Sabotage and hatred: what have people got against cyclists?

Johnmcl7

Very well written article from the Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jul/01/sabotage-and-hatred-what-have-people-got-against-cyclists?CMP=fb_gu

John

Norman_Castle

“What’s smug and deserves to be decapitated?”

Answer. Matthew Parris

Johno100

The events in South Wales were hardly unexpected.



Closing nearly 90 miles of roads, some for up to 12 hours, and failing to properly consult is going to cause a degree of resentment.

[Url] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-33062663[/url]

[Url] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-33081862[/url]

myhooose

Shouldn't the top "NO" be in Welsh"

Mankysteve

myhooose wrote: »

Shouldn't the top "NO" be in Welsh"

It's south Wales they only pretend to like the Welsh language. It's not like up north Wales.

Cornucopia

There's something about cycling that seems to bring out some very negative, even hostile feelings from otherwise fairly normal people.

One of the main things, I suspect, is that drivers resent the relative freedom that cyclists still enjoy. The resentment doubles when those freedoms are seen (or perceived) to be abused.

The death-toll in London is tragic, but I would have expected that with each new incident there would be new data, new advice and possibly new road engineering, but this doesn't seem to be happening.

fred246

Motorists hate:
Bicycles
Caravans
Lorries
Learner Drivers
Elderly drivers
Slow Drivers
Traffic Jams
Red Lights
Pedestrian Crossings
Pedestrians Crossing
Traction Engines
Steam Rollers
Horses
Motorcycles
Scooters
Speed Cameras
Traffic light cameras
Bus Lane cameras
Speed limits
That's the way I've always interpreted it. They hate anything that stops them behaving like Lewis Hamilton in the British Grand Prix.

Norman_Castle

This explains some peoples behavior

.“What you see in discourses about cycling is the absolute classic 1960s and 1970s social psychology of prejudice,” he explains. “It’s exactly those things that used to be done about minority ethnic groups and so on – the overgeneralisation of negative traits, under-representation of negative behaviours by one’s own group, that kind of thing. It’s just textbook prejudiced behaviour.”

Johno100

fred246 wrote: »

Motorists hate:
Bicycles
Caravans
Lorries
Learner Drivers
Elderly drivers
Slow Drivers
Traffic Jams
Red Lights
Pedestrian Crossings
Pedestrians Crossing
Traction Engines
Steam Rollers
Horses
Motorcycles
Scooters
Speed Cameras
Traffic light cameras
Bus Lane cameras
Speed limits
That's the way I've always interpreted it. They hate anything that stops them behaving like Lewis Hamilton in the British Grand Prix.

But aren't we always being told by cycling advocates that 80% of cyclists are also drivers?

Johno100

Norman_Castle wrote: »

This explains some peoples behavior

.“What you see in discourses about cycling is the absolute classic 1960s and 1970s social psychology of prejudice,” he explains. “It’s exactly those things that used to be done about minority ethnic groups and so on – the overgeneralisation of negative traits, under-representation of negative behaviours by one’s own group, that kind of thing. It’s just textbook prejudiced behaviour.”

No it doesn't and equating prejudice against ethnic minorities with the perceived difficulties encountered by cyclists because of their chosen mode of transport is bordering on the offensive.

fred246

Most cyclists are also drivers but most motorists aren't also cyclists. (I know a lot of drivers will have a bike in the garage that they don't use because the roads are too dangerous).