It’s now 11.00 p.m. on 5th October, and Vancouver City Council is still debating what should be a no-brainer – giving Vancouver cyclists ONE SAFE NORTH-SOUTH BIKE LANE. The Vancouver Sun seems to think it will be decided tonight, and that the right decision will be made; although some think the plan may be amended to appease all the nay-sayers (those earnest citizens who would rather leave cyclists’ lives in danger, than lose a few parking spots).
In any event, on this day Jeff Lee has posted a story about his run-in with what he calls a “cyclist.” An apparently deranged person on a bicycle (with a gas motor) behaved in an utterly despicable way towards Jeff, and even spat on his wife, while they were in their car on Kingsway. When Jeff went after the man, he threatened Jeff with his bicycle. This must have been a truly horrible experience, and both Jeff and his wife have my sincere sympathies.
However, it does NOT follow from this incident that my life should continue to be in danger when I cycle in downtown Vancouver; nor should my wife’s life be in danger there; nor should my children’s lives be in danger; nor should your life be in danger on Hornby.
This was one deranged individual who happened to be on a kind of bicycle – his behaviour does not represent my behaviour, or your behaviour.
Of course, there is no shortage of commentators on Jeff’s “Civic Lee Speaking” blog extrapolating from this lone deranged person to all cyclists. You might want to go there and remind them that not all cyclists are deranged social misfits.
I already did.
Trying to change the opinion of people who post anti-cycling rants on the Vancouver Sun, the Province, or City Caucus is a waste of time and will only make you angry.
Perhaps. But I just want both sides to be expressed …
While I agree with Chris, I can’t help myself. I still post comments, knowing that the very people I am attempting to reach would never understand or be influenced by my words. I like the fact that JoeAverage posts and encourages others to post, even on blogs of drivel like that of he-who-cannot-be-named.
Thanks Karen … you really cheered me up 🙂 … Glad to know it’s not just me who can’t help responding. Although I do feel ambivalent about it. I compare it to when my kids were toddlers. If they were having a tantrum, was it better to react and try and teach them the error of their ways – or to just totally ignore them (assuming that there is no fun in “tantrumming” if no one is being annoyed by it)?
I tend to think of these drivel-writers as angry toddlers having tantrums because they are being asked to give up something like 1% of their road space. As we know, there are few people as supremely selfish as toddlers. But they have the excuse that they have not matured enough to understand that we have to share the earth’s resources. What excuse do the furious anti-cyclists have, I wonder?