Bike Forums - Harassed by... a cyclist!?

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- - Harassed by... a cyclist!? (https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/298249-harassed-cyclist.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeuser

Did you somehow think there are no idiots on bikes?

Yeah, someone forgot to have me tested before allowing me on a bike.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ragboy

Don't cha see what's happening here? As more and more cagers switch to bikes, the once-friendly camaraderie of bike commuters is becoming the jaded JAM environment. It's like the bizzaro bike world.

around here, this kinda stuff happens every spring when the weather turns nice. during the winter, there is more of a feeling of mutal respect. when every tom, dick, and harry are out riding that respect flys out the window.

well, if I caught up to the roadie I was "racing" while I was on the sidewalk, and giving up 70lbs in bike and belly, I'd feel superior about myself too :P

Quote:

Originally Posted by seely

I find it so bizarre that a person on a bike would call out someone else on a bike, not to mention disheartening. Its bad enough the cagers are against us so often. :(

I too was surprised when a cyclist shouted at me in my first few days of commuting. I almost fell of my bike with surprise / shock. I had been expecting shouting etc from cagers, but not other cyclists. It actually nearly put me off cycling to work.

I've come to the conclusion that not all cyclists are sound people (though everyone in this forum seems ok...so far! :D ).

Also, I think we're more likely to hear abuse etc from cyclists because they're not in cars. That sounds really lame, but think about it: there's nothing to muffle any sound they utter. So while cagers are probably calling us everything under the sun, we can probably only hear a small percentage of it. The lack of a car means a lack of a buffer for abuse (be it uttered by other cyclists/peds or heard by cyclists)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donkey Hodie

When you passed him, did you make any eye contact with him? Maybe if you looked at him, he took it as condescension. Perhaps he thought you were looking down your nose at him. You did mention, "good for him for getting out and getting some exercise!". As innocent as that comment is, it does have a wee smell of superiority to it. Like, "look at the fat guy on his mountain bike on the sidewalk...good for him for putting an effort into getting some exercise!" Maybe he was just getting from point A to point B by the only means he can afford.

BTW, I like your use of the word rotund.

This is what I was thinking...he quite possibly interpreted your look as a bad thing. Maybe he even felt self conscious to begin with and the look hurt this feelings. So he retorted with "LOSER." It sounds like a misunderstanding on both sides.