Originally Posted by
Equinox
One can't deny that there is an element of self loathing among cyclist that I find objectionable .......
I don't know who's self loathing here. Those of us who are happy riding our bicycles and accept some of the nonsense we may encounter from time to time as the cost of doing business. Or those who are constantly seeing themselves as victims.
I speak for no one but myself here, but if I saw that cycling was the miserable, assault filled activity some portray, I'd give it up. It's bad enough being a victim, it's worse to do so by choice.
Is life perfect, of course not. but we make our choices, and accept some of the negative consequences that go with them. We don't like it, and may try to change it, but we don't take every slight and blow it up to crisis proportions.
The OP started the thread describing a bad day in an otherwise nice place to ride. That's what it was, a
bad day with an unusual cluster of encounters with jerks and the like. And that's where it should have stayed, a report of an unusually bad day, followed by a few "I hear you,... post" IMO it doesn't warrant the high drama he's making of it, nor do those of trying to keep it in perspective deserve to be called self-loathing.