Why Are Cyclists So Hated...

"Tali" and "active in this area" would work better?

Because we don't need to make a statement with a material possession.

true, apparently
http://www.dont-start-me-off.com/CelebInfo.php?celeb_id=687&SHOW_OLD_COMMENTS=true

^^"**Fucking idiot. We haven't forgotten the Oxford Roadshow either, you shitblister."

ooof**! that's harsh. From that quote I picture Mr Elms stuck under a cow on a tow boat, criticising Cliff Thorburns 'technique'.

What a nightmare ride Multi Grooves..

Meh. It is just one of those things that happen once in a while.

The people I work with project their hatred of all cyclists onto me and inform me at length of RLJs etc observed on their way to work. They also think it would be my own fault if I die because it's really too dangerous on the road and also I don't wear a helmet. This attitude has escalated to a quite ferocious level in the past year, along with the slaughter on the roads. Peak oil can't come soon enough.

Please show them numerous clips of drivers RLJing or terrible examples of bad drivers captured on helmet cams.

Positive advice at the end of your post.. That's a great message. Thanks.

No problem.

Neither me nor my wife pay VED on our cars due to our love of antique motor conveyances. Not one motorist has ever claimed we shouldn't be on the road though. Least, not that I've noticed.
If I didn't know better, I'd have to assume there's some hypocrisy going on.

Great point. I think I'll be dropping a combination of this^ and Clive's "two jags" scenario the next time some pleb says that.

I pay VED on two cars. Does that mean that I am more entitled to ride on the road than a driver who only pays VED on one car?

Only two? Raise you a couple of motorbikes and a truck.....I win. ;)

Look on the calling out cyclists thread and its all there.

Great point. I think I'll be dropping a combination of this^ and Clive's "two jags" scenario the next time some pleb says that.

Thank me for not taking the car as it means there is one less car slowing you down? One more parking space.

Evidence that cyclists are hated:

• Road accidents where a motorist is at fault and a cyclist injured or killed hardly ever result in the motorist being punished appropriately.
  
• Large amounts of Police resources are regularly used to catch and punish cyclists for relatively minor road offences, whereas motorists committing comparative (and worse) offences are rarely targeted.
  
• Theft of bicycles, and consequent resale, is treated as such a minor crime that many victims do not bother to report the theft and thieves quite comfortably operate in broad daylight in busy areas without fear.
  
• Media descriptions of accidents involving cyclists deliberately use terminology which dehumanises the cyclists involved yet do not do the same when a pedestrian is involved in a RTA.
  
• A deaf cyclist is attacked and beaten in the street by several youths. Despite being caught red-handed by police and prosecuted, these perpetrators receive an incredibly lenient punishment, one which would be more appropriate for some minor vandalism or anti social behavior.
  
• Cyclists are routinely attacked by pedestrians, motorists and passengers of vehicles, sometimes with fatal consequences. There seems to be no reason as to why these attacks occur except that the victims are targeted for their use of a bicycle.
  

Being a white middle class middle aged heterosexual male, I am often considered to be privileged and the personification of an oppressor. I have oft sought after the status of the oppressed. How nice it is that, simply by riding a bike, I can now achieve it.

glad your sense of humour is intact,
right now is when its most intense- friday peak rush hour in U.K, every one on roads is on that ---friday- gotta- get- relaxing/ pissed/ shagged/ shopped out/ vibe---
more lunatics in cars right now than ever.
going out in it.

There are two times I try my hardest to avoid London traffic, in/on whatever mode of transport I have, they are Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Both hellish beyond reason.

I dont see how riding around on a blinged up fixed gear, or carbon race bike is anything other than the cycling equivalent of using a Lambo to pop down to Harrods. Most of the fised gears i see in London these days are nothing more than hipster penis envy machines.

Cyclists aren't hated - i think its the fact that some so called cycling campaigners get the fact they are supposed to be encouraging cycling confused with being an eco warrior does more damage than good, and makes it seem like a them versus us argument, when in fact it should be a how can we accommodate each other discussion.

Everyone who harps on about emissions etc etc fails to realise that in 20 years we will all be driving around in zero emission vehicles, but that there will still be cars on the roads, and we will still face the same dangers.

We need to remove the green element form the discussion, because what we really want to be able to do is cycle around safely, and that has nothing to do with hating cars, eating Linda McCartney, and wearing hemp. Being green is a nice side effect of cycling, but its not the reason most people do it

Its when a cycling campaigner gets on tv/radio etc and spends all teh time talking about green issues that people turn off and think what a sanctimonious wanker - if they just stuck to the issues at hand we would all come off a lot better.

Everyone who harps on about emissions etc etc fails to realise that in 20 years we will all be driving around in zero emission vehicles, but that there will still be cars on the roads, and we will still face the same dangers.

We need to remove the green element form the discussion, because what we really want to be able to do is cycle around safely, and that has nothing to do with hating cars, eating Linda McCartney, and wearing hemp. Being green is a nice side effect of cycling, but its not the reason most people do it

Its when a cycling campaigner gets on tv/radio etc and spends all teh time talking about green issues that people turn off and think what a sanctimonious wanker - if they just stuck to the issues at hand we would all come off a lot better.

I agree with this bit 100%

Like the "congestion" charge. Which is actually an emissions charge. A green vehicle still takes up the same space on the road as the petrol or diesel motor. It's an epic fail.

They can't call it an emissions charge though as the biggest polluters are exempt- taxi and bus exhaust is hellish beyond belief when compared to a modern petrol (or some diesel) engines.

^^^^ zero emission vehicle = bike. So everyone will be on bikes in 20yrs? I'm confused.

I do not recycle
I drive a petrol engined 4x4 which struggles to do 25 to the gallon
My windows are single glazed and often open whilst the heating is on
I dispose and buy new rather than repair
People think I'm some eco green tree hugging moral high ground veggie because I ride a bike and hate me because of it

I also turn off when I hear the sanctimonious people going on about how us cyclists are saving the planet.

As for global warming and rising sea levels, I live on top of a hill with quite a high heating bill. If you want to hate me do so because when the Thames bursts its banks I will stand on my physical high ground, video you all drowning and put it on YouTube.

Being a white middle class middle aged heterosexual male, I am often considered to be privileged and the personification of an oppressor. I have oft sought after the status of the oppressed. How nice it is that, simply by riding a bike, I can now achieve it.

fail^. You'll need more boot polish.

FACT

blah hipster blah...

Cyclists aren't hated - i think its the fact that some so called cycling campaigners get the fact they are supposed to be encouraging cycling confused with being an eco warrior does more damage than good, and makes it seem like a them versus us argument, when in fact it should be a how can we accommodate each other discussion.

Everyone who harps on about emissions etc etc fails to realise that in 20 years we will all be driving around in zero emission vehicles, but that there will still be cars on the roads, and we will still face the same dangers.

We need to remove the green element form the discussion, because what we really want to be able to do is cycle around safely, and that has nothing to do with hating cars, eating Linda McCartney, and wearing hemp. Being green is a nice side effect of cycling, but its not the reason most people do it

Its when a cycling campaigner gets on tv/radio etc and spends all teh time talking about green issues that people turn off and think what a sanctimonious wanker - if they just stuck to the issues at hand we would all come off a lot better.

The bit about 'zero-emmision vehicle' is rubbish, sorry. Where does this come from? Even cyclists are responsible for emmisions indirectly - farting, eating, etc. Perhaps zero-emmission flying cars controlled by computers are on the horizon too? ;)

I would agree that the green bit does seem divisive, and marks 'campaigners' out as sanctimonious. I personally don't think that other people's distaste for that line of argument is particularly valid, other than they don't like to hear it because seemingly it turns them into a guilty party. However I would agree that it shouldn't be the primary argument used to promote cycling.

Rather, we might focus on health, congestion, enjoyment.

They can't call it an emissions charge though as the biggest polluters are exempt- taxi and bus exhaust is hellish beyond belief when compared to a modern petrol (or some diesel) engines.

Damn your logic.
BUT Taxis and buses probably contribute to the majority of London's congestion, regardless of their claims of high conveyance numbers there are still an awful lot running around empty, plus the highway layout is designed to favour them.

fail^. You'll need more boot polish.

FACT

Or a high coverage of tattoos.

I went to a quiet country village once, everyone was white and old.
People seemed surprised, wary and fearful. I joked to my friends that for them, I was probably the next best thing to a black man.

The bit about 'zero-emmision vehicle' is rubbish, sorry.

Exactly - cycling isn't zero emissions (think of all the crap we buy and sell through the forum!). Walking is the only truly sustainable, zero emission* form of transport.

*I know that people produce a lot of CO2, but unless we're all going to agree a mass suicide pact this is inevitable.

I suspect there's a lot of truth to the 'people cycle because they like cycling, not because it's green' argument.

Where I used to work we did some research into rail passengers and why they travelled by rail. A tiny weeny minority did it because it was greener. Nearly everyone else did it because it suited them, the fact it was more sustainable was just a plus for them.

It's actually an interesting thing to think about- the emissions that we are responsible for, that is, just as humans.

Leaving heating and so forth to one side if you are "one of us" then you probably need a lot more calories than the couch potato that you sit opposite at work.

Those calories need to be grown, using high intensity animal husbandry and agriculture- massive CO caused right there.

So- just like electric vehicles which in may ways emit more than conventional vehicles we cyclists are guilty of causing more than our fair share of carbon/methane and so forth, just remotely if that makes sense.

But that's why it's so narrow to just look at emissions - because we exercise more, we're fitter and healthier. Think of the carbon emissions of the NHS. None of that is my fault, I can't remember the last time I used it.

It's also a good reason to be veggie.

I need to go now as I (genuinely) need to put a pork joint in the oven. Sorry environment :(

^euph?!

Clearly.

He'll be talking about basting in a second