Social Media Posts Inciting Hate Toward Cyclists

[wafter]

Tempted to take my own advice and just block this and any further.

However...

As a motorist, I've been driving for nearly 40 years and can't remember the last time I was significantly inconvenienced by any cyclist. On the other hand, literally every single time I ride a bike, I'm inconvenienced by motorists.

I am a motorist. Motorists are NOT the victims here, and shouldn't be indulged in their victim-bully behaviours.

This is the rub; and reflective of the intrinsically individualistic, narcissistic, simultaneously poisonously hateful yet victimhood-courting mentality rampant in society.

Viewed objectively cars and their drivers are problematic from every conceivable perspective; yet because they're fundamentally ingrained and normalised in the collective consciousness anyone who dares challenge this narrative is met with hostility and derision.

It's a pretty sad reflection of the weakness and hypocrisy of the human condition IMO.

 

[mjr]

So you've not seen any cyclists jumping lights, riding on pavements etc? Really?

To be clear, do you regard passing an advisory 'toucan' red or a red with a defective sensor that never changes for bikes as 'jumping lights'?

And is riding a roadside foot/cycleway 'riding on pavements'?

But generally I agree with roubaix: I occasionally see a cyclist infringe but it's a rare ride or even walk where no driver jumps a compulsory stop line or mounts the kerb to save a few seconds (and screw anyone walking).

I'm also a motorist, been driving longer than cycling by far

How did you not learn to cycle as a child?

 

[Drago]

I know nothing of your motives, but you are thoughtlessly promulgating sterotypical anti-cyclist tropes.

Indeed. The only person airing these views hereabouts seems to be someone who is, presumably by virtue of being on the hallowed forum, a cyclist themselves.

That makes one question their motives.

 

[Drago]

How did you not learn to cycle as a child?

Too busy either driving his pedal car or writing indignant letters to the tabloids.

 

[Binky]

To be clear, do you regard passing an advisory 'toucan' red or a red with a defective sensor that never changes for bikes as 'jumping lights'?

And is riding a roadside foot/cycleway 'riding on pavements'?

But generally I agree with roubaix: I occasionally see a cyclist infringe but it's a rare ride or even walk where no driver jumps a compulsory stop line or mounts the kerb to save a few seconds (and screw anyone walking).


How did you not learn to cycle as a child?

I'm talking about the ones you see sail through reds when traffic moving through from cross direction. I've seen loads on the few occasions I venture into a big city so can only think it happens every day. A million examples on youtube etc.

Pavements riding - think we all know what this means. On a pavement designed for and used soley by pedestrians. Again see it mainly in busy cities.

Yes I've cycled to some degree all my life but overall I've driven way way more miles than cycled as I suspect have 99.9%.


Think some getting wrong idea here. I'm a strong advocate for cycling safety. As I've said, I record my rides and report to Operation Snap any incidents.
However, I am not blind to what some, definitely not all cyclists do. And it is this which unfortunately in the eyes of some motorists tars us all with the same brush.

 

[Binky]

Indeed. The only person airing these views hereabouts seems to be someone who is, presumably by virtue of being on the hallowed forum, a cyclist themselves.

That makes one question their motives.

Drago - are you referring to me here and if so what do you mean?

 

[Binky]

Wow.

It's disappointing the attitude here. I'm not defending bad behaviour by motorists, in fact I take action against it and wish more would do so just saying that sometimes cyclists also do the same but apparently doing so gets me labelled as having anti-cyclist tropes, writing indignant letters to the tabloids(?), then being insulted by "having to think down to my level". Oh and driving a pedal car.

Am I really the only cyclist who is aware of poor cycling by some. The entire point of my contribution to this thread about online hatred on forums towards cyclists(how ironic seeing as it appears I'm now getting subjected to some) was to say the actions of a few make it worse for the rest of us.

Literally that is it.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

Yes some cyclists are guilty of bad behaviour; there are d1cks using every mode of transport and absoslutely no one is contesting otherwise. As a driver, I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually been inconvenienced by a cyclist. Usually by male teenagers or other people that look to be at the fringes of society. Hardly representative of the regular cyclists and would-be cyclists the media discriminates against.

The point is, d1cks on bicycles do far less harm than d1cks in cars. And all the evidence collected on the matter suggests proportionately there are more d1cks driving cars than there are d1cks riding bicycles.

This isn't a criticism, it's a description of the Catch-22 created by the hate amplification machine that is social media. Remembering that page views is what advertisers pay for...

I am conscious of this. However, I am also conscious of people being influenced by these articles if they are not called into question. Comments are displayed on feacesbook based on level of interaction with them and I often find my comments get a lot of interaction and thus rank highly. I think it is important to counter the narrative. Especially given the recent research that shows the majority of people support active travel choices and the majority of people also think that this is a minority opinion. If the majority of people support it, than it cannot be minority opinion.

https://road.cc/content/news/silent-majority-brits-back-active-travel-infrastructure-275781

When cycling infrastructure improvements and LTNs etc.. are proposed, or even after implementation, a vocal minority gets their way. It is important that the majority who want active travel choices become more vocal.

 

[Binky]

Hardly representative of the regular cyclists and would-be cyclists the media discriminates against.

Yes exactly. And my entire point is the few cyclists that do ride irresponsibly etc get the rest of us tarred with same brush by said media.
For some reason I've been roundly criticised for not commenting on car drivers etc who jump red lights but that isn't the topic of this thread. It's social media hate towards cyclists and my view is some cyclists cause all of us to get labelled as red light jumpers etc.

I'll say I'm rarely if ever inconvenienced by cyclists who do this. I just fear for their safety.

 

[Oldhippy]

I think one of the main issues is the us and them rubbish. They are all people, some drive and ride, others just one or the other. Personally I use a bike as transport and pleasure, no dressing up involved, no road cameras. If I'm in a city I notice people of all types walking red lights, bad driving, bad cycling. Lots of people in a smaller space creates this. If we in the UK joined up our thinking and all worked out what works best for all similar to so many parts of Europe instead of this 'created war' by media, national and social and endless bickering getting nothing done it will just continue. Imagine CUK with the membership of the AA and RAC promoting cycling as a form of daily transport instead of endless 'wear helmets, it's dangerous out there conversations'. Most people, however they get about do so sensibly, sadly the crap ones stick out.

 

[mjr]

I'm talking about the ones you see sail through reds when traffic moving through from cross direction. I've seen loads on the few occasions I venture into a big city so can only think it happens every day. A million examples on youtube etc.

That's lovely, but would you mind awfully answering the question instead of avoiding it: are you including advisory "toucan" red lights in that?

I have ridden in big cities, and really, any cyclist to "sail through reds when traffic moving through from cross direction" in London would not last long! I more often see them cautiously move into positions that are technically illegal but known from research to be safer, such as just in front of the stop line. Sailing through is more often done by motorists, when the junction is quiet and they think they can see if any other motorist will conflict, but "failed amber gamblers" and "crossing creepers" are far more common types of red light jumper.

Of course, at many junctions in Paris and other French cities, it's legal for cyclists to turn right (or continue forwards if no right turn) through many red lights, but even then, most proceed with caution and give way when needed, not "sail through". It's not yet legal in England (except for at toucans) mainly because no government has yet gotten sufficiently serious about enabling active travel.

Pavements riding - think we all know what this means. On a pavement designed for and used soley by pedestrians. Again see it mainly in busy cities.

Again, that's lovely, but not an answer: are you including roadside foot/cycleways (which may well be "designed for and used soley[sic] by pedestrians" - also known as a Cycleway Resembling A Pavement) but are technically lawful to cycle upon?

And as an extra, are you aware of the so-called Boateng Advice?

Yes I've cycled to some degree all my life but overall I've driven way way more miles than cycled as I suspect have 99.9%.

So your "been driving longer than cycling by far" was a bit misleading. But that's just a function of cars covering miles more than three times as fast in rural areas. Due to several interrail trips, international sleeper trains and some foreign end-to-end train rides, I could probably say I've travelled by train more miles than I've driven, but I've spent way more time driving. And I've spent more time cycling than driving, as I suspect many have here.

Think some getting wrong idea here. I'm a strong advocate for cycling safety. As I've said, I record my rides and report to Operation Snap any incidents.
However, I am not blind to what some, definitely not all cyclists do. And it is this which unfortunately in the eyes of some motorists tars us all with the same brush.

Rather, it sounds like you have the wrong idea: if you are promoting the idea that motorists tar us all with the same brush and that that isn't something to be challenged and debunked (because almost nobody tars all drivers with the same brush, satire and sarcasm excepted), then you are absolutely not acting like a strong advocate for cycling safety and should reconsider your positions.

We can no more get all cyclists to obey all cycling laws (including the ones which make cycling more dangerous) than the AA or RAC or even the DVSA and Police can get all motorists to drive legally. 100% compliance only for cycling is not a reasonable standard to set and must be rejected and rebutted every time.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

Most people, however they get about do so sensibly, sadly the crap ones stick out.

Given most car trips are under five miles (and a high proportion of those are under two miles) and that I can literally stand by my nearest main road and monitor the gaps between vehicles to find that nearly all the drivers are tailgating (and that is no exageration) I'll politely disagree.

Cars are an inefficient mode of transport and when people get behind the wheel to visit their local shop for a handful of items, they've made a bad choice. Of course, that is what our built environment strongly encourages them to do, which is why it is important we counter what is ingrained in our car-dependent society.

 

[Drago]

Given most car trips are under five miles (and a high proportion of those are under two miles)

Less than 1km in Greater Manchester. That's obscene.

 

[Oldhippy]

It really is bad, 1km. Wow how lazy is that!

 

[Drago]

It really is bad, 1km. Wow how lazy is that!

It astonished me when I read it. Less than 1000 metres. I'm beginning to think Wall-E was a documentary.