Temporary Deaf / Mute DF riders ?

[hoarder]

Personally I think that demanding everyone that you pass has a duty to greet you is a little arrogant

You are entitled to your opinion.

And mine ? I think those who are offered an accepted and civilised greeting and who purposefully fail to acknowledge or respond in a civilised way identify themselves as a little self-centred.

The original reason for posting ? It occurs far more frequently when I'm out cycling, then in any other situation, professional or personal. So it had me want to ask the question. I've learned plenty from the replies.

[TonyR]

The original reason for posting ? It occurs far more frequently when I'm out cycling, then in any other situation, professional or personal. So it had me want to ask the question. I've learned plenty from the replies.

How frequently do you greet, either professionally or personally, complete strangers on the street with whom your only other interaction is to pass them by?

[hoarder]

How frequently do you greet, either professionally or personally, complete strangers on the street with whom your only other interaction is to pass them by?

OK, here we go !

I'm in my suit (so I'm in "professional" mode), I'm the other side of the country in an unfamiliar building, and I'm walking from one end of the corridor to the other. If someone said "Good morning" to me, should I ignore them ?

I'm in not in my suit, I'm the other side of the country in a town centre I've never been to before, walking from the car park to a store entrance. If someone said "Good morning" to me, should I ignore them ?

I'm on my trike, at 8.15 on a Sunday morning, in an unfamiliar part of Cambridgeshire, having cycled the backroads and not seen a soul for miles. If someone said "Good morning" to me, should I ignore them ?

Three situations from the last seven days.

[TonyR]

How frequently do you greet, either professionally or personally, complete strangers on the street with whom your only other interaction is to pass them by?

OK, here we go !

I'm in my suit (so I'm in "professional" mode), I'm the other side of the country in an unfamiliar building, and I'm walking from one end of the corridor to the other. If someone said "Good morning" to me, should I ignore them ?

I'm in not in my suit, I'm the other side of the country in a town centre I've never been to before, walking from the car park to a store entrance. If someone said "Good morning" to me, should I ignore them ?

I'm on my trike, at 8.15 on a Sunday morning, in an unfamiliar part of Cambridgeshire, having cycled the backroads and not seen a soul for miles. If someone said "Good morning" to me, should I ignore them ?

Three situations from the last seven days.

The question was how frequently did you greet people in those situations, not how frequently were you greeted and whether you responded.

[cookie32]

Now we're playing word games, welcome to the spin cycle. Agitate and rinse, then repeat...

[hoarder]

The question was how frequently did you greet people in those situations, not how frequently were you greeted and whether you responded.

There's a difference ? Really ? Both are strangers, unlikely to come across the other again. One meets other with a greeting. How should the other react ?

And to answer your question, I was both "greeter" and "greetee", at different times on the same day ? Are you saying you'd change your position because of that ?


Back to the OP - my experience is the absence of response occurs more frequently with lycra-clad MAMILs than any other people you come across.

I just thought testicles

[TonyR]

Now we're playing word games, welcome to the spin cycle. Agitate and rinse, then repeat...

Not at all. My first question of "How frequently do you greet complete strangers" was answered with "I wouldn't ignore them if they greeted me". So I simply re-asked my question.

The oddity, and I am victim of it as well, is that we typically don't go round greeting complete strangers but feel oddly compelled to do so when we are both on a bike, and in the OP's case, feel aggrieved if they don't then reciprocate.

[cookie32]

Now we're playing word games, welcome to the spin cycle. Agitate and rinse, then repeat...

Not at all. My first question of "How frequently do you greet complete strangers" was answered with "I wouldn't ignore them if they greeted me". So I simply re-asked my question.

The oddity, and I am victim of it as well, is that we typically don't go round greeting complete strangers but feel oddly compelled to do so when we are both on a bike, and in the OP's case, feel aggrieved if they don't then reciprocate.

I greet people often, and if I make an effort to greet someone whether it be a hello, or a nod I would expect some sort of response. Good, bad, or indifferent. Which is what started this thread, Hoarder asking why do DF'ers seem to disregard recumbent riders? No matter what I'm doing as a person I would expect a response of some sort from a another person, you don't? Do I always get one, no, will I be okay, yes. Do you often wave, smile or nod at people and they completely blank you? Do you find that normal behaviour? I know I don't. Which is what I think Hoarder was hinting at. The unspoken tension, or the your doing it all your on that silly thing.

[mjr]

I generally offer a greeting but am curious as to why given we don't usually greet every pedestrian we meet while walking or wave to every driver we see while driving. I can remember a time though when AA & RAC staff would salute members on the road and you would acknowledge drivers of the same type of cars. Days long gone though..

Like when cycling or walking, it depends where I am. Out in the fenland lanes, motorists do often wave to each other - usually for cooperating to pass on narrow roads, but sometimes anyway. On busier roads, not so much. I have waved at people on bikes while driving along some small roads in north Norfolk - and they mostly wave back Often the glare/tilt of the windscreen means people can't see me waving, I think.

Which is what started this thread, Hoarder asking why do DF'ers seem to disregard recumbent riders?

Which I thought was a bit off because I doffed my cap to the recumbent rider we passed (opposite directions of travel!) out in Cambridgeshire yesterday

Do you often wave, smile or nod at people and they completely blank you?

I went to a cycle-racing club meeting last year that was meant to be their all-welcome event. Some of them did indeed completely blank me. All of the acknowledgements I got seemed to be from recent recruits (I think that because I chatted with a few and it was the case, while the others weren't in club jerseys either). Are some sports cyclists generally the same off the bike, perhaps? No elastane - no greeting.

[hoarder]

Which I thought was a bit off because I doffed my cap to the recumbent rider we passed (opposite directions of travel!) out in Cambridgeshire yesterday

If you'd passed me and a few others Ive ridden with you would have had a response.

I went to a cycle-racing club meeting last year that was meant to be their all-welcome event. Some of them did indeed completely blank me. All of the acknowledgements I got seemed to be from recent recruits (I think that because I chatted with a few and it was the case, while the others weren't in club jerseys either). Are some sports cyclists generally the same off the bike, perhaps? No elastane - no greeting.

So, I'd like to refocus the question:

As I am one who chooses to do so (YMMV), I'm looking at the odds of getting any response from another rider to a verbal "good morning" -

a) reducing because I'm on a recumbent
b) reducing if the recipient is a lycra-clad DFer.

If the relationship exists, I'll consider setting up a Book for the next ride-out. Any money made can be spent on psychotherapy.

[mjr]

Which I thought was a bit off because I doffed my cap to the recumbent rider we passed (opposite directions of travel!) out in Cambridgeshire yesterday

If you'd passed me and a few others Ive ridden with you would have had a response.

I got a response. I think it was mild amusement at a cap-doffing upright that was mixed up in a load of sportivers.

As I am one who chooses to do so (YMMV), I'm looking at the odds of getting any response from another rider to a verbal "good morning" -

a) reducing because I'm on a recumbent
b) reducing if the recipient is a lycra-clad DFer.

If the relationship exists, I'll consider setting up a Book for the next ride-out. Any money made can be spent on psychotherapy.

I think it's probably mainly (a) but add "... and they've spent many seconds of reaction time trying to figure out what that contraption approaching them is". Even around the fens, where recumbents make huge sense (few hills, better in winds than an upright, most can cover the miles pretty quick) and I think we've designers and sellers nearby, they're still relatively rare. It's probably both a blessing and a curse that you don't see recumbents in H*lf*rds.

[firedfromthecircus]

It's not just a recumbent thing though.

As a victim of the N+1 bug, each time I go for a ride it tends to be on a different kind of bike (or trike ). I think it comes down to 'gang' or 'us and them' mentality. Some cyclists see another cyclist and think they are in the same gang, regardless of the type of bike. Some only see cyclists from the same mold as them as in their gang. So a roadie might do that nod thing to another roadie but ignore mountain bikers, or bent riders etc.

Of course, some people are just ignoramuses regardless of their current mode of transport!

[cookie32]

It's not just a recumbent thing though.

As a victim of the N+1 bug, each time I go for a ride it tends to be on a different kind of bike (or trike ). I think it comes down to 'gang' or 'us and them' mentality. Some cyclists see another cyclist and think they are in the same gang, regardless of the type of bike. Some only see cyclists from the same mold as them as in their gang. So a roadie might do that nod thing to another roadie but ignore mountain bikers, or bent riders etc.

Of course, some people are just ignoramuses regardless of their current mode of transport!

I think you have hit the proverbial nail on it head.

[andy65]

On a related topic I was brought up in cycling etiquette that you don't ride past someone with a mechanical without checking that they are ok. Earlier in the year I was unfortunate enough to get a puncture and out of the five people that passed me in the time it took me to fit a new tube only the car driver checked that I didn't need any help the others on bikes didn't. All I will say is what goes around comes around and one day they may need to borrow a spare tube or pump.

[mjr]

All I will say is what goes around comes around and one day they may need to borrow a spare tube or pump.

And that's probably what they said as they rode past you, remembering the last time they had a puncture and no-one stopped. Wouldn't it be nicer to be nice?