[kpennell]

If you read the comments on any reel/post about cycling on Instagram, you really get a sense of how many people actually think about cyclists. I've seen comments like 'cyclists are subhuman' or other ones gets thousands and thousands of favorites. People really are in a hurry now and cyclists are just something to barely dodge for many of them. And even when cyclists get hit/killed, 25% of the time the driver doesn't stop. Cyclists (in many place) are basically sacrificing their lives to try to help build critical mass for what should be a more standard way of getting around.

Cycling is more pro-social, better for the environment, takes up less space on the roads and for parking, and also helps against the obesity crisis. It should not be so dangerous in so many places.

[UncleOxidant]

There was a post on our local NextDoor a few years back where a woman cyclist was asking if anyone had seen the car that struck her while she was cycling on one of the main drags in town. She was injured and wanted to get info for a police report and insurance info. The comments were so awful that I quit NextDoor. Most of them were blaming her because she was biking - they hadn't seen anything, they just assumed that the person biking must've been at fault. I remember one said something to the effect of "You cyclists are slowing us all down! Stay off the road!". Made me realize that I live in proximity to a bunch of shitty human beings and I guess I would have preferred to stay in the "ignorance is bliss" stage of not knowing.

[FridgeSeal]

I remember being told something about how the pane of glass of a windscreen/display/etc has an interesting psychological effect on humans, where sort of dissociates us from the reality of the moment.

I don’t know the extent, or how true it is in reality, but from my experience as a cyclist, dealing with drivers, I’d definitely believe it. Get someone out of the car and you can watch the patina of confidence and self-righteousness slide off in real time.

[TechBro8615]

I hate cyclists when I'm in a car. I hate cars when I'm cycling. And I hate pedestrians when I'm walking, cycling or driving.

[renewiltord]

I don't know, man. My experience in the Bay Area is that most people are trying to make the best of what they're in and they're usually kind. Cars will make room for me to lane split, other drivers will get out of the merge lane to make room, and cyclists and pedestrians are usually doing the right thing.

Overall, I'd say I like my fellow road users. They're kind to me generally and I try to do my best to them.

[ryukoposting]

Incidentally, I also hate cars while I'm in a car.

[bryanlarsen]

Do you really hate pedestrians when walking? My experience is more like this oatmeal cartoon:

https://theoatmeal.com/pl/minor_differences/cutting_off

[AceJohnny2]

> to help build critical mass...

I don't know if you did that in purpose, but Critical Mass is the name of the San Francisco cyclist advocacy group

https://www.sfcriticalmass.org

[OfSanguineFire]

My own experience with Critical Mass in several cities in Europe has left me with mixed feelings. It’s one thing for a few cyclists in the stream to stand at an intersection and block traffic until the whole stream of hundreds of bikes has passed. But I have repeatedly seen cyclists not only block a car from passing the intersection, but begin thumping on its hood and shouting insults – and not because the car is trying to proceed, but because the cyclists are high on some sense of tribal unity. This does not boost public sympathy for cyclists, which is supposedly why we are all riding together in the first place.

The problem is perhaps that Critical Mass is a free-for-all where participants don’t have to participate in any initial orientation and be told “Please don’t be a jerk”. Any time human beings come together in big groups, that is a necessity, and cyclists are no exception.

[kpennell]

yep :) love critical mass and the various bike parties (offshoot of CM). Related: https://www.harvard.com/book/two_wheels_good/ This book is such an amazing read for anyone into cycling.

[flopsamjetsam]

Also all through Australia!

[bifrost]

That group is terrible.

Routinely f'ed up my ability to get home as a teenager.

The SF Bicycle Coalition are even worse though, especially because they're funded by tax dollars.

[dools]

> I've seen comments like 'cyclists are subhuman'

I predict a large overlap between those people and the people cheering on vigilante violence against Just Stop Oil protesters.

[georgeplusplus]

Ah yes, those people.

Ironic how you replied to a comment about a group of people being subhuman with pointing out that the opposing group is in fact the subhuman group. Very mature.

[nimbleplum40]

When you say “cyclist friendly” do you mean “fully physically protected bike lanes”? Lots of cities paint on bike lanes (often in the door zone of parked cars…) then people are confused when cyclists often don’t use them. But if they aren’t safe or are always obstructed by parked cars, it’s really not that helpful…

[FridgeSeal]

> my city spent hundreds of millions rebuilding downtown infrastructure to be cyclist friendly

Not that you probably care, but in most places, investment and growth of cycling results in a net gain for the community and government, both directly and indirectly.

Cycling infrastructure is cheap to put in, cheap to maintain, and has social + health benefits too. The state + city I live in love putting in cycling infra (even if it’s a bit flawed and wonky) because it literally gains money. Road maintenance costs go down, short and long-term health spending decreases because people are healthier.

[kspacewalk2]

What city is that, dude?

[cmh89]

There is a zero percent chance your city spent "hundreds of millions" to rebuild anything to be cyclists friendly.

> it’s also almost like being a cyclist instantly turns you in to an egomaniac with a death wish,

Cyclists are paying far far far far more attention than your average driver. Motorist kills 50k Americans a year.

[whalesalad]

The problem is all the rapha weekend warriors blocking roads. I’m a cyclist and a car enthusiast and so I straddle the line between both groups. Obviously cyclists are the underdog here but they aren’t all angels.

[Gigachad]

So the thousands of uber eats drivers blocking the roads to transport a sandwich are a non issue, but a tiny number of people using the roads to go somewhere on the weekend are?

[nimbleplum40]

Is there safe bike infrastructure on these roads? If not, where else are they supposed to ride?

[snappy173]

No, that’s not actually “the problem”

[rpearl]

*using roads

[cmh89]

I've never heard of this, are cyclists in your area just sitting in the road?

[gedy]

Yeah honestly the bikers that I hear people rage about are the folks who ride in the middle of roads, especially uphill, and who don't even try to let folks pass. They get mad at people driving slowly like that too.

Independent of who's "right", when I bike, I don't do that, and can't say I've ever had anyone in a car angry at me.