Colleague hates cyclists

I have just started working with a guy who seems very friendly and quite a nice chap. However, i have recently learnt that this fine gent has quite a well documented hatred towards cyclists. I thought it was a wind up at first as i commute on my bike, but i have since learnt that this hatred is real. He thinks it is justified that he should drive his 2008 Ford Focus in the cycle lane as he has paid tax for that section of road whereas cyclists don’t (even though he has been educated on what motorists pay road tax for, emmissions) and he won’t divert his course if a cyclist is in the way. There are multiple stories of how he has vented his anger towards cyclists. Should i continue to talk to this guy or should i ignore him ? Thoughts please ?? Oh by the way he refers to the cycling masses as “Lycra wearing Nazi Barstools”

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.

he won’t divert his course if a cyclist is in the way.

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.

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.”

This.
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.

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.

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.

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.

Tell him what you think of him, remind him he’s useless to humanity and never speak to him again.

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.

Or; never argue with an imbecile, they drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

[edit] jamiep beat me to it!