kwackers wrote:Vorpal wrote:Furthermore, there is no more need to use the term chav or POB than there is to include the person's hair colour or race.
I think I'd disagree with that. Cyclists are among the easiest people to stereotype. Mamil, ninjas, pob's - there really aren't that many distinct groups.
When telling a story about cyclists one word conjures up the image and sets the scene thereby eliminating a entire paragraph of useless description and unnecessary detail.
Actually, I think that the stereotype gets in the way of a good description. For one thing it conjures a different image for each person. For another, it invariably comes with some baggage. This thread is a perfect example of that. Whether it is prejudice or indignation, that baggage detracts from the story.
Frankly, I think that one could tell the same story without including a single word about the appearance of the person. His behaviour is important to the story, but his appearance is not. It is possibly more interesting in terms of revealing the OPs thought process than in providing description.
I told about a funny story about my journey to work, and you have focused all your attention on the word 'chav' he was a chav. It is not a stereotype or me judging someone, he was a chav! I get the impression a few of you are old boys, well seriously you need to get with the times. Tulisa from N dubz openly admits she is a chav and many others too Mz BRATT and also Rizzle kicks, believe it or not but chav dress is actually a fashion, yes a FASHION 
they guy who raced me had the customary burberry baseball cap on, I am with the times, these hats literally cost £25.00 and they command this price because it is a fashion symbol. People like being chavs, the same way people like wearing shorts in winter. It is their style and they are proud. If you want to see further popular trending of being a chav, BBC 3's Lee Nelsons well good show highlights this well.