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Interesting article from the BBC yesterday about cyclists acting morally superior over in England. This is in no doubt spurred on by the cycling-friendly policies of the larger cities like London.
But has cycling become too politicised? Might government-funded campaigns that flatter cyclists as "heroes" give rise to "conviction cyclists" - people who ride their bikes with an air of moral superiority.
...But cyclists who may have a "holier-than-thou, high-handed sense of superiority" are in a small minority, says Matt Seaton a cycling columnist for the Guardian and the author of two books about cycling. The vast majority take up bike-riding for practical rather than political ends, he says.
"People who turn to cycling are really thinking about the money they will save, the convenience of being able to get from door-to-door quite quickly.
It's understandable that non-cyclists would get upset at cyclists who go through red lights or ride on the sidewalk... I'm not saying that cyclists should adhere to the same rules as cars, but that responsibility is essential to make sure everyone gets where they're going safely.
However, I don't like people finding out I'm a cyclist and then telling me about some courier who spit on their car, or some schmuck who almost ran over a kid while riding on the sidewalk... it's like they have let those bad experiences pigeonhole all cyclists into an "irresponsible lawbreaker" category.
A small percentage of cyclists are idiots, just like a small percentage of car drivers are idiots. I know that while there are car drivers who drink and drive or streetrace, it doesn't mean all of them do.
[photo credit - BBC]
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