The effect of safety attire on perceptions of cyclist dehumanisation

[Nearholmer]

“Othering” is when a person or group is deemed “not one of us”, so “other”, and afforded worse treatment, lower consideration etc as a result. It’s the tribal thing. Dehumanisation is an extreme form, where the other is deemed not only not of the tribe, but not of the species, so a lower form of life.

I actually wonder if a lot of the more aggressive, as opposed to simply inattentive, driver behaviour towards cyclists is tribal, rather than going as far as dehumanisation. The driver feels that they somehow belong to the Driver Tribe, which has higher status than The Bike Riders, or to the Horny Handed Sons of Toil (who use vans to get about), which is at permanent and bitter war with The Desk Jockeys, who are of higher status, and make provocative display of it by dressing in outlandish clothing and whizzing about on road bikes when any decent person is working for a living.

[deeferdonk]

I actually wonder if a lot of the more aggressive, as opposed to simply inattentive, driver behaviour towards cyclists is tribal, rather than going as far as dehumanisation. The driver feels that they somehow belong to the Driver Tribe, which has higher status than The Bike Riders, or to the Horny Handed Sons of Toil (who use vans to get about), which is at permanent and bitter war with The Desk Jockeys, who are of higher status, and make provocative display of it by dressing in outlandish clothing and whizzing about on road bikes when any decent person is working for a living.

I'm sure some of it is tribal but also in many cases, it's just individual lack of empathy. The worst offenders at close passing me when I'm cycling, are probably the same people who are tailgating me when I'm driving.

[Nearholmer]

Yeah, doubtless tgere are lots of different factors at play. Stress is another one, as in a person with pre-existing stresses, time pressures especially in this case, but other sorts of stress too, will flip to aggression much more easily than someone who is “chill”.

I’ve probably got a thing about van drivers, because I’ve received outright aggression for a couple, but I sense that a toxic mix sometimes applies in their case: genuine time pressures; sometimes in-cab machismo, where two or three guys are in the cab; and, the tribal war tgat I mentioned above.

In fairness, about five years ago, I very nearly got myself run over by a van on a country road through absolutely no fault of the van driver, I fell into his path due to getting the back of my shoe caught on the pedal as I came to a stop ready to turn right, and the poor guy was genuinely more shaken-up than I was. He was an older chap, and I was genuinely concerned that he was going to have a heart attack.

[axel_knutt]

I'm sure some of it is tribal but also in many cases, it's just individual lack of empathy.

Simply being of another tribe is enough to drive empathy levels down to that of a psychopath.

[cycle tramp]

https://bikesnobnyc.com/2026/02/24/the- ... -the-room/

..bike snob, othering people who don't like rim brakes, front dérailleurs, and can't make a saddle pack work ..
..I'm cool with that. .

[mattheus]

https://bikesnobnyc.com/2026/02/24/the- ... -the-room/

..bike snob, othering people who don't like rim brakes, front dérailleurs, and can't make a saddle pack work ..
..I'm cool with that. .

That's one of BSNYC's funnier rants - thankyou!

[Morzedec]

Electric Bike Snobs - as they whizz past you, nose and feet in the air.

Who cares? Steel is real, and as long as I can still push it to 100 a day, I'll be happy.