Entitled fuckers with zero empathy for others. It’s gross and unsurprising. People describe cyclists the same way they talk about insects.
Few-Helicopter-2943 on
Lately it just seems like everybody hates everybody. Why should car versus bicycle be any different?
bigtallguy75 on
I don’t think most of them hate the person on the bike necessarily, but they hate the perceived inconvenience that person causes by “being in the way.” I don’t think there are many that would purposefully hit someone on a bike, but there are plenty of people not paying attention while driving. It’s the inattentiveness that gets you.
JoeFas on
This is one reason I’m glad gas prices are currently high. If it doesn’t force motorists to try cycling as an alternative, at the very least their hatred is costing them money.
While I’d like to change people’s minds about cyclists, I’ve basically given up on that. I’ll settle for their compliance with the law. As long as the end result is me being left alone, they can hate me all they want.
520ErryDay on
I think we should separate cities into “car cities” and “bicycle cities.” /s but only kinda.
CalligrapherPlane731 on
Yep, both sides need to be empathetic to the other. On one hand, there’s a dude distracted by life, driving a 2 ton machine, slowed by a cyclist by 30 seconds on his way to work. On the other, there’s a cyclist who want’s to ride without dying.
Definitely it’s a lack of empathy driving this.
Government needs PSAs over all media to say that cyclists are welcome on the road and drivers need to calm the fuck down. Spend some money. Even this article needs to “two side”.
salynch on
We need more genuinely protected French or Dutch-style bike lanes. Vehicular cycling was a mistake.
Beneficial-Jury484 on
The actively despise cyclists.
PotentialPea2419 on
They hate us because they ain’t us, most are too lazy to get on one but they hate how happy and free we are not chained to our cars
AptCasaNova on
Yes, they do.
I have drivers yell at me in traffic for daring to take up an entire lane when the bike path is blocked (usually by another car) or it’s safer.
They also seem to interpret hand signals as me flipping them the bird.
bigmanbananas on
The people in the US hate everyone, even themselves.
Alarmed_Drop7162 on
The thing is, they shouldn’t be allowed on the same routes.
It’s like one guy wants to play tackle football on a flag football team.
AF2005 on
Umm yes. Especially In areas without dedicated bike lanes
shittysportsscience on
You see it on every Reddit thread that involves bicycle road rules. Many drivers don’t know (or refuse to acknowledge) them, and when presented with the rules it fuels their anger to either be wrong or to assume it’s a made up lie that bicyclists are using. And they get verbally out of control. I have to assume they are the same way in their cars.
Bicyclists are held to the very letter of the law by drivers and anyone in non-compliance should be arrested or worse, and also represents all cyclists. Meanwhile, I would give $1k to anyone driving over a one week period that didn’t bend or break the letter of the traffic code.
Worldly_Possible2925 on
Absolutely. It’s like you ran over their dog and fucked their grandmother to death. It’s an everyday occurrence 🙄
cicadabutt on
I drive a car, am a pedestrian, and enjoy riding a bike the normal way. Yes I hate “cyclists”
flug32 on
It’s not a “rivalry” and drivers and bicyclist are not “at odds”.
It is far, far more one-sided than that.
On the one hand – despite 3 decades of overall progress in the U.S. – infrastructure is still pathetically poor and forces conflicts where they are not necessary.
On the other hand, a small percentage of drivers – not ALL by any means, probably less than 1% or we would see fatality and injury totals FAR higher than we do so – feels entitled and acts out dangerously.
And again – the system fails because such people never receive proportionate consequences for their behavior. So they just continue to act it out over and over.
Meanwhile, *bicyclists* – just like drivers *-* are killing people by the thousands and millions by their egregiously dangerous behavior, right?
Uh yeah, no. The number of people killed by bicyclists is so small no one even bothers to track it. There is the occasional media story – which becomes something of a sensation precisely because the scenario is so vanishinly rare. “Man Bites Dog” is always going to make headlines; doesn’t mean it is *common* – quite the opposite..
brian2funny on
Now a days. Haters can get together on line and share their hate. Soon they start to think everyone is pissed off about these selfish cyclist. So they don’t see anything wrong with scaring, hurting or killing a cyclist or walker. They shouldn’t be on the road anyway.
sacrelicio on
There’s no logical reason why theyd hate us more than another car driver but I think it’s a toxic stew of contempt, envy, and feeling judged.
Tabbygail on
Love the way the article both sides-es this. “Neither side considers the others’ perspective! Drivers want to go fast, cyclists want to not literally die, both sides are inconsiderate!”
Kungfufuman on
The amount of people I see slam on the brakes at a light and are still on the other side of the cross walk is astounding. I don’t dare walk in my town
Feeling_Passenger_17 on
They do in Texas
samwichse on
Drivers also hate other drivers. Basically everyone else in the road.
Wants-NotNeeds on
Jeezus, USA TODAY- COULD YOU PUT ANYMORE POP-UPS IN THERE?!?
theindomitablefred on
I’m a cyclist and I can see why people don’t like us. I was literally driving behind a group today and they were swerving across the car lane to keep cars from passing instead of staying in the bike lane
Wants-NotNeeds on
Cyclists have long been the target of jokes and anger. This is nothing new. With the rise of new cyclists, it’s no wonder that collisions are on the rise.
That said, the AGGRESSION towards cyclists (and anyone who is different, for that matter) has increased dramatically ever since COVID, MAGA and T-rumps rule. Being a SELFISH JERK has been normalized by a certain segment of society, encouraged by arrogant and mean spirited leaders.
The only thing I see stopping this trend is severe legal ramifications. I have long thought cyclists should band together to enact much HARSHER PENALTIES for drivers who recklessly endanger and needlessly injure cyclists.
Correct-Breath-7452 on
I think a lot of it is that drivers have gotten worse and people have gotten less patient.
JAK49 on
My town did a bike lane test one summer where they closed down a lane of traffic to let bikes ride. To see if there would be enough bike traffic to make it worth adding actual bike infrastructure along that corridor. You would have thought every single car driver had been shot in the face with how they cried and carried on. “Now it will take me 5 extra minutes!”, “Bikers don’t pay to support roads why should they get to use them!”, “When people start dying don’t blame us!”
The hate was thick in the air.
CtrlShiftMake on
For the life of me I can’t understand any kind of hatred to any type of vehicle using the road. To an individual acting like an ass? Sure. But the blanket hatred spewed towards cyclists in North America is insane.
mrpickleby on
Yes. They’re jealous of the freedom and benefits. They just don’t want to put the work in or go get up the convenience of their cars.
kamandi on
Drivers hate cyclists because there’s shit infrastructure for segregated cycling. It doesn’t help that the US is in a cultural and societal crisis and everyone is at the end of their rope all the damn time. It’s hard to be kind when you feel like everything in your life is a struggle and a fight.
32 Comments
Yes. Next question.
Entitled fuckers with zero empathy for others. It’s gross and unsurprising. People describe cyclists the same way they talk about insects.
Lately it just seems like everybody hates everybody. Why should car versus bicycle be any different?
I don’t think most of them hate the person on the bike necessarily, but they hate the perceived inconvenience that person causes by “being in the way.” I don’t think there are many that would purposefully hit someone on a bike, but there are plenty of people not paying attention while driving. It’s the inattentiveness that gets you.
This is one reason I’m glad gas prices are currently high. If it doesn’t force motorists to try cycling as an alternative, at the very least their hatred is costing them money.
While I’d like to change people’s minds about cyclists, I’ve basically given up on that. I’ll settle for their compliance with the law. As long as the end result is me being left alone, they can hate me all they want.
I think we should separate cities into “car cities” and “bicycle cities.” /s but only kinda.
Yep, both sides need to be empathetic to the other. On one hand, there’s a dude distracted by life, driving a 2 ton machine, slowed by a cyclist by 30 seconds on his way to work. On the other, there’s a cyclist who want’s to ride without dying.
Definitely it’s a lack of empathy driving this.
Government needs PSAs over all media to say that cyclists are welcome on the road and drivers need to calm the fuck down. Spend some money. Even this article needs to “two side”.
We need more genuinely protected French or Dutch-style bike lanes. Vehicular cycling was a mistake.
The actively despise cyclists.
They hate us because they ain’t us, most are too lazy to get on one but they hate how happy and free we are not chained to our cars
Yes, they do.
I have drivers yell at me in traffic for daring to take up an entire lane when the bike path is blocked (usually by another car) or it’s safer.
They also seem to interpret hand signals as me flipping them the bird.
The people in the US hate everyone, even themselves.
The thing is, they shouldn’t be allowed on the same routes.
It’s like one guy wants to play tackle football on a flag football team.
Umm yes. Especially In areas without dedicated bike lanes
You see it on every Reddit thread that involves bicycle road rules. Many drivers don’t know (or refuse to acknowledge) them, and when presented with the rules it fuels their anger to either be wrong or to assume it’s a made up lie that bicyclists are using. And they get verbally out of control. I have to assume they are the same way in their cars.
Bicyclists are held to the very letter of the law by drivers and anyone in non-compliance should be arrested or worse, and also represents all cyclists. Meanwhile, I would give $1k to anyone driving over a one week period that didn’t bend or break the letter of the traffic code.
Absolutely. It’s like you ran over their dog and fucked their grandmother to death. It’s an everyday occurrence 🙄
I drive a car, am a pedestrian, and enjoy riding a bike the normal way. Yes I hate “cyclists”
It’s not a “rivalry” and drivers and bicyclist are not “at odds”.
It is far, far more one-sided than that.
On the one hand – despite 3 decades of overall progress in the U.S. – infrastructure is still pathetically poor and forces conflicts where they are not necessary.
On the other hand, a small percentage of drivers – not ALL by any means, probably less than 1% or we would see fatality and injury totals FAR higher than we do so – feels entitled and acts out dangerously.
And again – the system fails because such people never receive proportionate consequences for their behavior. So they just continue to act it out over and over.
Meanwhile, *bicyclists* – just like drivers *-* are killing people by the thousands and millions by their egregiously dangerous behavior, right?
Uh yeah, no. The number of people killed by bicyclists is so small no one even bothers to track it. There is the occasional media story – which becomes something of a sensation precisely because the scenario is so vanishinly rare. “Man Bites Dog” is always going to make headlines; doesn’t mean it is *common* – quite the opposite..
Now a days. Haters can get together on line and share their hate. Soon they start to think everyone is pissed off about these selfish cyclist. So they don’t see anything wrong with scaring, hurting or killing a cyclist or walker. They shouldn’t be on the road anyway.
There’s no logical reason why theyd hate us more than another car driver but I think it’s a toxic stew of contempt, envy, and feeling judged.
Love the way the article both sides-es this. “Neither side considers the others’ perspective! Drivers want to go fast, cyclists want to not literally die, both sides are inconsiderate!”
The amount of people I see slam on the brakes at a light and are still on the other side of the cross walk is astounding. I don’t dare walk in my town
They do in Texas
Drivers also hate other drivers. Basically everyone else in the road.
Jeezus, USA TODAY- COULD YOU PUT ANYMORE POP-UPS IN THERE?!?
I’m a cyclist and I can see why people don’t like us. I was literally driving behind a group today and they were swerving across the car lane to keep cars from passing instead of staying in the bike lane
Cyclists have long been the target of jokes and anger. This is nothing new. With the rise of new cyclists, it’s no wonder that collisions are on the rise.
That said, the AGGRESSION towards cyclists (and anyone who is different, for that matter) has increased dramatically ever since COVID, MAGA and T-rumps rule. Being a SELFISH JERK has been normalized by a certain segment of society, encouraged by arrogant and mean spirited leaders.
The only thing I see stopping this trend is severe legal ramifications. I have long thought cyclists should band together to enact much HARSHER PENALTIES for drivers who recklessly endanger and needlessly injure cyclists.
I think a lot of it is that drivers have gotten worse and people have gotten less patient.
My town did a bike lane test one summer where they closed down a lane of traffic to let bikes ride. To see if there would be enough bike traffic to make it worth adding actual bike infrastructure along that corridor. You would have thought every single car driver had been shot in the face with how they cried and carried on. “Now it will take me 5 extra minutes!”, “Bikers don’t pay to support roads why should they get to use them!”, “When people start dying don’t blame us!”
The hate was thick in the air.
For the life of me I can’t understand any kind of hatred to any type of vehicle using the road. To an individual acting like an ass? Sure. But the blanket hatred spewed towards cyclists in North America is insane.
Yes. They’re jealous of the freedom and benefits. They just don’t want to put the work in or go get up the convenience of their cars.
Drivers hate cyclists because there’s shit infrastructure for segregated cycling. It doesn’t help that the US is in a cultural and societal crisis and everyone is at the end of their rope all the damn time. It’s hard to be kind when you feel like everything in your life is a struggle and a fight.