eDWaRD WooDWaRD wrote:Guy's street wrote:On the guide dog thing - I read a tweet last night that showed that despite the "25% of guide dogs have been hit by evil cyclists" headlines, this actually equated to 16 reported incidents out of 320 guide-dogs currently active in London, and that there was no specific timescale put on how long these 16 incidents took place over.
That's the thing though - no one says "guide dogs hit by EVIL cyclists". That's exactly the kind of self-victimisation that irks me so much: "It's just an anti-cyclist agenda, everyone's on our case, so we're just going to keep doing what we're doing". So, that tweet questions "the timescale on how long these 16 incidents took place over". Does that matter? Do these blind people have an anti-cyclist agenda as well, and therefore sod them? I can understand being confrontational with aggressive/careless/clueless drivers and stupid pedestrians, but blind people? Really? Not even the slightest consideration?
eDWaRD WooDWaRD wrote:That's the thing though - no one says "guide dogs hit by EVIL cyclists".
eDWaRD WooDWaRD wrote:The sooner some of the members of the cycling community stop seeing themselves as victims, dragging out examples of other road users who misbehave in order to justify their own refusal to adjust their behaviour for the common good, maybe then they will encounter less hostility. I've seen rude, aggressive, dangerous drivers and pedestrians, but none seem as militant as this small core of cyclists. And if you feel that you're targeted, do you really think even more demonstrative jumping of red lights, cycling on pavements id going to help? I really try to be sympathetic, appeasing even, but I am now starting to think that if you offer a finger, they'll take the whole hand. I find the attitude frustrating and infuriating. It's really not helping.
Thebunhouse wrote:But there you go again lumping them all in together, as if everyone who cycles behaves the same.I haven't joined this debate before but I do believe EW makes some valid points, cyclists seem much like Shakespear's lady in that they do protest too much.
Guy's street wrote:My complaint is that we all get tarred with the same brush, whether that's about behaviour on (or off) the road, or our attitudes.
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