simonineaston wrote:What puzzles me is why so many folk are so aggressive towards cyclists when there are very few if any disadvantages or downsides to the bloomin' thing. You could understand it, if a bike was smelly, noisy, expensive, dangerous and resource-hungry... but it's hard to think of an invention that's more benign. And still most Brit.s rant about cyclists as if we the very devil's spawn. Weird.
It's because it is so benign,in a country of 'you are what you have' bicycles deny it because they're pretty much of a muchness and are limited to the power exibitionism the rider can display.
It's a class thing in a country riddled with a class structure at all societal levels.
I enjoyed the podcast but it's subject,the class structure,wasn't anything new,she mentions her and her friends being accused of dropping litter without reason other than they were motorcyclists,the same kind of thing happens to me occassionally.
I find it utterly bizzare to be accused of RLJing when there's no TL's for miles around and on the same ride I'd witnessed four cars RLJ,the accuser was taken aback when I told him in no uncertain terms that in any case cars cause far more injury an death than bicycles and their riders could ever do.
Cycling is seen as a powerless outgroup to ridicule and abuse whenever the mood takes hold to attach any misdemeanor hate structure (horse)powerful might is right,the bullying majority sees fit to lay on us.
The benign practicality,usefulness and sheer beauty of travel by the humble bicycle is wasted on a moronic,bullying social structure that persists in the UK.
Pearls before swine spring to mind.
My 2d's worth.
PS,I've been riding mostly on the roads recently for a bit of a change and I have to say things seem to be improving in respect to the way I've been treated by drivers,I do hope it continues but 50+ years of cycling has taught me to be extremely cautious in such beliefs.........
Edited for punctuation.
