues.

There is without a doubt a huge anti cycling mentality amongst non cycling people in this office.

if he say 'barstool' to avoid saying arsehole then you've answered you own question

I wouldnt antagonise him.

how ever if he comes at you with his shite just point out that its his job on the line for attempted murder* - not yours if he does go near you with his car.....

*its motivated not accidental....

"Don’t argue with idiots because they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."

and he won't divert his course if a cyclist is in the way

You mean he's hit cyclists? I'd be reporting that...

Just wait for a works night out and drag him down an alley and bring out the Bombers!!!

To be honest i'd be winding him up constantly, just keep talking to him about how good you ride in was and about your weekend riding plans, and invite him out for a ride.

No just report him to the Police

What for, for gods sake? Officer - I'd like to report a vague, indirect sense of general animosity towards a group I nominally belong too, from a colleague at work?

Just ignore him. Its hardly difficult, is it? 🙄

Smash his teeth out with a hammer..

If that's not to your taste, constantly remind him how much fitter cyclists are than angry drivers, and how the lads down at your cyclng club have all been remarking on his wife's love of stamina

Confront him about it, GoPro the confrontation, put the footage on YouTube and post a link on here.

I would take every opportunity to wind him up.

Indeed I'd go out of my way to wind him up on a regular basis.

I'm sure as a collective we could come up with some inventive ways.

[i]he won't divert his course if a cyclist is in the way.[/i]

So he regularly runs people down?

Report to the police? Yeh that'll go down well, 'officer there's a nice chap I know doesn't like people on bikes', er okay, thanks for that.

We have similar people in the office, ignore them, they like to rant about something. If it's not cyclists, its immigrants.

Do some warm down stretches in your lycra right next to him every time you ride in.

you've got to work with him not cycle with him.

he doesn't seem to have brought it up with you so why should you bring it up with him?

Perhaps in a parallel world he is posting on Pistonneads.com about how he is working with a guy who seems very friendly and quite a nice chap.

However, he has recently learnt that this fine gent has quite a well documented history of cycling.

[img] [/img]

Slat hoofage....

How about:

"Sorry I'm late, I got held up by loads of cars blocking the road"

"Had my health check yesterday - the cycling's doing me world of good."

"Have you seen the price of those mobile sofas?"

(depending on how "large" he is) "**** me! Have you seen the size of SUV drivers?"

Just carry on being normal to him if he's normal to you. If he starts spouting nonsense then pick him up on it and see if you can get him to at least consider his words and actions a little more carefully.

No point meeting dickishness with more dickishness.

All tax payers are funding the roads. In fact, you are probably paying more than your fair share if you are cycling instead of driving. I suggest you ask him politely to stop sponging off you, and present him with an invoice for a refund.

Engage him in regular conversation about how much fun cycling is, and all the benefits it offers.

Seriously, I used to ignore some of this stuff, but now I think you need to challenge these lazy prejudices if they come up.

I would take every opportunity to wind him up.

Indeed I'd go out of my way to wind him up on a regular basis.

This. Here a few suggestions to start with:

Cheerily walk past him in the mornings in your riding gear and tell him how nice you ride was.

Tell him how many cars you overtook on the way in.

How much you prefer cycling in the sunshine to being stuck in traffic.

Is he fat? Point this out.

Tell him how much weight you've lost from commuting on a bike.

Tell him how much money you save on fuel by cycling instead.

Point out that on average cyclist earn more money and live longer then non cyclists.

ads678 - Member

To be honest i'd be winding him up constantly, just keep talking to him about how good you ride in was and about your weekend riding plans, and invite him out for a ride.

I too would be doing this....

Just give him a warning in your best nutcase psycho voice that if he comes near you in his car then he'd better make sure he kills you... as you will stab him and rape his dog (or insert whatever nasty sounding threat you like)

Wait until his inevitable premature death, then tapdance on his grave in your cleated shoes.

If you could neutrally try and change his point of view it could be worth a try, but other wise it's best to be civil and mature and that kind of thing.

He may have other qualities which are more positive?

"Don’t argue with idiots because they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."

Pour ketchup all over you hands.When he asks why your hand are red just explain someone in a car cut you on your commute and said 'you don't pay road tax' so you belted seven shades of shidazzle out the ignorant arsehat.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately. The fact is there are a lot of people walking around who are complete c u next Tuesdays. Those people are like that about everything, whether it's cycing or North African refugees desperately fleeing persecution. Tell him what you think of him, remind him he's useless to humanity and never speak to him again.

[i]This. Here a few suggestions to start with:

Cheerily walk past him in the mornings in your riding gear and tell him how nice you ride was.

Tell him how many cars you overtook on the way in.

How much you prefer cycling in the sunshine to being stuck in traffic.

Is he fat? Point this out.

Tell him how much weight you've lost from commuting on a bike.

Tell him how much money you save on fuel by cycling instead.

Point out that on average cyclist earn more money and live longer then non cyclists. [/i]

Unless you're 12 years old then I would bother doing any of the above. Just be normal, if he starts a conversation about hating cyclists then challenge him on his reason. But just be a grown up about it.

[i]Tell him what you think of him, remind him he's useless to humanity and never speak to him again.[/i]

So like have a tantrum and go in the huff? Yep that'll teach him that cyclists are just normal folk.

yeah the wind-up sounds like it would be great fun. Hours of entertainment to relieve the tedium of the office. You are very lucky - I wish I had someone like that here.

Sod being grown up about it.

+ 1 with regard to winding him up.

You say he's otherwise a nice bloke, but I'd be very wary of that: He can't be that nice if he harbours irrational and aggressive hatred towards an innocent and diverse section of the population. Similar attitudes are referred to as racist, homophobic, sociopathic etc in other circumstances, and people rightly get into trouble for espousing them.

I also get this rubbish off contractors at work when they see my bike in the corner.
If he spouts off in front of you, ask him to quantify his hatred of cyclists.
Point by point.
Usually they are just acting hard, gobbing off or were bullied at school.
i also remind them that they'll never work on one of my sites again if i hear that rubbish again.
Usually quite sheepish after that.

How old are you OP..?

Your colleague sounds delightful, and TBH would probably a) love the chance to have a proper rant at you, and b) Nothing you say will change his mind anyway.

Ignore

Clearly cy-curious. You need to hang around his desk in your tightest lycra, maybe rubbing against him occasionally and talk lovingly about the Dutch Approach.

I am 35 nickc

Never argue with an idiot. The best possible outcome is you win against an idiot.

Whenever he spouts his shit he's probably hoping for a reaction, so just ignore him. That said, there's easy sport to be had from tying the the hard of thinking into logical knots. Best done in an emotionless, matter-of-fact manner.

I work with a guy like that, family on his wife's side are farmers yet he fails to see the irony/hypocrisy in the old 'being held up by' and 'don't pay road tax' arguments 😀

Just reread the original post, whats the point of giving the age of his car?

Treat him professionally and be friendly.
If the day comes when he is rude or an incident, then you react as professionally and firmly as you would with any other colleague being rude.

This.

Never argue with an idiot. The best possible outcome is you win against an idiot.

[i][edit] jamiep beat me to it![/i]

andyrm - Member
Treat him professionally and be friendly.
If the day comes when he is rude or an incident, then you react as professionally and firmly as you would with any other colleague being rude.
This.

+1.

There is no need to be friends with everyone at work, there is however a need (in most if not all workplaces) to be professional

[img] [/img]

My plumber seemed to rant about cyclists "getting in the way" and how his van would easily knock one down.
I had to give a little chortle when he was knocked off his bike 2 weeks ago...

DrP

As much as it may pain me to agree with Binners initial advice **shudders** (not the bombers)
Along with other posts, I'd also suggest you ignore the cycling related comments.
Obviously, seeing as you are working together, and as you've probably worked out already.
Find another topic for discussion and take a different route to and from work, to your colleague.

The world is awash with human asshats and we're still producing more of them. Notwithstanding the fact that bad people, do bad things, because they can.

Go figure. Yay!

Never argue with an idiot. The best possible outcome is you win against an idiot.

Quite. That doesn't preclude you laughing at them though.

A few of my "friends" hate cyclists and regularly try and get a bite from me. You'll never, ever win an irrational argument. Sounds more to me like your colleagues are baiting you to start an argument to be honest.

Find something he likes and hate that.

[i]I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.[/i]

George Bernard Shaw

Be super-nice to him. Help him out whenever you can, make sure he can see what a lovely, wonderful person you are. Don't rise to any cyclist baiting, let it slide. Be as perfect as you can around him. Then after a good long while, a few months at least, make sure he knows you're one of those dreaded 'cyclists' he hates so much.

Perhaps the stupid shite will begin to question his imbecilic views if he realises that 'cyclists' are in fact usually just normal, nice people who happen to be on a bicycle.

A bloke here (lovely sweet chap) just asked me if I cycle on road as well as off. When I said yes, he said I'd gone down in his estimation because some cyclists on the A31 doing a time trial are a bit reckless.

However I did point out the idiocy of this statement and he did relent. But still - pillock.

To the OP - don't be a dick to him, you'll just reinforce his idea that cyclists are dicks.

Well, it's hardly slanderous.

(-:

Hoof him in the slats, wee in his shoes and don't let him have any pudding

I think that's all of them that were left after bombers were posted.

guy at worked joked a few times that he'd run me down if he saw me....i joked that I'd do unspeakables to his wife if I ever saw her. he hasn't said it since.

LOL@..... Is he fat? Point this out.

in the cycle lane as he has paid tax for that section of road whereas cyclists don't (even though he [s]has been[/s] is stubbornly disinclined to be educated on what motorists pay road tax for, emmissions)

FTFY

A certain brand of entitled bigot is invested in ongoing ignorance. Education threatens their worldview/makes them look at the limp-argument/angry dick that is them.

I vote ignore the douchebaggery yet still smile sweetly. Or buy him a nice cake. Your choice.

Just be incredibly nice and civil to him, the rest of the staff will take note and you'll have the moral high ground.

'Buy him a nice cake' gets my vote, just make sure it's lovingly presented on a pretty napkin that you've wiped round your chamois first 😆

Very curious what is the base of his hatred?

Because as we ALL know ALL the cyclist are crystal-clear in using public roads and are always adhering to Highway Code 😕

Cheers!
I.

Not much productive you can do.

Challenges are likely to lead to an unpleasant workplace that would be deemed your fault. Ignore him til he over steps the line. Then escalate to internal management or the Police as appropriate.

Totally agree with Jamie about arguing with fools.

Very curious what is the base of his hatred?

Probably the same as me wishing to kill all motorists because a driver ran a red light one time.

First I would make sure that the people at work aren't just winding you up knowing that you cycle . If he really does "hate cyclists" I would just carry on as normal with him but be ready to attack his views if he ever expresses them in your company .

'Buy him a nice cake' gets my vote, just make sure it's lovingly presented on a pretty napkin that you've wiped round your chamois first

Mint and chocolate cake.

sign him up for all the cycling emails you can think of, fabricate an email from management saying cycling to work will get you a bonus each month.

I feel sorry for people who fall prey to their anger and ignorant prejudice, no-one like that is happy.
I would be super polite and professional and ignore the obvious provocation. I'd also be tempted to email him Binners' quote from George Bernard Shaw, but without any reference to anything else. He'll know what you're getting at but he'll say nothing as it means him admitting he's an angry idiot:-)

Meet his hatred with love and compassion.

And stick one of those 'cyclists, stay awesome' stickers on the back of his car and see how long he takes to notice.

If you want to unsettle him, do as my colleague did and turn up in your new fancy lycra shorts and spend five mins complaining that an Italian L is really and S while pointing to the pinching bits and stretching. Nearly put me off cycling.

And stick one of those 'cyclists, stay awesome' stickers on the back of his car and see how long he takes to notice

Awesome idea, but also on the back of his chair or monitor could be a good shout.

For what it's worth, it's probably mostly flannel on his part and thinks he's bigging himself up somehow. Some people are just weird like that.

If he doesn't effect you when out on the bike, why bother falling out with a work colleague over it? You say you get on with him so why rock the boat.

If he is out purposely trying to run cyclists down then you'll need proof. If h'e driving in cycle lanes, he'll be caught and fined.

Taking the piss or playing along with his view (only taking it to the extremes) would be my solution. Not talking or ignoring someone who seems a decent chappie just because they don't have the same hobbies as you is a bit odd. And what's with all the 'challenge his views' crap from some posters? Even if he does hate cyclists (which i doubt), he's completely allowed to. In fact, reading some of the nonsense on here, i'm starting to unlike cyclists myself.

When somebody was like that at a party I just looked them in the eye and asked how they would feel if they killed me? There is no connection between road users and humans.

Oh and you are not stuck in traffic you are traffic works well.

People who use the "cyclists don't pay road tax" are dumb as ****.

There are plenty of cars nowadays that pay no to little roadtax. (zero and low emmission emitting cars)

What's this guy going to do, ram those cars off the road because they pay no road tax?

Sounds like a proper bell end. I'd love to meet him to say hello.

Many of my friends (?) hate cyclists. Their reasons are largely irrational but the kind of stuff that gets said by cyclists (see previous pages) and the behaviour of a minority of them only fuels their irrational hatred.

Good start - behave as we would like them to behave, not the other way round

I've a couple of numpties at work who make a point of telling me every time a 'bloody cyclist' has held them up/overtaken them as if they expect me to be a spokesman for anyone that rides a bike. This is despite my responses generally being one word answers such as "and?" or "so?".

Yesterday's rant was because some b*tch overtook a long queue of cars leading up to some temporary traffic lights so was at the front and through them 3 changes before the Mokka driving twunt was able to. Or something.

Sad really, but it's generally best to simply ignore them.

Depends
If they are dangerous or they may listen to reason it might be worth engaging
otherwise it is pointless.

I used to largely take the piss

I got held up by this bloody cyclists
Reply: so the roads were clear of all other road users and no one else held you up then?
How many seconds longer was todays journey then?
Wow and yet here you are at work on time.

I should be able to use the cycle lanes in my car
Reply:I agree and that is why cyclists should use the pavement as rules are there to be ignored

ETC.

Sad really, but it's generally best to simply ignore them.

Or respond in such a way that they think twice about raising the subject in the future.

There's about as much point in challenging dicks like this as there is arguing with Youtube commenters.

Just ignore him and if he makes an anti-cycling comment to you personally, challenge him (to a fight in the car park, probably 😆 ). Although I'd just settle for calling someone an idiot.
A manager who left here a couple of years ago made a comment about cyclists getting in the way that I didn't challenge and it still bugs me to this day!

People who use the "cyclists don't pay road tax" are dumb as ****.

There are plenty of cars nowadays that pay no to little roadtax. (zero and low emmission emitting cars)

What's this guy going to do, ram those cars off the road because they pay no road tax?

The correct response is nobody pays road tax as road tax hasn't existed since Winston Churchill removed it in 1937 and replaced it with vehicle excise duty.

You pay a duty on the vehicle, not the road. General taxes cover the roads so you pay "road tax" whether using a car or not.

How would you react to him if his hatred was against female/black/gay/whatever people? That would be my starting point.

To the road tax thing, we're going to be facing a real onslaught on that once road tax is reintroduced... of course, it's not actually "all roads tax", it's just "some roads tax" but that won't stop the muppets really thinking they've got justification for their hatred of freeloading cyclists...

The correct response is nobody pays road tax as road tax hasn't existed since Winston Churchill removed it in 1937 and replaced it with vehicle excise duty.

You pay a duty on the vehicle, not the road.

And when they respond pointing out they can own and run as many cars as they want but only have to pay VED to use a car on the public roads, so its a road tax in all but name, how do you respond?

Anyone starting the nobody pays Road tax has lost the argument already by being a pedant.