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 . 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...