Dear Halifax driver,
Do you think that shaving 4 seconds off your commute is worth almost running over a mother and toddler cycling down a quiet residential street? Did you need to swerve in front of us to beat us to the stop sign, which you barely stopped at anyway? Are our lives not worth anything to you?
I wouldn’t yell this at you in front of my kid, so I’ll say it now—Fuck you, asshole, slow the fuck down. I can assure you that killing vulnerable road users will make you a hell of a lot more late.
Smarten the fuck up. —Pissed-off Cycling Mum
This article appears in Oct 5-11, 2017.
My sentiments exactly! Motorists here are not rude but psychopaths! The two seconds of their inconvenience is apparently worth more than the life of a cyclist. Amazing! And when (if) you confront them, they are not just shocked but angered by the encounter. Doubly amazing!
If you are so concerned about your safety, GET OFF THE FUCKING BIKE. Surely, as dumb as you must be, you realize that biking is dangerous!! Sheesh!!
Joe Mac, cycling gets less dangerous the more skilled the rider becomes. Assertive cycling is safer cycling. Of course, well adjusted brakes and good reflexes are important, it’s a dynamic activity where every split second needs a decision. But statistically, cars are more dangerous to be inside of, even though most motorists are safe drivers too. It is worse for everyone when they aren’t, so fair enough to say that cyclists especially this time of year with the shorter daytime and time change coming up in a few weeks, need to get visible with the clothing and lights. And timing is everything when sharing the roads, as is anticipation. Signal those intentions, road dance etiquette, there’s room for everybody.
Dear “Joe Mac”,
The only thing that makes cycling dangerous is cars and the morons (like you?) who drive them. In the Netherlands, everybody rides a bike, nobody wears a helmet, and their roads are twice as safe as ours no matter how you measure it.
What on earth makes you think your message is an appropriate response to a mother who, along with her child, had her life threatened by an idiotic driver?
You also seem to think that driving everywhere is somehow safer than cycling everywhere. NEWS FLASH: it isn’t. Driving killed 49 people in NS last year (and an average of 64 people per year since 2012). Five were pedestrians. One was a cyclist. The rest (34 people) were drivers and passengers (like you) who think probably driving everywhere is SOOOO safe.
Shame on you. You’re part of the problem. What would you prefer? That everybody buy a car, add to our crippling congestion, further pollute the air, and endanger the remaining children and parents who are trying to do the right thing? Be part of the solution, like Pissed-off Cycling Mum. Get out of your car and stop endangering lives.
Sincerely,
Somebody with a modicum of critical thinking ability