Originally Posted by gbcb
On the way home last night, I was riding slowly through a park and trying to stay on the right-hand side of the path so as not to spook oncoming pedestrians. It wasn't enough for one homeless guy, who shouted "WHERE THE HELL ARE YA GOIN, YA GOOF?" as I rode by. For some reason, I decided to stop and talk to him, explaining that I was sorry if my riding had somehow threatened him, but I was trying to ride as safely as I could. It turns out he had been hit by a cyclist before and was naturally a bit concerned about it happening again. After talking to him for a while, he grinned and said, "You're all right -- you have a GREAT evening!". Wished him a good evening, too, and rode off...
It made me realise that sometime the angry reactions of pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists to other pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists are often the results of misunderstandings.
I love this story. There's a lot to be said for assuming good intentions on the part of the other person, y'know? Rather than thinking "Man, what a f***stick," I try to think, "Gosh, they must really not understand what I'm doing here and they feel threatened!"
Notice I said "I try."
Seriously, though, it's sort of one of my own little personal core values.
And: Good luck, Devildog! Let us know how you make out.