Going viral on FB: video of a guy pushing cyclist off bike from a driving car

[Gsinill]

This excuse of a human being is calling for a challenge and already got 700K views.
The real scary part are the thousands of "likes" he got.
But even worse, Facebook apparently refuses to take it down because it does not violate their policies!

http://road.cc/content/news/158827-another-video-facebook-shows-cyclist-being-pushed-bike

[tuxbailey]

Isn't this assault?

[8aaron8]

Are you f!@#$ kidding me:mad:

[weisan]

z

[weisan]

zz

[Spdntrxi]

If some how the cyclist could have grabbed an arm.. That guy would have fallen out on the road.. One could wish

[Louis]

The real scary part are the thousands of "likes" he got.
But even worse, Facebook apparently refuses to take it down because it does not violate their policies!

You wonder what the response would have been if the guy in the truck had taken a baseball bat and hit the cyclist in the head? And how exactly would that differ from this?

[Ray]

No, not like the a$$hat in the video.

I got the video on Facebook and reported it and got the same response as noted earlier:

"Thank you for taking the time to report something that you feel may violate our Community Standards. Reports like yours are an important part of making Facebook a safe and welcoming environment. We reviewed the video you reported for containing graphic violence and found it doesn't violate our Community Standards."

That came in a stock email from Facebook, and I sent the following reply (it went to a "no reply" address but I couldn't find anywhere else to send it, so I sent it anyway and didn't expect to ever hear anything else about it):

"It SHOULD violate your community standards and any standards of decency. The little "prank" this guy pulled could very easily get an innocent bike rider killed or seriously injured. Maybe you didn't watch it all the way to the end, but it encourages knocking innocent bike riders off of the road. If that doesn't violate your community standards, it's not a community I want anything to do with!"

And, then much to my surprise, a few minutes later, I got this response:

"We revised our decision on your report of Eoin Maughan's video

We reviewed the video you reported for containing graphic violence. Since it violated our Community Standards, we removed it. Thanks for your report. We let Eoin Maughan know that his video has been removed, but not who reported it."

I'm guessing when they reviewed it the first time, they may have just seen the beginning of the idiot hanging out of the window and didn't follow it through to the act of knocking the guy over. Once I pushed a little (and I have to assume some other people may have also), they took it down.

One win for the good guys!

-Ray

[phcollard]

Good job Ray. Thanks for helping make the Internet a little less stupid.

[snah]

Kudos to you Ray!!

[tiretrax]

Thanks, Ray. I haven't watched the video, but I wonder if the police are investigating the incident. I started wearing a helmet in the 70's after something similar happened to me. It still makes me shudder to think about the incident.

[gasman]

Wow Ray - big thanks to you from the whole cycling community.

Great job.

[Ray]

Good job Ray. Thanks for helping make the Internet a little less stupid.

A drop in the ocean, at best...

-Ray

[Dr Luxurious]

A drop in the ocean, at best...

-Ray

that d-bag needs to be dropped in the ocean - with a bike chained to his ankle.

[Ray]

I just looked back at that original UK roadie site and a number of people report having done the same thing I did. And it sounds like we all got the message at the same time saying they'd reversed their decision. I can only imagine how many other people did out of the several hundred thousand views that post got...

So enough people complained to make them take a second look. I'm glad that triggered a response. It also makes me not necessarily believe all "no-reply" corporate email addresses are really "no-reply" - Facebook evidently puts that in the address to discourage a lot of follow up emails, but there's clearly someone there reviewing them. Particularly when they get a lot of 'em...

-Ray

[bobswire]

I just looked back at that original UK roadie site and a number of people report having done the same thing I did. And it sounds like we all got the message at the same time saying they'd reversed their decision. I can only imagine how many other people did out of the several hundred thousand views that post got...

So enough people complained to make them take a second look. I'm glad that triggered a response. It also makes me not necessarily believe all "no-reply" corporate email addresses are really "no-reply" - Facebook evidently puts that in the address to discourage a lot of follow up emails, but there's clearly someone there reviewing them. Particularly when they get a lot of 'em...

-Ray

Lets hope the guy that was assaulted comes forward and goes to the police with link to many of the videos that are still available of this crime still on line.
Eventually they'll find the lowlife! http://www.thejournal.ie/cyclist-push-2238601-Jul2015/

[Jgrooms]

The surprising thing is that anyone who rides a bike is surprised. Its the wild wide west out there brothers & sisters. We are the acceptable to abuse minority.

[shovelhd]

Ray!!!!!!! Good job man.

[bikingshearer]

Isn't this assault?

If I am remembering my Crim Law class from 30 years ago, I think it would actually be battery, since there was an actual harmful or offensive touching, not just an imminent threat of one.

Of course, the guys who really need the "touching" - preferably with a baseball bat to a part of the body they obviously never use, meaning their heads - are the anus cookies who (a) pushed the cyclist, (b) filmed it, and (c) posted it on YouTube.

[54ny77]

Facebook disabled it, but it's forever cached on the internet.

The pusher should be pushed into prison and treated like the little &^%!$! that he is.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/watch-the-shocking-moment-when-a-passenger-in-a-moving-car-pushes-a-cyclist-off-his-bike-10419688.html

[phcollard]

Facebook disabled it, but it's forever cached on the internet.

The pusher should be pushed into prison and treated like the little &^%!$! that he is.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/watch-the-shocking-moment-when-a-passenger-in-a-moving-car-pushes-a-cyclist-off-his-bike-10419688.html

Note that if you look at his picture the guy doesn't exactly look like a Nobel prize neither. I hope Darwin takes care of him.

[fuzzalow]

Mr. Maughn - far left of the curve. That he can get his cheap thrill outta doin' this tells me all I want to know about this wanker.

Embarrassment to the species. Top of the food chain and this is what we have to show for it - a life lived at the blunt end of how it was taught & lived in high/secondary school. Hey, life is great just takin' the piss, innit?

[Mzilliox]

these 2 young idiots in a pickup tried to do that to me saturday, this better not be some dumb ass new trend for kids...

[Louis]

Well, given all the stuff that happens in the world today, I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that some segment of the population would consider this to be a fun "game."

If sure that if they were caught and dragged into court their lawyers would clean them up, buy them suits and say "until now they've been such good kids - you can't ruin their reputation for one teeny stunt like this."

[velotrack]

Ray, good job. Taking it one step further.

[unterhausen]

car slows down next to me nowadays and I'm ready to grab an arm. I had someone punch me from a car once, and it would have been easy to pull the guy out of the car had I been ready. Fool me once ...

My main regret from that incident is not seeing the jerk lying on the ground.

[Dr Luxurious]

this better not be some dumb ass new trend for kids...

crap.
didn't think of that.
wonderful.

[Louis]

Cows have been living with it for years. They're probably happy to share the pain.

[bikinchris]

Isn't this assault?

Technically, that's battery. Assault is threatening to hurt people in an effort to intimidate. Battery is when you actually touch someone with intent to hurt them.

[jimoots]

No, not like the a$$hat in the video.

I got the video on Facebook and reported it and got the same response as noted earlier:

"Thank you for taking the time to report something that you feel may violate our Community Standards. Reports like yours are an important part of making Facebook a safe and welcoming environment. We reviewed the video you reported for containing graphic violence and found it doesn't violate our Community Standards."

That came in a stock email from Facebook, and I sent the following reply (it went to a "no reply" address but I couldn't find anywhere else to send it, so I sent it anyway and didn't expect to ever hear anything else about it):

"It SHOULD violate your community standards and any standards of decency. The little "prank" this guy pulled could very easily get an innocent bike rider killed or seriously injured. Maybe you didn't watch it all the way to the end, but it encourages knocking innocent bike riders off of the road. If that doesn't violate your community standards, it's not a community I want anything to do with!"

And, then much to my surprise, a few minutes later, I got this response:

"We revised our decision on your report of Eoin Maughan's video

We reviewed the video you reported for containing graphic violence. Since it violated our Community Standards, we removed it. Thanks for your report. We let Eoin Maughan know that his video has been removed, but not who reported it."

I'm guessing when they reviewed it the first time, they may have just seen the beginning of the idiot hanging out of the window and didn't follow it through to the act of knocking the guy over. Once I pushed a little (and I have to assume some other people may have also), they took it down.

One win for the good guys!

-Ray

I have been involved in social media on a corporate level. Every now and then we are the target of bigot/racist hate speach. This response is, sadly, standard.

Facebook always claim they've reviewed and it doesn't violate community standards. As far as I can tell it takes a few reports for them to actually look at it.

[Scuzzer]

The surprising thing is that anyone who rides a bike is surprised.

When I was the only person riding amongst the corn fields of northern Illinois 35 years ago I wouldn't have been surprised since stuff like this happened to me frequently. In 2015 I'm somewhat surprised.

[tuxbailey]

I think I should really consider the camera as a permanent fixture on the bike.

[earlfoss]

It's going to be funny to non-cyclists until he does that to some nut who is packing. Why you'd choose to escalate a situation like this "pusher" does is pretty dang reckless. If the cyclist decided to defend himself with a knife or gun there would be a whole different tint on the situation.

[Dr Luxurious]

If the cyclist decided to defend himself with a knife or gun there would be a whole different tint on the situation.

yeah - the guy on the bike would be in jail and the headlines would read "Vigilante Cyclist Savagely Attacks Man For Harmless Prank"

[rugbysecondrow]

I knew a guy who used to did this. He also was the same guy who took a girls purse at a party and ···· in it. He is also the same guy who picked a fight with the wrong person at a club one night, got his arse beat and a gun put to his head. He was a dick, so I enjoyed seeing him get his, but bad things happen when guns get drawn outside bars, so I ran like hell.

Not sure what become of him, but if he didn't change, he is likely dead or in jail.

[bobswire]

I like to see them try knocking down this guy.. what do you do when you come upon a car blocking a bike lane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luNGjffDjCs

[Ray]

It's going to be funny to non-cyclists until he does that to some nut who is packing. Why you'd choose to escalate a situation like this "pusher" does is pretty dang reckless. If the cyclist decided to defend himself with a knife or gun there would be a whole different tint on the situation.

I don't know how a cyclist is gonna be able to react quickly enough to get a gun or knife out in the time this happens. For sure, he might be able to get up, chase, and catch the guy at a light or something, but I doubt this is happening where there are a lot of stop lights. And the idea isn't to meet violence with more violence - it's to stop the FIRST idiot, not create a second one... IMHO anyway.

-Ray

[BobO]

And the idea isn't to meet violence with more violence - it's to stop the FIRST idiot, not create a second one... IMHO anyway.

While I agree with this statement, there are those among us (in the greater sense) who only understand violence. Bullies don't stop until they get punched in the mouth. I know a guy who got hit in the back by a half-full beer can. At the next stop light the offender was dragged through the passenger side window and stomped in the gut. Maybe that wasn't the right thing to do, but I have a hard time faulting the man for doing it.

[denapista]

The idea isn't to use violence, but that would be in a perfect world.

I still find it mind boggling that people have this extreme hate for people on bikes. Is it some type of channeling anger fixation with a vulnerable object? My old mentor met me for lunch and he asked about my cycling life, he said "You're one of those people holding me up all the time, taking up the road!" I was like how much time are you going to lose by simply going around us. He didn't even refer to me like I was a human being. Weird. I would love for someone to conduct a study on why people hate cyclists on the road so much.

[rugbysecondrow]

While I agree with this statement, there are those among us (in the greater sense) who only understand violence. Bullies don't stop until they get punched in the mouth. I know a guy who got hit in the back by a half-full beer can. At the next stop light the offender was dragged through the passenger side window and stomped in the gut. Maybe that wasn't the right thing to do, but I have a hard time faulting the man for doing it.

I recently saw this video, of Buzz Aldrin punching a smarmy and rude guy in the face for calling him a coward and a liar. I love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wcrkxOgzhU

Buzz Aldrin is old school, from a time when you didn't run your mouth and treat people with utter disrespect lest you get your teeth shoved down your throat. Some might think Buzz was wrong, but I don't. If more people realized their behavior might result in an ass kicking or a punch to the nose, they might think twice about being jerks.

Bringing this back to the conversation at hand, civility is often maintained by the threat of violence. With kids being taught "its never ok to punch somebody", "fighting doesn't solve your problems"...well that just isn't true. Adults mind their Ps and Qs because they learned school yard lessons about actions and consequences. The internet emboldens people too, allows them to act in ways they never would in person.

Anyway, folks might disagree, and thats OK, but violence isn't the only tool, but it sure as hell is a tool.

[denapista]

We're ruling out the easy accessibility to firearms in today's times. I mean when I was a teenager, it was pretty easy to get a gun, but not super easy to get a registered one where people feel they can carry all the time. any Joe Blow can go into Turners and fill out a paper and swipe his/her visa for a .45 caliber hand cannon.

when I was really young, fighting was the way you solved problems with neighborhood kids, until guns got into the mix. A kid loses his teeth, he walks home and grabs his .380 and opens fire on you. LA life. You run up on some dweeb who cut you off, he/she may have a registered pistol in their car and they damn sure will use it and claim self defense even though they were being he aggressor.

Our parents grew up in an era where fire arms weren't easily accessible and everywhere in people's trunks. Fists were all that you had. You have to pick and choose your battles these days. Ask yourself is it worth spending the res of your life, or even a few years in prison for some ass hat who cut you off...

[JAllen]

This happening is so upsetting. I have an extremely hard time not having my rage get triggered by this, but I'm not sure who I'm more angry with. The idiots of the world sucking up our resources without giving anything more than pain and anguish in return, or the "authorities" who have such a lackluster response you feel the need to check their pulse. Blood is spilling out there on the daily and not a damned thing is done about it.

Justice is blind alright...

[soulspinner]

I got the airhorn treatment on a ride yesterday and they got close to do it. Scared the the bejeebs out of me. This guy should have his hands put in revolving spokes.........

[BobO]

We're ruling out the easy accessibility to firearms in today's times.

The issue is a good bit more complicated than that. Statistically gun violence is down substantially from where it peaked in the 70's and 80's. Furthermore, many of the places where guns are most easily obtained have lower violence than places like southern California and New York. There is enough variation in some of the big picture details that discredit the simplicity of the "accessible gun" argument. I find that it is less about the tools of violence and more about a culture of intolerance between everyone. There simply isn't enough live and let live.

It was asked above, why such hatred towards cyclists. I firmly believe it is due to a lack of social conformity. We live in a world that tries to push people into narrow little boxes. When people don't fit they become a pariah worthy of disdain and hatred from one or more "mainstream" groups. Cyclists are for all intents and purposes social pariahs on the roadways and therefore a target.

[Louis]

It was asked above, why such hatred towards cyclists. I firmly believe it is due to a lack of social conformity. We live in a world that tries to push people into narrow little boxes. When people don't fit they become a pariah worthy of disdain and hatred from one or more "mainstream" groups. Cyclists are for all intents and purposes social pariahs on the roadways and therefore a target.

Agreed. We are the other, and therefore fair game to some idiots who I guess feel weak. Somehow doing this, blowing the air horn, or passing cyclists with a 1" margin (or worse) gives them a thrill and empowers them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other

[Jgrooms]

Buzz is packing a stiff right hand jab! If he'd wound one up the talker would have been lights out.

[BobO]

Somehow doing this, blowing the air horn, or passing cyclists with a 1" margin (or worse) gives them a thrill and empowers them.

It reinforces their position in a majority group by striking out against the immorality of an outsider.

https://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2013/02/why-motorists-get-so-angry-cyclists-psychologists-theory

[Jgrooms]

It reinforces their position in a majority group by striking out against the immorality of an outsider.



https://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2013/02/why-motorists-get-so-angry-cyclists-psychologists-theory


I agree with this. And add my additional theory that as society has become dominated by sedentary fatties, we are viewed as an even greater outlier to society's 'norm'.

I've been riding a long time and I hear crap from fat drivers I never heard 20 yrs ago. And my ears are always attuned to the coworker or acquaintance and their often not very veiled comments on being fit & cycling.

[Mzilliox]

I agree with this. And add my additional theory that as society has become dominated by sedentary fatties, we are viewed as an even greater outlier to society's 'norm'.

I've been riding a long time and I hear crap from fat drivers I never heard 20 yrs ago. And my ears are always attuned to the coworker or acquaintance and their often not very veiled comments on being fit & cycling.

what is it about choosing to use my body to do things that pisses people off?

from cycling instead of driving, to hand tools instead of power tools, to simply choosing a parking spot further away and walking.

today i saw a man in a huge truck almost pull out in front of me to turn right onto the road. I mouthed "don't even think about it". no way he heard me speak, but he saw my lips move and gave me a dirty look and put his arm in the air like "what?". he did wait to pull out, but then pulled out like an idiot, spinning the tires a bit and making a huge sound with his huge truck. he held his fist out the window at me as if to say "haha, I'm faster than you".

I gave him the thumbs up, because its better than a middle finger.

people are jerks, maybe even some of you, and maybe me sometimes too.

[pro12tc]

And add my additional theory that as society has become dominated by sedentary fatties, we are viewed as an even greater outlier to society's 'norm'.

I second your theory. It sometimes feels like we're living in the world portrayed in the movie Wall-E.

[rugbysecondrow]

I second your theory. It sometimes feels like we're living in the world portrayed in the movie Wall-E.

But cyclists are an easy group because they are typically smaller, thinner, less threatening looking, and also less ready to kick some ass. Runners don't get it because that person is standing there ready. Weight lifters and other fitness oriented folks don't get it because that fattie would get a hand full. Cyclists, well maybe 6' tall, 165 pounds...that doesn't scare many people. As a 6'2", 225# cyclist, I am well outside the normal range and I rarely got hassled on the road. In fact, I get more flack from other cyclists then I did from motorists.

[zap]

But cyclists are an easy group because they are typically smaller, thinner, less threatening looking, and also less ready to kick some ass. Runners don't get it because that person is standing there ready. Weight lifters and other fitness oriented folks don't get it because that fattie would get a hand full. Cyclists, well maybe 6' tall, 165 pounds...that doesn't scare many people. As a 6'2", 225# cyclist, I am well outside the normal range and I rarely got hassled on the road. In fact, I get more flack from other cyclists then I did from motorists.



Some motorist do make the mistake of thinking that thin cyclists are not a threat. Sometimes they are very wrong.

Now, why do you get more flack from cyclists.

[rugbysecondrow]

Some motorist do make the mistake of thinking that thin cyclists are not a threat. Sometimes they are very wrong.

Now, why do you get more flack from cyclists.

This might be a very brutally honest answer, but cyclists are disproportionally an unkind, unfriendly, rude bunch of people. Whether it is blowing through a stoplight I am sitting at, passing me with no notification, yelling at me for slowing down when the police have the road closed in front of me...I could go on. Cyclists have earned much of their reputation. I have played many sports, been the new guy quite a few times, and the culture of cycling is just not a friendly one. It is least welcoming and friendly of any activity I have ever participated in.

They seem fine off the bike and in life, but something about being on the bike turns many into jerks.

[George Ab]

Thank you Ray for taking the time to get this video removed. You de man!

[BobO]

They seem fine off the bike and in life, but something about being on the bike turns many into jerks.

Not that I want to defend rude behavior, but,...

At least in the terms of bikes in groups and close riding the consequences for mistakes can be quite high. Even a slight momentary lapse can put someone on the ground quickly. I think this reality might cause a brutal lack of tolerance to mistakes. When it comes to drivers making mistakes the same idea applies.

Again, does not excuse being a jerk for no good reason.

[William]

This might be a very brutally honest answer, but cyclists are disproportionally an unkind, unfriendly, rude bunch of people. Whether it is blowing through a stoplight I am sitting at, passing me with no notification, yelling at me for slowing down when the police have the road closed in front of me...I could go on. Cyclists have earned much of their reputation. I have played many sports, been the new guy quite a few times, and the culture of cycling is just not a friendly one. It is least welcoming and friendly of any activity I have ever participated in.

They seem fine off the bike and in life, but something about being on the bike turns many into jerks.

As an aside:

Look, I'll be honest, this is the one thing about cycling I've never really understood. I've been riding for a long time and I raced for quite a few years, and overall rugby is right. Don't get me wrong, I've met many wonderful people over the years through cycling, but I've also been involved in many sports and cycling was the most unfriendly/snobbish to break into. It's weird but true IMO. My first year of racing I had a cheap Fuji Roubaix and the unending snide comments and looks I would get were crazy. I took particular glee in hammering people and beating them on my cheap bike. And the ones who would say particularly unfriendly stuff during races (and it had nothing to do with bike handling) were always very apologetic or played dumb if I wanted to "discuss" things with them afterward. What is about being on a bike that makes you think you can say or do stuff that you won't have to be answerable to when you get off the saddle?

I don't race these days and I mostly solo ride so I don't know if it's still as unfriendly as it was then, but the looks or percentage of non-reaction I get when acknowledging other riders on the road makes me think it's not too much different.

As Ruby said, there just seems to be something about cycling that turns some people into jerks. And I say that as a long time cyclist.








William

[earlfoss]

Cyclists can't hold a candle to triathletes in terms of jerky, self-absorbed, snobby attitudes! I live at ground zero in Madison, WI where they run the IM Wisconsin every year. You wouldn't believe some of the behavior and weird stuff that community does until you witness it for yourself.

[zap]

This might be a very brutally honest answer, but cyclists are disproportionally an unkind, unfriendly, rude bunch of people. Whether it is blowing through a stoplight I am sitting at, passing me with no notification, yelling at me for slowing down when the police have the road closed in front of me...I could go on. Cyclists have earned much of their reputation. I have played many sports, been the new guy quite a few times, and the culture of cycling is just not a friendly one. It is least welcoming and friendly of any activity I have ever participated in.

They seem fine off the bike and in life, but something about being on the bike turns many into jerks.

In my experience, if you are getting flack from cyclists you are doing something wrong. You should be used to getting passed with zero notification-the reasons for passing silently are justified.

I too have played many team sports?Rugby included. Agreed cyclists and cycling groups can be unkind. Cycling is a very different sport and a sketchy cyclist in a group can impact lives negatively. It is rare for someone to take a new (or sketchy) cyclist aside and teach them all the finer points of cycling and cycling in a group.

[gdw]

Unfortunately I have to agree with Rugby's and William's posts. This topic would make an interesting thread if we could keep it civil.

[William]

In my experience, if you are getting flack from cyclists you are doing something wrong. You should be used to getting passed with zero notification-the reasons for passing silently are justified.

I too have played many team sports?Rugby included. Agreed cyclists and cycling groups can be unkind. Cycling is a very different sport and a sketchy cyclist in a group can impact lives negatively. It is rare for someone to take a new (or sketchy) cyclist aside and teach them all the finer points of cycling and cycling in a group.

Not saying you are wrong at all, I know that aspect. In my experience it had nothing to do with bike handling. I had better handling skills than most coming in and had the benefit of top riders on our team who shared and worked with us. No, this was just azzholery.





William

[unterhausen]

I think most cyclists are pretty nice on the bike too. There is no doubt that there are enough jerks that it's pretty constant, particularly among racers. Of course, if you look at any group of competitive athletes, you are going to find a higher percentage of jerks

[zap]

Not saying you are wrong at all, I know that aspect. In my experience it had nothing to do with bike handling. I had better handling skills than most coming in and had the benefit of top riders on our team who shared and worked with us. No, this was just azzholery.





William

Believe me, nothing surprises me.

You should see some of the dirty looks I get from road cyclists when I'm out riding my mtb on the road.

[rugbysecondrow]

In my experience, if you are getting flack from cyclists you are doing something wrong. You should be used to getting passed with zero notification-the reasons for passing silently are justified.

I too have played many team sports?Rugby included. Agreed cyclists and cycling groups can be unkind. Cycling is a very different sport and a sketchy cyclist in a group can impact lives negatively. It is rare for someone to take a new (or sketchy) cyclist aside and teach them all the finer points of cycling and cycling in a group.

Sorry my man, I just disagree. Whether it be a lone cyclist or a group of them at an organized ride, they are just as unpleasant. I also disagree about them giving me flack being my fault. I am not perfect, I don't claim to be, but being an asshole is a personal decision, one many cyclists have chosen to own. Like I wrote before, when they are on off the bike, they are fine people, but once the bike and helmet come out, it is like a different person takes over.

[cfox]

This might be a very brutally honest answer, but cyclists are disproportionally an unkind, unfriendly, rude bunch of people. Whether it is blowing through a stoplight I am sitting at, passing me with no notification, yelling at me for slowing down when the police have the road closed in front of me...I could go on. Cyclists have earned much of their reputation. I have played many sports, been the new guy quite a few times, and the culture of cycling is just not a friendly one. It is least welcoming and friendly of any activity I have ever participated in.

They seem fine off the bike and in life, but something about being on the bike turns many into jerks.

100% agree, unfortunately. I have written almost the exact paragraph several times on this forum. I don't know what it is about cycling, but like you say, it's easily the most unfriendly bunch of any sport I've ever been a part of. I try my best to not live up to this stereotype, but my friendliness is seldom returned. Lots of big chips on scrawny shoulders out there.

I don't think this has anything to do with why drivers don't like cyclists. There isn't enough interaction between the two parties for that. Driving is an annoying chore most people hate, simple as that. It's something most people just want to get over with, and the sense of even more time being wasted sends some drivers into a tizzy. And it may feel like cyclists are singled out by drivers, but drivers get pissed at other drivers more. It's more a symptom of driving itself, not something inherent to cycling.

[JAllen]

100% agree, unfortunately. I have written almost the exact paragraph several times on this forum. I don't know what it is about cycling, but like you say, it's easily the most unfriendly bunch of any sport I've ever been a part of. I try my best to not live up to this stereotype, but my friendliness is seldom returned. Lots of big chips on scrawny shoulders out there.

I don't think this has anything to do with why drivers don't like cyclists. There isn't enough interaction between the two parties for that. Driving is an annoying chore most people hate, simple as that. It's something most people just want to get over with, and the sense of even more time being wasted sends some drivers into a tizzy. And it may feel like cyclists are singled out by drivers, but drivers get pissed at other drivers more. It's more a symptom of driving itself, not something inherent to cycling.

That's so true, but at the same time there is this strange sort of love too. Or at least to entertain the thought of not driving is like a living Hell to them. Something about the motor vehicle just makes people change. Everyone is suddenly an enemy to be vanquished or a challenger to their rights.

As far as the coldness of other cyclists, I think it depends on what kind of cycling they do. I have some close friends who do "rando style rides" and/or CX. They are really nice, but maybe that has more to do with them being my friend. I can't speak to mountain biking, but I've heard that they are friendly enough. I think the stereotype mostly pertains to roadies being the most elitist. I fall in the category of utilitarian riding and wanting to jump into touring. The last two are very friendly to me, but that could be due to them being a hodgepodge group. I feel like I can relate to Rugby's frustrations as I'm a large sized rider too (and maybe feel slightly like an outsider due to that?). I have some of the same complaints of others being less of a symbiotic roadway participant. I just feel that the road can be a dangerous place if we aren't willing to give to others and conduct ourselves with respect.

[Seramount]

...but being an asshole is a personal decision, one many cyclists have chosen to own.

I don't find any greater percentage of assholes in cycling than in the general population.

a lot of people are rude, inconsiderate, self-centered slobs...and some of them happen to ride bikes.

imo, if you're using not waving, not announcing as criteria to condemn people as aholes, you're skewing the data unnecessarily.

[rugbysecondrow]

I don't find any greater percentage of assholes in cycling than in the general population.

a lot of people are rude, inconsiderate, self-centered slobs...and some of them happen to ride bikes.

imo, if you're using not waving, not announcing as criteria to condemn people as aholes, you're skewing the data unnecessarily.

My man, I articulated my reasons and none had to do with waving. As you can see from the others who have chimed in, this seems to be a common affliction.

[fuzzalow]

HaHa! My post here contributes nothing but it is cathartic for me so I'll add my plus one.

I agree with some of the previous posts in saying that as a very generalized overview, cyclists are the biggest group of insecure, chip-on-the-shoulder douche bags I have had the displeasure to come across as a sporting subculture. Me oh my goodness me! Especially the small band of racer-boys each wearing matching kit marauding & terrorizing the highways and byways of cycling pathways (So brave! So fast! So cool! ;)). How tragic it must be to so want to be recognized for whatever fantasy is at play in their heads when they ride.

I am not insecure. I laugh at them. They remind me why the general public hates us. Yes, we are all riding bikes but there's no way I'd ever wanna be any part of that stupidity.

But the general public sees us all as one and the same - obnoxious idiots riding bikes! Hey I'm not with them and I'm JRA!