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Actually, what the kid in the SUV said included an expletive (the king of expletives), but this is a family friendly blog.
I recently had an old mountain bike (a Giant Iguana, from 1987) converted to make it more efficient and useful for commuting to work. This is a way to get a bit more exercise, save $$$ on gas, and do my small part for the environment. Plus, I simply enjoy the ride.
On my way home Friday evening, I was at a crosswalk waiting for the light to change, when an SUV with a couple of a college-age kids turned in front of me and the driver gave me the aforementioned advice.
My first reaction was one of mild shock. I was simply waiting to cross the street and head home for the weekend, when out of nowhere I was cussed out. There are cyclists who are irresponsible and annoying on the road, and I try to do my part to be respectful and deferential to cars, as good cyclist PR and because large moving masses of steel and plastic aren't very forgiving when they collide with a person on a bicycle. I thought briefly about trying to catch up with this car and having a conversation with this guy, and I probably could have done so because of the congested traffic at the next stoplight. Instead, I simply crossed the street and then rode home.
Being a philosopher, I started thinking about the latent assumptions in the remark. First, he is assuming that I don't own a car, which is unfortunately false. I own two, though I'd like to live in a place where cars were optional, or at least the need to use them was greatly reduced. Second, there is also the assumption that if I owned a car, I wouldn't be riding a bike at 5:30 on a Friday evening. Also false. So there are some critical thinking flaws present, some inferences that are unwarranted.
But I guess what bothers me the most is the felt need to make these kinds of remarks in the first place. While it isn't that big of a deal, it makes me wonder about human nature and the impulse or desire to engage in this kind of behavior. I've been in places where it is the SUV drivers who get criticized and verbally attacked, but that's not really the point. It doesn't bother me if someone drives an SUV to and from work. Why does it bother someone if I get to work and back on my bicycle?
