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Cyclists are dying on our roads at an alarming rate - why don't we care?
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this post was submitted on 12 Jul 2024
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In general it’s crazy how people view each other as basically ‘non-human’ entities while driving.
It’s not just cyclists, drivers do it to each other and people on motorbikes.
I never experience that when cycling in Europe, only in the UK but then Europeans don't have that culture war bullshit of "the war on motorists" that's leaned into heavily by the right wing press.
An Italian (not me) has entered the chat...
What I've seen in Italy has made me 100% to never go cycling in Italy, ever. Only if it's a dedicated cycling path.
Never have I seen such obscene behaviour as in Italy.
In Germany there was some agitation against these kids who glue their but to the street so yes it is a culture war thing here as well.
We may have better bike paths here but not great.
It's crazy how anyone can view another human in ANY circumstance as sub human
Mate, I’m so high I spent a solid minute trying to work out why you were talking about a human in Animal crossing New Horizons
That’s not even the right abbreviation ffs 🤦♂️
Typo meant to say any
I think its only drivers. Cyclists are usually respectful about not running over others.
Cyclists can most certainly go into a blind rage as well, acting like drivers aren’t people.
I cycle myself and there are 100% times it’s warranted, but let’s stop with the idea that cyclists are enlightened beings that can never do wrong.
Some people cycle around and break the rules of the road like idiots, and put themselves in danger at times.
Acting like drivers aren't people. Not other cyclists, not pedestrians, just drivers.
In other words, once again, the fundamental cause of the problem is the cars.
No, it's not the machine we're using, is disconnecting our empathy from that person who inconveniences us
Exactly: the machine we're using (the automobile) is disconnecting our empathy from that person who inconveniences us!
... Maybe? But one is responsible for their brain, not the car. There's a choice here
No, no these isn't. It's like saying you can believe away an infection.
Why not both? What does this even mean? Car brains smh...
...I tried to reconstruct my thinking and honestly, I failed.
Good catch!
A big part of that problem could be solved by properly seperating bikes from cars and allowing as little points of conflict as possible. Then at least car ragers are surrounded by just cars which have some protection for their occupants, and cyclists are surrounded by other cyclists which can hopefully leave the area of a rager. Id still rather someone ram me with a bicycle than a car.
You are the problem. Its never warranted to act like someone else isn't human.
Take the lane. Stay visible. Ride safe. Follow vehicle laws.
https://jalopnik.com/study-finds-cyclists-are-better-people-than-drivers-1850964103
(That's not actually about road courteousness; it's about things like civic engagement in general. Still...)
Even if I'm just out for a walk, on side residential roads with no sidewalks but no traffic, people will swerve toward you instead of around you. At an intersection by the interstate and a Greenaway, I get cussed out about twice a month while crossing on the pedestrian signal cause it holds them up for 10 seconds I guess.
On a scooter, drivers flat out play chicken and try to spook you into wrecking.
When you get into a car, everyone nearby becomes, at best, a competitor. Often, an enemy.
It's an embodiment of The Rat Race and of atomization.
@li10 @mondoman712 All the driving video games made driving feel like playing a video game. I grew up playing games like Simpsons Road Rage and Crazy Taxi because I wasn’t allowed to have first person shooter games. All that did was normalize violence of a kind a kid raised by middle class suburban liberals was a lot more likely to commit.
I ran over people all the time in simpsons hit and run, never once did I feel like I'd want to do it in real life. Never did it make news about accidents less shocking because "yellow man in game bounce off car".