Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - some people o.O

Hi all,

Have not been posting much of late been a rough week or two, but i just had to quickly throw up a post about what happened to me last night.

Standard commute home , Ride for 3kms catch train then ride for 2kms easy can do it in my sleep. So I get to the train station get on the train, there is 3 people on the train ( not including my self) 2 nondescript and one lady who was a tad large ( I don't mean to offend but it is part of the reason this got to me so much ). Anyway I am standing up hold my bike minding my own bees wax when this lady (I use the term loosely) turns around and proceeds to lecture me for nearly 5 mins about how

a) I should have to pay for two tickets if i want to bring a bike on the train ( she takes up nearly 3)

b) i am obviously not riding hard enough if i am still over weight (pot met kettle )

c) As a rider i should be paying more tax since the government is wasting her tax on bike paths and i am not even using them. ( i am not even going to touch this one)

Now i normally have a quick enough mind to have a witty remark for most people but honestly my brain just took a dive and the best i could come up with was something like "oh just shut up" ...smooth i know.

So I thought I would just post this and ask if anyone has had similar issue with people and what you said to them. I don't mind been heckled while i am riding but for Pete sake i was standing on a train minding my own business.

/rant off :twitchy::twitchy::twitchy:

You may get a laugh out of it , i did later but at the time not so much.

It's like the story of the crabs...

You put one crab in a pot and you have to put a lid on it or the crab will try to crawl out. You put several crabs in a pot and you don't need a lid - if one tries to climb out, the rest pull it back in.

She's a crab. You're crawling out. Be free.

Her comments, of course, are hilarious. They're wasting your taxes on bike paths. Hers are going to upgrade the suspension on the train.

You handled it with more nobler words than I would have.

Keep on riding! That's all I have for ya.

Reminds me of the time I was buying Almond milk a few years back, as I was picking up the vanilla flavored almond milk the lady next to me commented that I should get the original non flavored because it was healthier. I responded "know what else is healthy?" when she asked "what?". I told her "minding your own business". That ended that conversation.

Reminds me of the time I was buying Almond milk a few years back, as I was picking up the vanilla flavored almond milk the lady next to me commented that I should get the original non flavored because it was healthier. I responded "know what else is healthy?" when she asked "what?". I told her "minding your own business". That ended that conversation.

LMAO.... :thumb:

@TrojanHorse ... ok i am not even going there ;)

@gunner65 maybe, but thinking of it now i could have said so much more hind sight is always 20 20

@RaleighSport always, thanks mate

@paisan :roflmao2: but what is almond milk ?

You should have said "My, someone is angry today! Is it that time of the month already?" :lol:

(sorry if this offends anyone, but I think the idea is to offend the woman in the story)

I wonder how many of these people would talk like that to just any stranger who came along. A few do it, of course. But my experience tells me that bicyclists endure far more snarky talk from strangers than others do.

I think the reason is that they transfer the difference in mass between their vehicles and ours to the personal level. That they subconsciously feel that they are the equivalent of Muhammed Ali while we're more like Barney Fife. They probably don't think about it in those terms but I think it's there deep down.

Her comments, of course, are hilarious. They're wasting your taxes on bike paths. Hers are going to upgrade the suspension on the train.

ROFLMAO!!!!!:D:lol::D:roflmao2:

+20:roflmao2:

Just think that 10 years from now, you'll be healthy and happy from riding a bike everywhere and she'll be dying slowly in front of the television with cardiac problems.

What nerve, calling the kettle black indeed!!

@paisan :roflmao2: but what is almond milk ?

It's a milk substitute like Soy milk, but made from Almonds (http://www.silkpurealmond.com) instead.
I prefer it over regular milk because:
1- milk leaves me feeling bloated and tired
2- it tastes much better, and has the same amount of calcium as milk, and is equal to 1% milk in fats.
3- it doesn't need to be refrigerated until it's opened so I buy little single containers to take camping with me.

We get it here in the states in the dairy section of most supermarkets.

It's a milk substitute like Soy milk, but made from Almonds (http://www.silkpurealmond.com) instead.
I prefer it over regular milk because:
1- milk leaves me feeling bloated and tired
2- it tastes much better, and has the same amount of calcium as milk, and is equal to 1% milk in fats.
3- it doesn't need to be refrigerated until it's opened so I buy little single containers to take camping with me.

We get it here in the states in the dairy section of most supermarkets.

hmm i don't think i have seen it , i may have to look for it . I normally drink soy milk as much as i love normal milk i am mildly lactose intolerant. all ways fun to see how much i can drink before i feel sick :)

These types of conversations don't continue if I'm the target. I'd turn it into a nice friendly conversation and encounter. Heck, some fat lady on a train bringing up bike subjects, I'd own her! :D

Sorry, I'd just HAVE to counter her, point by point:

"I NEED TWO TICKETS? How many does YOUR FAT ASS NEED?"

"I DO pay more taxes than you; I paid sales tax on this BIKE! And I use the path EVERY WEEKEND with my kids! DO you even KNOW WHERE IT IS?"

Sorry if I offend, but in this day and age, with women wanting equality in the workplace and society in general -- something I SUPPORT -- I just happen to point out the 'flip side' of that equality. Equal pay for equal work? ABSOLUTELY; just DO THE WORK, don't tell me you're afraid of heights, so you can't go up a ladder. Ladies first? It's a COURTESY, not an obligation or an expectation. When you begin to EXPECT it, you won't see it from me. (This admittedly somewhat misogynistic view comes from working around a crowd of females who see me coming at them in a narrow aisle, loaded with a bulky armful of whatever, and they expect me to flatten against the wall to let them waddle by.)

As I'm sure some here in BF have noted from reading my previous posts, being a bit of a d!ck doesn't even slow me down.....

@DX-MAN

is interesting , i don't actually believe in equality <gasp shock horror quick get the pitch forks and burn him ...) . To clarify i believe everyone has the right to not be discriminated against :love: but we are not equal to be equal would be boring, least that is my two cents.

I once had a Shela try to lecture me in equality because i opened a door for her , i told her simply " you are not my equal you may be better or you may be worse than me but you are not my equal" Then proceed to close the door and walk off :o

that was kinda off topic, i know .

Hope i don't get this topic locked :D

Edit: i just want to point out , this is my view and i will not force it on anyone else . So please don't riot against me for it :)

hmm Ignorance is bliss, at least it was in her mind. Maybe if she knew how to even ride a bike she would have just said "nice bike" and left you alone.

@DX-MAN

is interesting , i don't actually believe in equality <gasp shock horror quick get the pitch forks and burn him ...) . To clarify i believe everyone has the right to not be discriminated against :love: but we are not equal to be equal would be boring, least that is my two cents.

I once had a Shela try to lecture me in equality because i opened a door for her , i told her simply " you are not my equal you may be better or you may be worse than me but you are not my equal" Then proceed to close the door and walk off :o

that was kinda off topic, i know .

Hope i don't get this topic locked :D

Edit: i just want to point out , this is my view and i will not force it on anyone else . So please don't riot against me for it :)

That sound you heard was the politically correct posters here falling over. :-)

Stupid is stupid. You will always find them. Reminds me of two years ago when a driver complained I wasn't visible - in daylight, wearing a bright yellow, blue, and red jersey. Helen Keller could have seen me.

No hable a la señora inglesa ....

No hable a la señora inglesa ....

hah , yea because at 6 foot 7 tall, white with a light Aussie accent, anyone is going to believe i am Spanish

@ neil Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. :)

You should have gone Crocodile Dundee on her:

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/s_a_knife_7751.jpg

"You call that a knife? Now THIS is a knife."

You should have gone Crocodile Dundee on her:

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/s_a_knife_7751.jpg

"You call that a knife? Now THIS is a knife."

:) in today's world she probably would have pulled a gun on me and shot me o.O

c) As a rider i should be paying more tax since the government is wasting her tax on bike paths and i am not even using them. ( i am not even going to touch this one)

You have bike paths inside the trains in Australia? :D

Next time when you don't have any "witty remarks", as you said it, just talk gibberish and watch the confused look on people's face. Better film them and share it with us here on BF.

You have bike paths inside the trains in Australia? :D

Next time when you don't have any "witty remarks", as you said it, just talk gibberish and watch the confused look on people's face. Better film them and share it with us here on BF.

:roflmao2: that would be fun, as for talking gibberish , i do that to much at work as it is some days .

Frankly, I do not have a clue what I would do. If I had a bad day, I would read her the riot act. If I was feeling like a smart @ss, I would have gone point by point with her and perhaps offered to take her on a bike ride. If I was in a good "I dont care" mood, I would say "I used to be as heavy as you were".

I think I would have been stunned and stuck for an answer. Couldn't possibly foresee or be ready for such gratuitous nastiness from a complete stranger. The best response might be no response at all, or nothing more than a contemptuous glance, as if she was something you found stuck to the bottom of your shoe.
EDIT: Come to think of it, I kind of like the passive-aggressive approach suggested above: "Yes, I am still overweight, but it IS helping. I used to be nearly as heavy as you."

I really like these types of threads. It "preps" you for when it happens to you!

I really like these types of threads. It "preps" you for when it happens to you!

Aye and the sad fact of out world for ever nice person you meet there are 100 more who need to be dealt with.

Which means for all the people on the Clyde forum here i have deal with 100 dropkicks... bleh that is a depressing thought huh.

Mate, people like her are the reason that bikes on our trains are somewhat restricted these days !.
However I can well imagine how gobsmacked you were. She's just one of the collection of people who think that freedom of speech means "I can say whatever I want, to whoever I want, whenever I want ". There are two words that do not appear to exist in their vocabulary. Tact & Respect. A few years back we simply called 'em rude, ignorant loudmouths. Unfortunately they seem to be on the increase worldwide.

Sorry but I had to smile when I read your post 'cause this woman is seriously dumb. I mean lets face it you were standing up and your 6' 7" . You might have gotten a bit upset and then what did she think was gonna happen. She's lucky you're a nice guy. :lol:

Really I wouldn't waste time worrying about her. You're putting in a heap of km's on the 4300 and doing well. She on the other hand will be dragged off in an ambulance with some obesity related medical complications and it will be somebody elses fault but definitely not hers !. Leave her to her fate.

Tergal - it sounds like you handled yourself cordially and respectfully and for that you should be proud. It's never a good thing to engage in a stupid, crazy conversation with someone who is stupid and crazy... they don't get it. Best to just smile and then tell a good story about it afterwards (to us - thanks!).

So sorry it happened though. People out there can be cruel...

Don't argue with idiots; they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

hah , yea because at 6 foot 7 tall, white with a light Aussie accent, anyone is going to believe i am Spanish

Actually, that's the point. :)

The more outlandish your reaction to the lady's pernicious comments, the better.

Did serious people believe that Dame Edna was a woman?

@ken that is true, i often forget that I am tall. you have to wonder if this lady was short sighted. TO be honest I was more upset with my reaction than her action.

@ richard i spent all day doing that at work to :)

@ seve true, was thinking next time i might have a paper ticket and then give it to my bike. Maybe have a full conversation with the bike explain that it needs to behave and not act silly on the train . ( honestly this would not be the strangest thing i have done )

@ Pamestique you should be at the doctors not posting :) but thank you .

Just ride and smile. I tend to ignore these folks for the most part. Once in awhile I will let one under my skin. These days are fun to laugh at later. Good job not adding insult to injury!

LOL.. I do the same kind of commute as you, and I would never have something like that happen since there are bike racks inside the trains.. but if I did ever encounter someone so narrow minded... I will have to pull ideas from here... I am enough of a smart ass that i wouldn't be able to stop myself from opening my mouth and saying something mean .. kuddos for being a better man then me

Don't argue with idiots; they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

HAHAHAHAHA:lol:

@DX-MAN

is interesting , i don't actually believe in equality <gasp shock horror quick get the pitch forks and burn him ...) . To clarify i believe everyone has the right to not be discriminated against :love: but we are not equal to be equal would be boring, least that is my two cents.

I once had a Shela try to lecture me in equality because i opened a door for her , i told her simply " you are not my equal you may be better or you may be worse than me but you are not my equal" Then proceed to close the door and walk off :o

that was kinda off topic, i know .

Hope i don't get this topic locked :D

Edit: i just want to point out , this is my view and i will not force it on anyone else . So please don't riot against me for it :)

a "shela" everytime I see that word I "hear" Steve Irwin

Hi all,

Have not been posting much of late been a rough week or two, but i just had to quickly throw up a post about what happened to me last night.

Standard commute home , Ride for 3kms catch train then ride for 2kms easy can do it in my sleep. So I get to the train station get on the train, there is 3 people on the train ( not including my self) 2 nondescript and one lady who was a tad large ( I don't mean to offend but it is part of the reason this got to me so much ). Anyway I am standing up hold my bike minding my own bees wax when this lady (I use the term loosely) turns around and proceeds to lecture me for nearly 5 mins about how

a) I should have to pay for two tickets if i want to bring a bike on the train ( she takes up nearly 3)

b) i am obviously not riding hard enough if i am still over weight (pot met kettle )

c) As a rider i should be paying more tax since the government is wasting her tax on bike paths and i am not even using them. ( i am not even going to touch this one)

Now i normally have a quick enough mind to have a witty remark for most people but honestly my brain just took a dive and the best i could come up with was something like "oh just shut up" ...smooth i know.

So I thought I would just post this and ask if anyone has had similar issue with people and what you said to them. I don't mind been heckled while i am riding but for Pete sake i was standing on a train minding my own business.

/rant off :twitchy::twitchy::twitchy:

You may get a laugh out of it , i did later but at the time not so much.

It would be easy for me to say do the right thing, but lately people are just rude. You could be bad and make her feel bad. Next time you could say "After 5 years in a wheel chair I'm just happy to be able to walk, let alone ride my bicycle."

Next time you could say "After 5 years in a wheel chair I'm just happy to be able to walk, let alone ride my bicycle."

:lol:

Much better to just ignore her and vent here of course, but I love that comment. Love it!

These types of conversations don't continue if I'm the target. I'd turn it into a nice friendly conversation and encounter. Heck, some fat lady on a train bringing up bike subjects, I'd own her! :D

I bet you would! And you would be someone who could change minds. I think you don't see people as losers but as people with potential.

When I was commuting to Berkeley, I took BART daily from Concord to Rockridge station and rode up. And in the evenings, I'd ride up and over the hill back into Martinez, until winter, then I'd ride up and over and back to Orinda BART station. That was 9 yrs - undergrad and grad school. And I took my bike all the time. Never once did anyone ever complain, and never once did I ever get to take the train after 6:30am or before 7pm in the evening. So by the time I got on the train, (and we were relegated to the last car only), the rush was usually past.

I've had lots of comments from other passengers about how to bring a bike on BART, and lots of folks who'd ask what my commute was like, but never anyone who was that rude. And I always endeavoured to keep my bike spotless and clean so even chain or drivetrain contact would never soil anyone's clothing. But then again, I'm in the SF Bay area, and we might have people more tolerant of bike commuters. In fact, I wouldn't mind paying a bit more for a train fare to bring my bike on board. And I wouldn't mind also a use-fee for the multi-user paths that are around our areas, because there sure are a lot of pedestrians that use it and litter and trash the paths more than cyclists who don't linger long enough to really do much damage.

But if a passenger does complain about bikes on board, and she is fat, and she may have mobility issues, then maybe, the proper approach is to simply yield out of her way and excuse yourself. Doesn't cost anything, and shows how cyclists are polite people, unlike the lady that berated you and your bike.

hah , yea because at 6 foot 7 tall, white with a light Aussie accent, anyone is going to believe i am Spanish You mean there's no such thing as blond(e) Spaniards?

Reminds me of the time I was buying Almond milk a few years back, as I was picking up the vanilla flavored almond milk the lady next to me commented that I should get the original non flavored because it was healthier. I responded "know what else is healthy?" when she asked "what?". I told her "minding your own business". That ended that conversation.

It's not too often I "actually" LOL, but I just did.

I think you don't see people as losers but as people with potential.

Pretty much I see the things we do as things anyone can do if they try.:thumb:

That usually comes up in my coversations so it catches their attention. ;)

[QUOTE=gyozadude;
But if a passenger does complain about bikes on board, and she is fat, and she may have mobility issues, then maybe, the proper approach is to simply yield out of her way and excuse yourself. Doesn't cost anything, and shows how cyclists are polite people, unlike the lady that berated you and your bike.[/QUOTE]

Aye most of the time i try my best to keep my bike out of people ways , since hell it is a 24inch MTB it takes up some room. In this case she wasn't even moving ( leaving or entering the train) and the bike was a good 2 meters from her and in no danger of hurting anyone but my self :o

Anyway I am over it. Have decide I have to name my bike or something , that way next time i can stand there and tell it off for not buying its own darn ticket and getting in her way.:lol: something like

"dam it "bike name" i told you have to buy a ticket , you are going to get us fined if you keep this up . ( insert pause) NO i don't care that you don't have hands to hold the ticket that is your problem, you have greatly upset the lovely kind lady over there".

Rinse repeat with different volumes and hand gestures :lol:

Edit how did i break the quote bleh.

oh and @ bean i gave up on intelligent conversation with most people , i normally aim for shock and awe tactics.

Edit how did i break the quote bleh.



You deleted the closing bracket ] and the post number.