Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=internet-bob.10806.0833.eml
From: Richard Risemberg <rickrise(AT)earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 08:30:26 -0700
Subject: [BOB] More on Road Snobs (Moron Road snobs?)

Well, I will partially retract my statement of a week or so ago that  
anti-cyclist sentiment is entirely in drivers' heads, having had an  
encounter with a bunch of roadie snobs on my Mulholland ride (which I  
left out of the story).

Riding heavy (U-lock et al) and with not enough sleep, I wasn't  
exactly Mr. Zippy on the road after that big climb.  And apparently  
there was a big training ride or unsanctioned race routed along it  
too, though presumably they had driven to the start in cars.

Anyway, I was passed a couple of times by breakaways of two to six  
intense riders, who of course did not respond to greetings from a non- 
lycra'd old man on a fendered bike.

In the next two breakaways, a couple of guys did say Hi, but again no  
one responded to a friendly Hello from me--and I wasn't asking them  
to marry me, just being civil the way people are in public.  (Car  
drivers are so rarely civil because they don't believe they are in  
public.)

A third breakaway came up as we all approached the intersections of  
Coldwater Canyon and Mulholland, a complex and dangerous one, by the  
way: Mulholland merges into Coldwater, they run as one road with two  
names for half a mile, then Mulholland diverges away from Coldwater  
at an intersection with a major park and a residential road.

These nylon-wrapped clowns blew through ALL the stop signs and red  
lights without even slowing down, and a big, strung-out cluster of  
them rather self-importantly just arrogated the right-of-way  
belonging to several cars waiting at the divergence of Mulholland and  
Coldwater, zipping through part of the intersection IN THE WRONG  
LANE, while the drivers and pedestrians around shook their heads and  
made faces. No eye contact from the roadies, no nods, no "Excuse me,"  
just unadulterated arrogance.

Not only that, but these jerks also brushed back a squad of old  
ladies who were trying to cross the road and who had the green light!

A good dozen people who now think cyclists are arrogant bastards.

I waited at my signal as ostentatiously as I could, hoping to counter  
the impression, but from the looks on the faces, I don't think I  
did.  Hell, I was one against forty or so.

The rest of the peloton, which caught up with me much more slowly a  
few miles later, seemed nice enough and even chatted a while as we  
rode together. But the road snobs out front made a lot of bad  
publicity for cycling yesterday. I'm pretty sure their behavior  
didn't get better as they got more tired.

I know this is just one data point, but man, it was a pretty blatant  
one.

You know, I hear a lot of bashing of fixsters and messengers here,  
but I'm downtown ALL THE TIME on garment business, and I don't see  
them behaving like that. And they get paid more for delivering faster.

For that matter, even Critical Mass behaves better, and gets plenty  
of thumbs-up from drivers here in LA, despite its own brand of  
obnoxiousness.

Had to vent, sorry.

Rick "tarred with that same brush, no doubt" Risemberg
--
Richard Risemberg
http://www.bicyclefixation.com
http://www.newcolonist.com
http://www.rickrise.com





_______________________________________________
Internet-bob mailing list
Internet-bob(AT)bikelist.org
search and browse the archives: http://search.bikelist.org
unsubscribe: 
http://www.bikelist.org/mailman/listinfo/internet-bob