Trapped in a room with bike haters . . .

. . . for the indefinite future!!! :eek::mad::eek:

I've been put on a jury. Bleh. We all had to file into a tiny room for "recess." I was trying to blend into the wall--don't look at anyone, no small-talk. I don't like confrontation and getting involved in people's lives, which one of the two inevitably happens if I make eye contact.

Anywho--somehow the conversations gets on cyclists. Everyone in the room immediately chimes in and gets animated about how obnoxious cyclists are riding on the road. And mockingly saying "it's the law! share the road!"

I just couldn't take it. I had to open my mouth. Do they really want a person going over 20mph on the same sidewalk as their kids play on? Where they walk their dog? Where there would be little to no visibility for cars pulling out of driveways at that speed? The room got very quiet.

And I'll be commuting by bike for the rest of my jury service. Perhaps I will even wear bike shorts--the padding sure would come in handy on those hard, wooden courtroom chairs. Oweeeeeeeeee.

I just want to go back to working in my basement by myself all day. I tend to not like people.

(((limewave))) my college buddies were constantly badmouthing cyclists too (granted the local ones were highly obnoxious and acted like they had more right to the road than anyone else) and i tried my best to tune them out. good luck with the rest of your duty!!

As a former trial attorney - thanks for your service. We truly could not support our system of justice without people like you. :) But on a personal note -sorry you have to hang out with such losers! ;)

I'm so sorry you have to be stuck with such a group of close-minded people. Good for you for speaking your mind!!

I trust you'll have them converted by the time you render a verdict. :) Too bad they all get to park for free while they're serving. :p

+1 on thank you.

I get the same thing from relatives and friends at holiday parties. Yay.

Limewave, I'm with you. From previous conversations here I kinda gathered that you live in a more bike friendly area of Michigan than I do, but apparently not. I don't like being trapped in a room with any people for any reason, so I sympathize with you.

My usual reply is, "I resemble that remark". Why not use it as an opportunity for dialog instead of putting up walls?

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Originally Posted by Irulan

My usual reply is, "I resemble that remark". Why not use it as an opportunity for dialog instead of putting up walls?

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My experience is that most people don't want to dialog. They just want to complain, or yell at me as a representative of people they hate.

Good for you for standing up to them and speaking your mind, Limewave!!
Sorry you have to be stuck with them (and their closed minds about others who are different- heaven help the defendant).
I served jury duty last year, and even tho most of them were nice, there were some totally obnoxiously opinionated people sitting on that jury. Heaven help me if I ever have to go to trial and have a jury. I get the feeling most people in my community are not my "peers." :rolleyes:

Yes, ride your bike, carry your helmet with you and show them that being a cyclist means being one of them, not one of "them" (the unknown person).

I'm glad you stood up for us...especially since I'm one of the local us who you defended. I think most cyclist "haters" would really dislike the situation more if we were forced off the roads. I don't think most of these people think far enough ahead to consider how illogical and difficult for everyone their ideal would be.

I think you definitely should bike to jury duty, now. If anyone gives you crap you can tell 'em that you're helping to lower the price of gas by not using it...supply/demand. ;)

I want to hear the blow by blow. Really, sometimes people amaze me. hang in there.

Oh, Lime, good luck with this jury duty!

I'm so glad you spoke up. Did anyone respond at all? I'm with Mimi -- I want the blow-by-blow. Can you really commute and wear your bike clothes all day, or would you change into something more courtroom-friendly? I'm not sure I'd want to sit in my shorts and jersey all day. Although it would make the point, wouldn't it?


Roxy

I was not confrontational about it (at least I don't think, I sure tried not to be). I was really just trying to make a logical point. See, if you look at this way, it really makes sense for cyclists to be on the road . . .

Most people have their opinions and you really can't change them which is why I usually just keep my mouth shut. But I felt really hypocritical sitting there and not saying something. Especially if they all see me showing up at court tomorrow on my bike taking the LANE at the intersection. The horror!

As a fellow Michigander, thank you for your jury service. Keep us posted and let us know if you manage to turn or sway any opinions, about bikes and not the trial obviously. Good for you for the commuting to duty.

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Originally Posted by limewave

I was not confrontational about it (at least I don't think, I sure tried not to be). I was really just trying to make a logical point. See, if you look at this way, it really makes sense for cyclists to be on the road . . .

Most people have their opinions and you really can't change them which is why I usually just keep my mouth shut. But I felt really hypocritical sitting there and not saying something. Especially if they all see me showing up at court tomorrow on my bike taking the LANE at the intersection. The horror!

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Good for you though. I'm glad you said something, I would do the same in that situation :)

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

Go get 'em Lime! That was great! Thanks for sticking up for us, that kind of thing is what helps.

Now if we could just get bicycle safety to be a part of driver's license tests and renewals.

And while they are at it: how about tax incentives for riding instead of driving.

(Wishes, here, I know).

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SECONDED!
I try, really try, to always wave and be friendly to motorists that pass me and our group. I try to watch out for them and wave them on if it's safe to pass me or hold my hand in warning to signal how many cars are coming that they can't see around the bend yet, but I can. For some, I'm annoying anyway. I can't help them. But maybe, just maybe... by your being there, every day, and being a real, live person who rides a bike, someone they saw every day, will make them think a little. We're not obnoxious obstacles, we're people, and often, we're very nice people.

It's law here in GA now to give us 3 feet. But... who but us cyclists is even aware of that law? How can we get the great majority out there to realize how fast we are going?

Good luck, limewave! You may make them think, or they may just refuse to like you, but at least you are trying. :o

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Originally Posted by grey

SECONDED!
maybe, just maybe... by your being there, every day, and being a real, live person who rides a bike, someone they saw every day, will make them think a little. We're not obnoxious obstacles, we're people, and often, we're very nice people.

Good luck, limewave! You may make them think, or they may just refuse to like you, but at least you are trying. :o

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This.

I was trying to think of a way to say that and you did.

Funny, I go straight from here to Facebook, and here is what I read: A friend of mine in DC almost got knocked over while walking on the sidewalk because of a couple of guys zooming their bikes past her VERY close. The replies:

S: Did they have spandex on??? If they did you should have pushed them off the sidewalk....why?? Just because I hate that look on a bike...yuck. They are all over down here like cockroaches swarming all over the tiny country roads.

and more: All spandex here....ewwww Yeah there were a couple of times I could have gotten them w/the car door but that whole Karma thing got me too. LOL

it woulda been funny. Bowling for bikers!

I was/am hot. My friend knows I ride. Coming up with a response took me a minute, but do you gals think this was moderate enough?

I am one of those "spandex wearers". They should NOT have been on the SIDEWALK. We often ride at speeds over 20 mph and so the roads are where we belong. A bicycle counts as a vehicle, we have to follow the same rules of the road. Sadly, people like those Heather had today ruin it for the rest of us and encourage the same driver aggression that leads to mothers, fathers, friends and community leaders getting killed every year.

Not really a derail, since it's public aggression still. :-(

Another reason why gasoline for cars should cost $10.00/gallon!!

Very reasonable, grey! I hope they inserted foot into mouth.

Care to share the FB page, Grey? I'd kind of like to follow how they respond to you, and be there to back you up should they start flaming your very reasonable response.

Roxy

Once my ex-husband found out my boyfriend was a cyclist, he made some comment about "oh, another reason to hate cyclists even more." But the irony is, he (ex-husband) rides motorcycles and has been hit TWICE by cars and always complained about dangerous drivers...

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Originally Posted by MojoGrrl

the irony is, he (ex-husband) rides motorcycles and has been hit TWICE by cars and always complained about dangerous drivers...

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I think that's just it though. The ones who hate cyclists are the ones who resent the idea that they might have to pay attention while piloting a two-ton vehicle. There are unfortunately some motorcyclists (and some cyclists too, I just encountered one the other night) who feel the same way, and no matter how many times they crash, it's always someone else's fault.

The person comparing cyclists to cockroaches has not responded. My friend did say "Grey, I see bikers here who do try to be careful, but there are so many aggressive and selfish bikers up here that I won't use bike/jog/walk trails now. I am tired of getting bullied just because I walk."
Those cyclists are in the wrong - nobody should be afraid to walk on the shared trail. I know they are probably weekend pleasure riders who don't know to call out "on your left" - still it produces hatred, and that hatred gets moved to the road...

Good for you, Limewave! I'm pretty sure most of the bike haters don't really think about what they're saying, they just see "cyclists" as this strange thing out there that everyone can complain about. Like the weather, or taxes...

That doesn't excuse their behaviour, of course, but I'm betting that's why they all went quiet, because they were suddenly caught out behaving stoopidly :D. Even if you hadn't defended cycling at all, just announcing yourself as a cyclist and a real, normal, sensible person has made a difference.

I often get the "oh, but I don't mean YOU, I mean the ones that do x, y or z". So why not SAY the ones that do x. y or z, then. I don't come into work ranting about all taxi drivers being homicidal maniacs because one of them cut a close corner around me that morning. But it's in peoples nature to categorize, and to complain...

Everyone at my workplace has heard about how I have to fill my gas tank less often because of riding my bike to work. Maybe some of your fellow jurors would benefit from a boldly asserted positive biking statement.

You know, you could come in complaining about all the drivers speeding, running red lights, almost hitting pedestrians, etc. And how some idiot in a <fill in the blank> almost <fill in the blank>.

I do that, but I'm kind of passive-aggressive that way.

Like jury duty doesn't suck enough already; who wants to listen to that?! You could mention that they already make their views perfectly clear when they holler out their windows, beep, attempt to run you off the road, and throw things at you. Geez, all these things have really happened to me. Tell them to stuff it, cuz you're tired of defending yourself.

Hope you can find common ground if/when it comes to deliberating.

One of our guys came up with a good answer to the "they're always running stop signs so they should be banned" sentiment:
Have you ever gone over the speed limit?

Oh, that's different? Could you explain how?

I had a guy ask yesterday (in a very non-confrontational tone) why road cyclists don't use the "bike path" when it's right next to the road. I explained to him that it's because it's less safe to be rolling at 15mph+ on a path that crosses driveways and is shared by slower bikes, pedestrians with headphones, and little kids weaving on bikes...and that we can't stop fast like a car going the same speed.

He actually got it. I think there's a lack of perception of just how fast we can go on road bikes and how difficult it is to stop fast and safely. I really wish there were a nation-wide media campaign to spell these things out. I'd bet that a lot of people simply haven't thought about the safety ramifications for cyclists.

Most people don't think about anything that doesn't directly concern them. It's not that they're evil; they're just oblivious.

Veronica