this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2024
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Very astute observation! It makes a lot of sense to explain the rage at government policy changes, but I'm not sure that it entirely explains the rage at individuals just trying to exist on a bike on a street, even when we're not in anybody's way. There's definitely a feeling that drivers want everybody else to drive, and not driving is a personal affront.
Yeah, there are definitely huge psychological and ideological factors going on here. Consider these two studies, showing the dichotomy between how cyclists are perceived by drivers and how they actually are:
https://www.bicycling.com/news/a26977798/dehumanization-of-cyclists-boosts-aggressive-drivers/
https://jalopnik.com/study-finds-cyclists-are-better-people-than-drivers-1850964103
I try to be ultra patient with cyclists, but a portion of them do indeed suck ass.
You can see them whenever you go for a stroll and almost get run over on the sidewalk, or at your nearest stoplight biking through the cross-walk like they're a pedestrian.
I understand personally that cycling infrastructure would solve most of this stuff (some people are just assholes and would remain assholes), but it's difficult enough for most people to see the things that are right in front of their faces already that I think asking them to imagine some future where cyclists aren't annoying is way too high a bar.