Antisocial cyclists

[Oldjohnw]

Well here's one! I find it derogatory to describe people who haven't yet got the ability to repair or service their bikes as POB's in the way you mean, likewise those who ride e-bikes. Some of those people you chose to insult are my friends.

I also find it insulting and derogatory to chose to insult me by referring to me as a morton because I drive a car/van. I think it says more about you really.

Did I refer to you directly as a morton? Fact is, most drivers routinely break the law and are mortons
I am a PoB myself, nearly given up driving, I am a lucky %@€#*
And I chose to live where there are few hills = no ebike needed

Yes you did, and you are doing it again now.

You are indeed lucky to be able to have nearly given up driving and have been able to chose to move to a place which enables you to do this AND which has very few hills. Most of us don't have that luxury of choice. For example, I live in Cornwall, which is rather hilly. My job, which no longer exists at the moment, is 26 miles away from me, and although I commute there by bike, (Luckily for me I don't use an e-bike to do that, otherwise you'd be criticising me for doing that too.) sometimes I have to take my van because I need equipment there which I cannot possibly carry on the bike.

I'm afraid you are being told that it is your own bad judgement that you live so far from your work. No consideration as to what your circumstances are or what your work night be. You clearly made bad choices. I have been told the same.

[Cyril Haearn]

Bleating and interpreting. Again

Perhaps db could answer for himself, I especially want to know where I criticised him as a 'm'

[Oldjohnw]

Bleating and interpreting. Again

No. Your words.

[Cyril Haearn]

Bleating and interpreting. Again

No. Your words.

Let him answer for himself
Leave me alone please

[Cyril Haearn]

..
I also find it insulting and derogatory to chose to insult me by referring to me as a morton because I drive a car/van. I think it says more about you really
..

I have frequently noted on these fora that the majority (not quite all) of drivers routinely break the law, f a c t!

I have no idea whether you belong to the majority who routinely break the law when driving, or the minority who can read STOP signs

I have never made the alleged allegation against you personally

[merseymouth]

Well, PoB? Certainly not derogatory in my eyes, says a simple fact. When I'm getting picky over bad use of a cycle I usually refer to them as Muppets on wheels!
That dates back to days of yore with "Drivers & Motorists", both use similar vehicles, but with completely different mind-sets! The Motorist always took pride in their manners & road-craft, the other made Toad look calm.
Where I might be pulled up over discrimination is my distaste over"Plastic Bikes, normally referred to as "C.F.", yuk.
Of course "Tricyclists" occupy the superior position on the road, no contest! . MM

[reohn2]

Deutungshoheit = authority to interpret

Which is very similar as sovereignty of interpretaion(not being a Germany speaker it was the first google translation I came across)

Still waiting for evidence that many find 'PoB' derogatory

The others who've disagreed with you and the same term I've seen used on other cycling forums as well as this one to describe other types of cyclists in a derogatory sense.

Only I know what I mean.......

If only you know what you mean you aren't communicating very well.
Which for someone who claims a large library of books and literature to be something of a hobby if not an obsession,seems to indicate a literary problem of sorts andnan Alice in Wonderland attitude to the English language let alone German

[Oldjohnw]

Well, PoB? Certainly not derogatory in my eyes, says a simple fact. When I'm getting picky over bad use of a cycle I usually refer to them as Muppets on wheels!
That dates back to days of yore with "Drivers & Motorists", both use similar vehicles, but with completely different mind-sets! The Motorist always took pride in their manners & road-craft, the other made Toad look calm.
Where I might be pulled up over discrimination is my distaste over"Plastic Bikes, normally referred to as "C.F.", yuk.
Of course "Tricyclists" occupy the superior position on the road, no contest! . MM

The term is not derogatory of itself. It is used in a derogatory way: people with ebikes are told they are not cyclists. Similarly those who are technically challenged. Somehow, They are inferior.

[DaveBeck]

Did I refer to you directly as a morton? Fact is, most drivers routinely break the law and are mortons
I am a PoB myself, nearly given up driving, I am a lucky %@€#*
And I chose to live where there are few hills = no ebike needed

I'm afraid you are being told that it is your own bad judgement that you live so far from your work. No consideration as to what your circumstances are or what your work night be. You clearly made bad choices. I have been told the same.

Yes it's a good job I can put a dropped chain back, otherwise I'd really be for it! We're obviously not worthy!

[reohn2]

Well, PoB? Certainly not derogatory in my eyes, says a simple fact. When I'm getting picky over bad use of a cycle I usually refer to them as Muppets on wheels!
That dates back to days of yore with "Drivers & Motorists", both use similar vehicles, but with completely different mind-sets! The Motorist always took pride in their manners & road-craft, the other made Toad look calm.
Where I might be pulled up over discrimination is my distaste over"Plastic Bikes, normally referred to as "C.F.", yuk.
Of course "Tricyclists" occupy the superior position on the road, no contest! . MM

The term is not derogatory of itself. It is used in a derogatory way: people with ebikes are told they are not cyclists. Similarly those who are technically challenged. Somehow,they are claimed to be inferior.

FIFY

[DaveBeck]

Bleating and interpreting. Again

No. Your words.

Let him answer for himself
Leave me alone please

Ok, here's your answer Cyril.

Firstly, I have been driving for many years but I consider myself; because I have been driving for so long, of average ability. Just like most motorists. So when you say that "most motorists" habitually break the law, it is my personal and honestly held feeling that I am included in that statement. So therefore when I then see that you refer to most motorists as "Mortons", which I am assuming is an amalgam of morons and motorists, I find it vaguely insulting.

Secondly, I have no problem with how you wish to refer to yourself, or even others. You can be a morton, a PiC, POB, or anything else you wish. It is all down to context.

I look at this from the position of an instructor, I have been teaching people for many years, so I have learnt that beginners know nothing, they learn either by experience, or by the example and advice from others. There is no such thing as a stupid question. They are not somehow inferior because they have not yet been shown how. In this case, your strange attempt at humour is not very nice. And as myself and others have pointed out to you, in this context it comes across as wrong. Amongst close friends and colleagues, this could be seen as banter. But in this case it simply comes across as condescending.

I know you are probably trying to elicit a response. Well done, you've got one! But don't complain when some of us call you out on this.

[al_yrpal]

People on bicycles isnt the same description I would give to keen cyclists who I would call simply cyclists.

Entertainers usually write entertaining things. Making inane comments about anything and everything, some of them quite controversial, isnt the same thing...

Al

[Stradageek]

Blimey guys, what have I started with this thread; please chill out you're coming across as antisocial cyclists

[Tangled Metal]

Perhaps if we'd all had received more waves and hellos on our last bike rides we'd not be arguing?

[rareposter]

I've long since given up caring and the idea of 17 pages of comment about it baffles me.

I'll try and acknowledge/wave/nod at most people but there are times when it's difficult; it depends on traffic, weather, the road layout, if I'm in a group, if I'm cruising along the flat vs fast descending or out the saddle climbing...

Same with the "other rider(s)" which is why I don't care if I wave and don't get anything in reply or they wave and I don't respond.

The other one which seems to have come out of the woodwork more recently is helmet shaming. A lot of new cyclists on the road and it appears that the friendly "welcome" from existing cyclists is to shout "you should be wearing a helmet!"
Wow, how welcoming and inclusive...

Over the weeks of lockdown I've seen a guy in a replica World Champs jersey (the only possible World Champs he'd been in was pie eating), folk in regular clothes, people in full pro kit, £50 bikes dragged out of sheds for the first time in years, £10,000 brand new bikes, retro bikes, helmets, no helmets.... All sorts. Some have waved. Many haven't.
Every single one of them, I've managed not to judge them, not to comment on their attire or bike and not to care if they do or don't wave/nod.

Try it sometime, it's quite relaxing.