In article ,
Zoot Katz writes:
Thu, 6 May 2004 20:01:28 -0700, ,
(Tom Keats) wrote:

....

Bike-haters were just born that way.

The stereotypes and prejudices are built into the car-centric culture,
language and infrastructure. It's reinforced by restrictive
legislation and redneck radio.

There are some who really have a hate-on for bikes and the people
who ride them. I think it springs more from nature than nurture.
These people seem to have a pathological need to hate something/
somebody, and bikes are one target of opportunity. I suppose
there are elements of both nature and nurture in their attitudes.

Few drivers envy us even when we're
scooping them. Instead they resent us and so blame us for their
impotence in gridlock. We threaten their paradigm.

Most people, when annoyed by someone on a bike for some reason or
other, will feel some consternation with that individual; then
they'll get over it and move on, and think about what's for dinner
or something, instead -- without deciding that all cyclists are a
blight on society. And then there's the few for whom the mere
presence of a rider on the road, doing nothing wrong, sets them off.

We've heard the conjecture that this is the result of accumulated
bad experiences & encounters with cyclists. I don't believe it is.
I think their anger and hate is simply innate; it's their natures
to be like that. That's what I mean when I say bike-haters were
just born that way. In which case it's futile to ride extra
'nicely' just to prevent them from going off on a jag and griping
about cyclists not contributing road taxes, and demanding that
we pay insurance/registration/license fees just like drivers
(we here know many cyclists do, in fact, contribute all that.)

So, maybe some few times it /is/ malice rather than ignorance,
incompetence, or insensibility. I'm almost tempted to email
Mordecai Richler and ask him what he thinks about it, but I
might just **** him off for pestering him. I don't even know
if he rides.


cheers,
Tom

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