Is there widespread hatred of cyclists?
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 247
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Is there widespread hatred of cyclists?
For starters, check out this link from a local Boston TV station and watch the embedded video.
The video was filmed on the Longfellow Bridge which runs over the Charles River and connects Cambridge to Boston. The bridge is currently undergoing major renovations.
The video seems to show a single car travel lane with bike lanes on either side that serve both directions.
What struck me when I first watched the video was the "I don't give a damn" attitude of the state trooper. The cyclist raised a reasonable safety concern and the trooper couldn't have been less helpful.
It wasn't until I read the comments under the article, though, that I began to reflect on the degree of hostility for cyclists. Whether the commenters are just a handful of haters or whether they reflect a widely held view isn't clear.
What is clear is that if this much hatred of cyclists is common, we who are cycling advocates have a very difficult task ahead of us.
The video was filmed on the Longfellow Bridge which runs over the Charles River and connects Cambridge to Boston. The bridge is currently undergoing major renovations.
The video seems to show a single car travel lane with bike lanes on either side that serve both directions.
What struck me when I first watched the video was the "I don't give a damn" attitude of the state trooper. The cyclist raised a reasonable safety concern and the trooper couldn't have been less helpful.
It wasn't until I read the comments under the article, though, that I began to reflect on the degree of hostility for cyclists. Whether the commenters are just a handful of haters or whether they reflect a widely held view isn't clear.
What is clear is that if this much hatred of cyclists is common, we who are cycling advocates have a very difficult task ahead of us.
#2
genec
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
Pretty much says it all... Sure, cyclists can simply suck it up and move on, but the attitude of those sworn to "serve and protect" seems mighty callus in this situation. And indeed no doubt reflects the feelings of many. Of course getting more people on bikes can help to reduce the traffic congestion problems... but situations like this are very discouraging.
Note the quote from the officer in the video...
"No we don't really care about these bike lanes. It's pretty much the locals. This bridge is state."
Typical "it's not my job mentality... "
Note the quote from the officer in the video...
"No we don't really care about these bike lanes. It's pretty much the locals. This bridge is state."
Typical "it's not my job mentality... "
#3
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 247
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
and this one ...
"We don't really care about the lanes. That's for Cambridge and Boston people to harrass you with the, uh, helmets ..."
Massachusetts law requires anyone 16 years of age and under to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle. I guess the officer doesn't care for that law.
"We don't really care about the lanes. That's for Cambridge and Boston people to harrass you with the, uh, helmets ..."
Massachusetts law requires anyone 16 years of age and under to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle. I guess the officer doesn't care for that law.
#4
Disco Infiltrator
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,446
Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem
Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,105 Times
in
1,369 Posts
Is there widespread hatred? Well, are you Lance or are you homeless?
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17
Genesis 49:16-17
#5
Senior Member
Trying to have 4000 pound cars and trucks capable of easily going quite fast but with low maneuverability share space with 200 pound bicycles not capable of going fast but with high maneuverability creates huge conflicts which leads to considerable animosity between the two. Separate but equal is a bad idea for people but has worked exceptionally well for modes of transport in The Netherlands.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
astonishing - the local cops in "metrowest" are pretty good guys that look out for cyclists. the cyclist should come forward and "file a complaint"
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,435
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5888 Post(s)
Liked 3,471 Times
in
2,079 Posts
Two things come to mind. One is the power of audio and video recording instruments. Once this tape was released, pressure was put on the police. Public pressure can make a difference in changing deeply entrenched attitudes. Insofar as the comments are concerned, big cities are, well, big cities. People get irritated because their space is constantly being invaded. Boston is an amazing place but it has a heck of a lot of people crowded together. That's great in lots of ways but it does irritate people and those comments illustrate that problem.
#8
genec
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
"Hatred" of cyclists doesn't just stop with motorists... here on BF we have a few posters that tend to be quite adept at being naysayers of things like bike lanes or other infrastructure for cyclists.
So the attitude of the cop is not just that of motorists alone...
So the attitude of the cop is not just that of motorists alone...
#9
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 247
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
#10
20+mph Commuter
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Greenville. SC USA
Posts: 7,517
Bikes: Surly LHT, Surly Lowside, a folding bike, and a beater.
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1434 Post(s)
Liked 331 Times
in
219 Posts
Never read the comments. The local rubes come out of the woodwork any time there is a comment section regarding bikes vs. cars. If they stopped to think about it, other CARS are the most likely things to be "in their way". So they are already infuriated behind the wheel by the time they encounter a cyclist "slowing them down".
#11
24-Speed Machine
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Wash. Grove, MD
Posts: 6,058
Bikes: 2003 Specialized Allez 24-Speed Road Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Pretty much says it all... Sure, cyclists can simply suck it up and move on, but the attitude of those sworn to "serve and protect" seems mighty callus in this situation. And indeed no doubt reflects the feelings of many. Of course getting more people on bikes can help to reduce the traffic congestion problems... but situations like this are very discouraging.
Note the quote from the officer in the video...
"No we don't really care about these bike lanes. It's pretty much the locals. This bridge is state."
Typical "it's not my job mentality... "
Note the quote from the officer in the video...
"No we don't really care about these bike lanes. It's pretty much the locals. This bridge is state."
Typical "it's not my job mentality... "
and this one ...
"We don't really care about the lanes. That's for Cambridge and Boston people to harrass you with the, uh, helmets ..."
Massachusetts law requires anyone 16 years of age and under to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle. I guess the officer doesn't care for that law.
"We don't really care about the lanes. That's for Cambridge and Boston people to harrass you with the, uh, helmets ..."
Massachusetts law requires anyone 16 years of age and under to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle. I guess the officer doesn't care for that law.
#12
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 247
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
MassBike, a statewide advocacy organization, made an impressive response to the Longfellow Bridge incident:
In response to the Longfellow Bridge Video | MassBike
In response to the Longfellow Bridge Video | MassBike
Last edited by welshTerrier2; 04-17-15 at 01:27 PM.
#13
Senior Member
What's the cop's assigned duty while he's stationed there? Is managing traffic safety among his responsibilities? Could have been having a grumpy day before the cyclist suggested how they should be doing their job...
Comments sections are for trolls.
Speaking of which, if you hang out long enough in A&S, you might very well also come away with the impression that there is widespread hatred of cyclists.
My experience on the road is that 999 of 1,000 are either supportive of or totally ambivalent about cyclists. While 100 out of 1000 might do something boneheaded and could very well indicate hatred to a cyclist trying very hard to find it, only 1 out of 1,000 seem to truly be vindictive about cyclists on the roads.
Comments sections are for trolls.
Speaking of which, if you hang out long enough in A&S, you might very well also come away with the impression that there is widespread hatred of cyclists.
My experience on the road is that 999 of 1,000 are either supportive of or totally ambivalent about cyclists. While 100 out of 1000 might do something boneheaded and could very well indicate hatred to a cyclist trying very hard to find it, only 1 out of 1,000 seem to truly be vindictive about cyclists on the roads.
Last edited by mconlonx; 04-17-15 at 01:19 PM.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Southwestern Ontario
Posts: 5,126
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1581 Post(s)
Liked 1,189 Times
in
605 Posts
Never read the comments. The local rubes come out of the woodwork any time there is a comment section regarding bikes vs. cars. If they stopped to think about it, other CARS are the most likely things to be "in their way". So they are already infuriated behind the wheel by the time they encounter a cyclist "slowing them down".
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Southwestern Ontario
Posts: 5,126
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1581 Post(s)
Liked 1,189 Times
in
605 Posts
What's the cop's assigned duty while he's stationed there? Is managing traffic safety among his responsibilities? Could have been having a grumpy day before the cyclist suggested how they should be doing their job...
Comments sections are for trolls.
Speaking of which, if you hang out long enough in A&S, you might very well also come away with the impression that there is widespread hatred of cyclists.
My experience on the road is that 999 of 1,000 are either supportive of or totally ambivalent about cyclists. While 100 out of 1000 might do something boneheaded and could very well indicate hatred to a cyclist trying very hard to find it, only 1 out of 1,000 seem to truly be vindictive about cyclists on the roads.
Comments sections are for trolls.
Speaking of which, if you hang out long enough in A&S, you might very well also come away with the impression that there is widespread hatred of cyclists.
My experience on the road is that 999 of 1,000 are either supportive of or totally ambivalent about cyclists. While 100 out of 1000 might do something boneheaded and could very well indicate hatred to a cyclist trying very hard to find it, only 1 out of 1,000 seem to truly be vindictive about cyclists on the roads.
BTW, I did hear two sensible comments associated with this entire so-called 'incident' -- from the two rational cyclists who appear at the very end of the news clip.
#16
24-Speed Machine
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Wash. Grove, MD
Posts: 6,058
Bikes: 2003 Specialized Allez 24-Speed Road Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
MassBike, a statewide advocacy organization, made an impressive response to the Longfellow Bridge incident:
In response to the Longfellow Bridge Video | MassBike
In response to the Longfellow Bridge Video | MassBike
I wonder what the look on the officer's face would be. If he were to get cited by a City of Boston or City of Cambridge police officer for blocking the bike lane.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Posts: 7,048
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 509 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times
in
8 Posts
What's the cop's assigned duty while he's stationed there? Is managing traffic safety among his responsibilities? Could have been having a grumpy day before the cyclist suggested how they should be doing their job...
Comments sections are for trolls.
Speaking of which, if you hang out long enough in A&S, you might very well also come away with the impression that there is widespread hatred of cyclists.
My experience on the road is that 999 of 1,000 are either supportive of or totally ambivalent about cyclists. While 100 out of 1000 might do something boneheaded and could very well indicate hatred to a cyclist trying very hard to find it, only 1 out of 1,000 seem to truly be vindictive about cyclists on the roads.
Comments sections are for trolls.
Speaking of which, if you hang out long enough in A&S, you might very well also come away with the impression that there is widespread hatred of cyclists.
My experience on the road is that 999 of 1,000 are either supportive of or totally ambivalent about cyclists. While 100 out of 1000 might do something boneheaded and could very well indicate hatred to a cyclist trying very hard to find it, only 1 out of 1,000 seem to truly be vindictive about cyclists on the roads.
However, it seems to me that the boneheads are a lower percentage than 10% (if we don't count the evening drunks) and the true haters may be even lower than 0.1% (although once we get down there it gets hard to quantify). Even the punish-passers don't generally come close enough to truly put us in danger, just close enough to get a rise out of us if we're willing to play their game.
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18375 Post(s)
Liked 4,510 Times
in
3,352 Posts
I wouldn't say there is "hatred".
Police just don't seem to care where they park. They may stop a car for something foolishly insignificant, which then pulls over blocking a lane of the street (as is generally required to pull over as soon as possible). And the police don't care if they then block that lane of traffic for a half an hour, probably endangering more people, and certainly causing more traffic interruption than whatever was the reason for the original stop.
In this case, I agree with the rider's interpretation.
I don't see a lot of oncoming bicycle traffic, but assuming there is some, avoiding the car means merging into oncoming traffic.
At least if the officer had parked on the right side of the road, it would still have been an inconvenience to cyclists, but they would merely have had to merge into traffic travelling in the same direction.
The police officer he talked to was way off base. It also would hardly have been safe for the rider to stop to talk to the officer where he was parked on the bridge.
Police just don't seem to care where they park. They may stop a car for something foolishly insignificant, which then pulls over blocking a lane of the street (as is generally required to pull over as soon as possible). And the police don't care if they then block that lane of traffic for a half an hour, probably endangering more people, and certainly causing more traffic interruption than whatever was the reason for the original stop.
In this case, I agree with the rider's interpretation.
I don't see a lot of oncoming bicycle traffic, but assuming there is some, avoiding the car means merging into oncoming traffic.
At least if the officer had parked on the right side of the road, it would still have been an inconvenience to cyclists, but they would merely have had to merge into traffic travelling in the same direction.
The police officer he talked to was way off base. It also would hardly have been safe for the rider to stop to talk to the officer where he was parked on the bridge.
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Kent Wa.
Posts: 5,332
Bikes: 2005 Gazelle Golfo, 1935 Raleigh Sport, 1970 Robin Hood sport, 1974 Schwinn Continental, 1984 Ross MTB/porteur, 2013 Flying Piegon path racer, 2014 Gazelle Toer Populair T8
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 396 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
I don't think there's widespread hatred of cyclists, but 30 minutes of reading A&S posts would probably turn most people into haters.
#22
Senior Member
I think the proportion of car drivers who hate cyclists is far less than the proportion of cyclists who hate car drivers.
#23
genec
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
What's the cop's assigned duty while he's stationed there? Is managing traffic safety among his responsibilities? Could have been having a grumpy day before the cyclist suggested how they should be doing their job...
Comments sections are for trolls.
Speaking of which, if you hang out long enough in A&S, you might very well also come away with the impression that there is widespread hatred of cyclists.
My experience on the road is that 999 of 1,000 are either supportive of or totally ambivalent about cyclists. While 100 out of 1000 might do something boneheaded and could very well indicate hatred to a cyclist trying very hard to find it, only 1 out of 1,000 seem to truly be vindictive about cyclists on the roads.
Comments sections are for trolls.
Speaking of which, if you hang out long enough in A&S, you might very well also come away with the impression that there is widespread hatred of cyclists.
My experience on the road is that 999 of 1,000 are either supportive of or totally ambivalent about cyclists. While 100 out of 1000 might do something boneheaded and could very well indicate hatred to a cyclist trying very hard to find it, only 1 out of 1,000 seem to truly be vindictive about cyclists on the roads.
The problem is that too many of the ambivalent act as if we simply don't exist.
#24
genec
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: West Coast
Posts: 27,079
Bikes: custom built, sannino, beachbike, giant trance x2
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13658 Post(s)
Liked 4,532 Times
in
3,158 Posts
I wouldn't say there is "hatred".
Police just don't seem to care where they park. They may stop a car for something foolishly insignificant, which then pulls over blocking a lane of the street (as is generally required to pull over as soon as possible). And the police don't care if they then block that lane of traffic for a half an hour, probably endangering more people, and certainly causing more traffic interruption than whatever was the reason for the original stop.
In this case, I agree with the rider's interpretation.
I don't see a lot of oncoming bicycle traffic, but assuming there is some, avoiding the car means merging into oncoming traffic.
At least if the officer had parked on the right side of the road, it would still have been an inconvenience to cyclists, but they would merely have had to merge into traffic travelling in the same direction.
The police officer he talked to was way off base. It also would hardly have been safe for the rider to stop to talk to the officer where he was parked on the bridge.
Police just don't seem to care where they park. They may stop a car for something foolishly insignificant, which then pulls over blocking a lane of the street (as is generally required to pull over as soon as possible). And the police don't care if they then block that lane of traffic for a half an hour, probably endangering more people, and certainly causing more traffic interruption than whatever was the reason for the original stop.
In this case, I agree with the rider's interpretation.
I don't see a lot of oncoming bicycle traffic, but assuming there is some, avoiding the car means merging into oncoming traffic.
At least if the officer had parked on the right side of the road, it would still have been an inconvenience to cyclists, but they would merely have had to merge into traffic travelling in the same direction.
The police officer he talked to was way off base. It also would hardly have been safe for the rider to stop to talk to the officer where he was parked on the bridge.
According to Massbike that was largely the worst part of it... parking in a manner that forced cyclists into oncoming traffic... shows a total lack of care or understanding on the part of the "serve and protect" officer.
#25
Been Around Awhile
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Burlington Iowa
Posts: 29,972
Bikes: Vaterland and Ragazzi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 1,536 Times
in
1,045 Posts
That is only because those non cyclist "people" (allegedly fat lazy murdering redneck doofuses) don't appreciate A&S brand Bicycling Advocacy™ when they see it.