I remember Felicity's comment on the BMW thread - she name checked me and suggested I may be a racist neanderthal because of my determination to present the pedestrian as the victim rather than the driver (both were of Asian heritage).In that thread I took Steve to task for calling cyclists "scum" and "morons" and it was he who called them "cockroaches" and "locusts" over the weekend.I note that Maggie Dodge made an impassioned plea not to call cyclists "people" because they cannot be considered human.I note that cyclists are routinely insulted with terms like "lycra louts" or "mamils" and individuals are held accountable for the actions of others.We must all have seen the constant refrain that cyclists secretly control the government, that they have excessive privilege or entitlement, that they oppress the majority and that traffic calming measures are nothing of the sort, but are instead usurious policies to fleece victimised motorists of cash.I see cyclists scapegoated for the issues of traffic congestion, air pollution and the potential injuries of pedestrians and bus users - not by bikes, but by vehicles.All I hear, mostly unchallenged, is the dehumanising language of anti-semitism, racism and discrimination employed by a majority group against a minority - a group that pretty much looks like you, sounds like you, lives next door to you and probably drives the same car as you.If the EXACT same language was used against an ethnic minority, especially with the historical connotations of words like "cockroaches", it would be recognised and called out as hate speech. But none of you see this speech as hateful, because you feel it is justified, it is true and because you are blind to your hate and your true natures.To what end? To challenge, intimidate, discourage, prejudice, incite anti social behaviour and incite violence against this group.David Lesniak, only this week, urged people to drive round to Paul Campbell's house and sit on their horns. Harassment that doesn't just target Paul, but his family and children as well.How would David react if someone had urged this sort of direct action against him? He would call the police. What violence? Cyclists are targeted daily by motorists. Abuse is shouted, "close pass" punishments which when misjudged can end up as "tragic accidents" and deliberate attempts to maim and kill.But that's OK, because they shouldn't be on the roads, they've taken "too much", they're rude or obnoxious or "scum" or have it coming or whatever justification you can think up - perhaps they are racist Neanderthals who lack compassion for a driver who killed someone which could have happened to anyone, as Felicity suggested I was. Either way, we deserve it. And if we call out the abuse or the language or push for safety measures or some measure of equality, well, we're the ones who are discriminating and oppressing you, and doubly deserve it and more.
Ed Saper ● 1679d