Verbal abuse from pedestrians is ruining my um... self esteem?
April 16, 2014 2:21 AM Subscribe
I have been called names, told to fuck-off, get-fucked, threatened with violence, menaced with stares and gritted teeth, had cigarettes flicked at me and my path deliberately blocked by males in a pack seeking only my submission and figurative sand kicked in my face. For riding a push-bike. Lawfully. And respectfully.
I have been commuting to and from work for health, money and reasons of efficiency for a few months. My route takes me from my front door to my workplace 80% along dedicated cycle lanes, shared ped-bike paths or the awesome bicentennial bikeway - which is a highway for bikes. Along a few sections of the route, including one section in what is really a pedestrian precint near the riverside, with restaurants and a major river-ferry terminal, popular with tourists and drunk office workers, but also cyclists, joggers, locals walking their dogs etc, and clearly and regularly sign-posted as a "shared area" where it is mandatory to i) Give way to pedestrians but also ii) Sound your bell - I am abused verbally almost every day. By pedestrians in this stretch. I'm a local, I can spot the tourists and I basically cut them every bit of slack. I get off. I never raise my voice. I only ding my bell to gently and politely warn that I am there, that I'm coming, that I've seen you, have you seen me, heard me, will you keep left please?
Tourists don't abuse me and rarely do the revellers - local pedestrians do. Most typically middle-aged males and young females exercising. I also observe this happening to other cyclists, riding at walking pace (not easy). Dog owners dont abuse me, and neither do people with kids because I always slow way down, even stop, for kids, dogs and the oblivious headphone wearing ones. I really try to not be an asshole cyclist. I'm never in a hurry to get home. I'm just riding my bike with daggy/baggy shorts, no lycra, the lights required by law and a big non-aerodynamic backpack with my work-gym stuff crammed in it.
I want to hear from pedestrians who share routes with cyclists. What annoys you? Hearing the bell or NOT hearing the bell and then having a cyclist whisper past you with a hairs-breadth between your elbow and mine? Do you verbally abuse cyclists riding past you with all care and at a speed so slow they can barely maintain momentum? Because I'm thinking about chucking it in and catching the stinking bus everyday. I get less abuse!
I have been commuting to and from work for health, money and reasons of efficiency for a few months. My route takes me from my front door to my workplace 80% along dedicated cycle lanes, shared ped-bike paths or the awesome bicentennial bikeway - which is a highway for bikes. Along a few sections of the route, including one section in what is really a pedestrian precint near the riverside, with restaurants and a major river-ferry terminal, popular with tourists and drunk office workers, but also cyclists, joggers, locals walking their dogs etc, and clearly and regularly sign-posted as a "shared area" where it is mandatory to i) Give way to pedestrians but also ii) Sound your bell - I am abused verbally almost every day. By pedestrians in this stretch. I'm a local, I can spot the tourists and I basically cut them every bit of slack. I get off. I never raise my voice. I only ding my bell to gently and politely warn that I am there, that I'm coming, that I've seen you, have you seen me, heard me, will you keep left please?
Tourists don't abuse me and rarely do the revellers - local pedestrians do. Most typically middle-aged males and young females exercising. I also observe this happening to other cyclists, riding at walking pace (not easy). Dog owners dont abuse me, and neither do people with kids because I always slow way down, even stop, for kids, dogs and the oblivious headphone wearing ones. I really try to not be an asshole cyclist. I'm never in a hurry to get home. I'm just riding my bike with daggy/baggy shorts, no lycra, the lights required by law and a big non-aerodynamic backpack with my work-gym stuff crammed in it.
I want to hear from pedestrians who share routes with cyclists. What annoys you? Hearing the bell or NOT hearing the bell and then having a cyclist whisper past you with a hairs-breadth between your elbow and mine? Do you verbally abuse cyclists riding past you with all care and at a speed so slow they can barely maintain momentum? Because I'm thinking about chucking it in and catching the stinking bus everyday. I get less abuse!
This post was deleted for the following reason: I'm sorry, but this needs a narrower, more practical focus to work well here, and perhaps be a bit more neutrally worded if we want to avoid a general debate on traffic. Contact us if you have any questions, thanks. -- goodnewsfortheinsane
This thread is closed to new comments.
Not that it matters what annoys me. From what you say all cyclists in that area suffer that kind of abuse. So whatever we tell you won't make any difference. My only suggestion would be to either find a different route or get off and walk across this space - if you're already having to slow down to walking speed for this stretch you may as well.
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:33 AM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]