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A couple of other threads on the Forum are talking about road rage incidents. I am asking the fundamental question – Why Road Rage?
A popular psychology book from the local library gives some insights.
Outgroups – an outgroup is a group of people to which you do not belong. People tend to make generalisations which they then apply to the group as a whole, for example, (All) Muslims are terrorists, wfe beaters, etc (Not True). Cyclists are reckless, law breakers and they ride through red lights. Vegetarians are an outgroup (Thanks Ian Walker) but nobody really hates them, though they are a pain when they come round for dinner. So there must be other factors.
Free Riders – Altruistic punishment – This is probably best explained by an example. You go to watch a cricket match. The match has just started, it’s a lovely sunny day and you are sitting down with a pack of sandwiches and a can of beer when a guy climbs over the fence and sits next to you. It should not be a problem, he’s done nothing to detract from your experience, but many people would get a steward to eject the wrongdoer. This is altruistsic punishment, in order to get your version of justice done you have missed a bit of the match.
Cyclists don’t pay Road Tax (OK it’s VED), have no training, don’t have to take a test or hold a license. They have no insurance. They don’t have to buy expensive highly taxed (79% tax) fuel. They don’t pay for parking but they cause congestion.
Cyclists Ignore the Highway Code, Redlights, Oneway streets, Footpaths, Etc… They are inconsiderate, Ride in the middle of the road, two abreast, cause delays. They jump queues, are inconsiderate and aggressive.
However, Cyclists are Fitter, Healthier and place Fewer demands on the NHS. They Don’t pollute, Use fewer resources .They take up less road space, and Don’t damage the roads. More reasons to hate them. They are a load of Smug, Sanctimonious bastards.
Every group or society has it’s laws, rules, traditions and manners and people who do not conform are punished.
From (some) motorists viewpoint – Cyclists don’t pay or contribute to use the infrastructure, they abuse the privilege and break the laws – They should be punished for the good of society.
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When I used to race I was better at climbing than descending
Given that context, it’s perfect!
I think my aversion to climbing is down to my mtb days, plus an inherent athletic ability that puts me firmly in the aerobic non-responder category
It all starts just because we are different, an outgroup. From that point it’s all downhill.Bad choice of metaphor, ‘all downhill’ is actually a positive thing when it comes to cycling
But I agree. It comes from a lack of understanding. A bit like when people say they hate maths.
Imagine we all paid £10 per
Imagine we all paid £10 per bike per year, (*looks round garage says “oooh, expensive”*) would it make a scrap of difference? There is no difference between smiffi’s argument and eradication.
The answer is “no” to appeasement – as I always say, these are people who are giving nothing back and don’t care. And let’s not try to justify ourselves in car parity terms, “I’ve got a car”, “I’ve got CUK membership” – we don’t need to, it’s irrelevant.
Driving is now such a random experience – everyone recalls the times they had a clear run, they sailed through no problem, which makes the many times that doesn’t happen all the more frustrating for them. The car adverts don’t help.
When I saw this one in print, I thought it had a distinctly glum air to it, like it was saying “you’re going to street park me and trail a wire across the pavement every night, aren’t you?” Still, feelgood vibes, eh?
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