They say that a goldfish doesn't know it's swimming in water. The same goes for white Americans — they don't realize that they're spending their everyday lives in a culture that was built on white supremacy. That's why "whiteness" is a bad thing … it's benefitting from the privilege of a society made for white people.
The San Francisco Chronicle has a piece by Ruth Malone who says that hatred of bicyclists comes from the same place as racism … and sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. Straight white people have established car culture as the norm, and cyclists are a marginalized people.
No, seriously.
OPINION: Ultimately, hate of bicyclists comes from the same place as racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia: a desire to cling to the status quo power arrangements that favor some over others, writes Ruth Malone. https://t.co/djJ6HexHi3
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) June 15, 2023
Malone writes:
Just as those who tolerate or encourage racist, sexist and homophobic or transphobic comments on social media contribute to emboldening the people who attack and menace particular groups, people who parrot stereotypical comments about cyclists on social media subtly encourage those who would harm them — tearing down a memorial, close-passing a mother with a child on her bike or aggressively edging their car into a bike lane to menace and squeeze a bicyclist.
…
Ultimately, hate of bicyclists comes from the same place as racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia: a desire to cling to the status quo power arrangements that favor some over others. As the bicycle becomes re-popularized as a legitimate form of transportation, there are inevitably more conflicts with those who continually and mindlessly assert that “streets are for cars.” But just as gay people are no longer willing to stay in the closet, nor women in the kitchen, bicyclists are no longer willing to settle for crumbs interms of use of our public roadways.
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Wow, that's dumb.
If these two articles touch - the will explode in an flash. This is what happens when matter meets antimatter. pic.twitter.com/9TEQ2AbAeX
— Ed Gallagher (@ejgallagher1) June 15, 2023
Beyond parody
— Aphasialista (@Aphasialista) June 15, 2023
Cyclists can be annoying, sure, but so can drivers. My problem with many cyclists is when they act as vehicles when it benefits them and as pedestrians when it benefits them.
— idrawrobots (@idrawrobots) June 15, 2023
This is patently untrue. I hate cyclists way more than those other groups.
— Nate W. Ewing (@realNateEwing) June 15, 2023
No f—king way this is a real article
— Vance Murphy (@vancemurphy) June 15, 2023
I mean, there’s a reason cyclists have a bad reputation. pic.twitter.com/3BAnF5jXZN
— 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐠 🏳️🌈 (@CasuallyGreg) June 15, 2023
I did not hate bicyclists until I read this tweet.
— J Mathews (@OldandUnpopular) June 15, 2023
This is why people make fun of us.
— Jesse R. Feldman (@TheRealJFeld) June 15, 2023
We think someone had a good point above … bicyclists act like cars sometimes and other times act like pedestrians. We don't hate cyclists who ignore stop signs and just assume the right of way, but if you're on the road, aren't you supposed to follow the rules of the road?
P.S. You're also slow. No matter how fast you think you're going, you're slow.
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