| Heyyyy, Ladies: The Perils and Pitfalls for Femi-Cyclists |
|
|
| Written by Kate Trainor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wednesday, 23 April 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
On my bike ride to work this morning, I was a target for honking, whistling, maniacal laughter, and perverse screaming (usually, unintelligible babble that’s cast to the wind, or something offensively sexual; they’re definitely not screaming about my water bottle cage) several times. On past rides, I’ve been chased, followed, and exposed to more than the, uh, weather. Sadly, these antics make for a typical day as a pedestrian. And my commute is a mere six miles. See also: Mexico City: Women Avoid Groping and Machismo on Single-Sex Buses Comments (21)
Nicki
said:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
I sometimes get a few honks or whistles on my daily commute, but it's usually not too bad. The only time I've been "propositioned" was walking through my apartment complex from the bus stop. Usually the only comments I get are from fellow cyclists complimenting me on my bag. |
 |
I guess I'm lucky here in Salt Lake. I've only had one strange encounter when someone in a passing car yelled out the word "slut" at me as they drove by. I still have no idea why, but they kept going. Otherwise, like Nicki, I often have nice, random conversations with my fellow cyclists who are usually men. |
 |
*sigh* I've heard too many of these stories from around NH/VT (I go to school along the border) and it makes me very sad. Men need to grow up, and until that happens, we other, slightly more enlightened men, are going to have to help our peers get there. Women deserve better, biking is too much fun to lose to such crap. |
 |
As a guy I've actually experienced this as well. I'm sure the fairer sex has a far larger problem with it, but I've been subjected to whistles, cat calls and at least one creepy proposition. Most have been from women but a few have come from men too. I guess people in cars are just assholes. |
 |
Thats a bit of an eye opener. I haven't seen any issues like that around here much. as a guy I've never had the crude sexual comment pointed my direction. but have had the typical uneducated redneck, cut me off, give the finger, pass and hit the breaks. Ya know the typical redneck stuff. I was most freaked out when some queer (I don't use the word gay because that means happy in my book not perverted) pulled up to me at a long red light and stared at me the whole time checking me out from head to toe, with no car that I knew he was checking me out. He even followed me a few blocks. Still gives me the chills and freaks me out today and that was about 6 years ago, sheesh. I've had a few since then check me out but they haven't freaked me out as bad. I think its because that first one had some evil "deliverance" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR84ez1pvvc thing going on. |
 |
Last week I was riding alone on a bike path along the Erie Canal and a couple of teenagers on bikes 'played chicken' with me & tried to run me off the path. I've also had someone throw a soda at me from a moving car (a very long time ago). I've had more problems with threatening people in vehicles as a pedestrian though. Really until last week's incident with the jerks trying to run me off the path I hadn't really worried about riding alone much at all. |
 |
Yesterday was my first attempt at a full-fledged bike commute. I live in Wilmington, DE. It wasn't too bad, just over three miles. I did get a comment from a construction worker, but he was just commenting on my sweet-ass bike (Electra Townie). I got comments from kids as I passed them about it as well ("that bike is tight!"). Otherwise it was uneventful. |
 |
Miranda - all of those commenters were right on... the Electra lineup of commuters *is* tight! In terms of harassment, I ride regularly enough and in a such a variety of places that I've had a bit of all of the above. Of course, women get much more of the sexually-charged harassment - mine is more often stuff thrown, aggressive drivers. On a couple of instances i've had drivers intentionally pull up next to me and swerve in... also have had people pull over and assault me. Although it's not true everywhere - the culture in the US supports the notion that roads are for cars, everything else is an obstruction. People yelling "get on the sidewalk" (including, in one instance a COP!!!) is actually one of my least favorite in-ride events. Advocacy, legislation, and education of riders/cyclists/peds and law enforcement are the key ingredients, methinks... |
 |
Here in Toronto I haven't experienced or witnessed too much sexual harassment. Granted, I am male, but it seems that there is a large enough cyclist population of both sexes that most motorists don't care. Of course, not caring creates its own problems like parking in bike lanes, or opening doors into them. Still, I guess I should consider myself lucky for having the few bike lanes that we do have. |
 |
Thanks to all for your two cents. I'm glad the guys are chiming in, too. It's certainly true that not all of the harassment cyclists (and pedestrians of any kind) endure is sexual (or directed at us ladies). It's often just downright profane or violent, as some of you mention. Maybe we're an easier target for their road rage because we're in plain sight--and, as drivers see it, in the way. I sometimes find myself being tailgated by a super-slow driver when I'm on my bike; someone who is being overly-cautious and refuses to pass me, which makes me nervous and drives me nuts, too. But, of course, this is better than angry beeping and hollering. |
 |
as a guy most of the comments I receive on the road are threatening, but not sexual. One time, some guys tried to drive me off of a bike lane. Unlucky for them, not only did I catch up to them at a red, but I was able to pull up to a cop and report them. Maybe they'll think twice about harassing a cyclist after being arrested! I think women have it far worse though. Women are targets of sexual assault, something men just don't experience as much. Since my girlfriend is a cyclist I worry about this a lot. Are there any solutions? |
 |
Over the last 10 years I've seen quite the load of terrible and immature crap from motorists. I've had people throw shit at me, drive by and scream at the top of their lungs (normally about getting on the sidewalk or just a shriek, apparently only teenage guys and assholes in small penis trucks) and cars intentionally trying to "push" me out of the way. This is even happening in bike friendly Portland, its sad. Maybe there needs to be more attention brought to this problem on an official level, because it is all too often very dangerous. |
 |
The situation you describe is completely alien to me. But then, I should add that I'm Dutch, and have grown up with the concept that the bicycle is a normal mode of transport. Everybody here grew up riding bikes, and will continue to do so for anything that's close by (i.e. a few miles). for an idea of how it can be: http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/ Be sure to read the comments to, as the writer has some odd notions on safety, and the prices of bikes. For the ladies in skirts (and men in suits): I would recommend getting a skirt-guard so that you don't need to bunch up your skirt (or jacket or anything loose). |
 |
It's not just women that get abuse, I often get thinks yelled at me, for no reason. No idea what they are saying though, as the wind noise garbles the sound. I live near Santa Pod raceway in the UK and if they have a meeting on, the abuse thrown at cyclists is amazing. I've been driven at and had cans and bottles thrown at me. It seems that drag racing cars shrinks your brain. |
 |
Here in Fresno, I usually get honked at or yelled at once a week. It doesn't help that when people see a bike on the road, they have no clue what the heck it is. It's like it's some crazy new thing that they've never seen before. It's ridiculous how people totally forget traffic laws, whether they refuse to go during their turn for a stop sign, or whether they wait until you're in the middle of a left-turn and then decide it's their turn and honk at you. |
 |
It happens to me, but it's actually a lot easier to deal with on my bike than if I'm walking- I can just zoom away and leave annoying pedestrians behind, or turn off into tight alleyways and sidewalks where the jerks behind the wheel can't follow. It's still unpleasant, but I actually feel safer on my bike. >. |
 |
Sounds very familiar to me! When I lived on the East Coast (USA) in a large city where commuting by bike was the norm, it happened all the time. A few times I was even pushed off my bike by a poking hand while waiting for the light to change by some laughing yahoo who thought it was the funniest activity to liven up life in boring traffic jam. On the West Coast (USA), even as a senior, I still get the occasional obscenity if they don't see grey hair peeking out of the helmet. I have also been intentionally run off the road onto gravel shoulders on three occasions. There is a lot of male hostility toward women in the country and also an incomprehensible contempt for bike riders. About once a month you'll read a few letters to the local papers ranting about people riding bikes and how they should pay a road tax or wanting to ban all biking. Go figure. |
 |
Guy here. It happens to me all too often - the honking, yelling, insults, humiliating laughter, and so on. I have a temper, so I sometimes chase down the perpetrators, pulling up to them and cursing them out, or just creeping them out, or flipping them off. I'm considering carrying a few eggs with me or some blackcats on my next ride. What do you think? I'm pretty fearless, but I also know I can outmaneuver them if they give chase. |
 |
One time, I was riding home after a really long day. It was a Friday night, and the frat boys were out looking for fun. A car full of 'em started to mess with me - riding next to me while screaming abuse and throwing trash at me, questioning my parentage and sexuality, et cetera. Next light we stopped at, they tried to open their door into my path. Now, at the time, I was working as a field biologist, and I was working in the mountains. As a precaution against animals, I had with me a big can of bear spray. So I did what Hunter Thompson would do and soaked 'em down - completely fumigated their BMW SUV with potent pepper gas usually considered too powerful for use against humans. I may have laughed maniacally. As I rode off, all five of them were frantically diving out of the car, staggering around weeping and coughing uncontrollably and screaming. |
 |
I live in Los Angles and just got a bike to start commuting to work. Biking hasn't been all that bad really (yet). But I did experience my first unpleasant encounter. Some man got angry that I was in his way so he started to scream and threw his cigarette at my face. Not fun. But I'm sure I will get more bad vibes later on...it's the same for me as a pedestrian with the cat calls, whistles, harassment, etc. |
 |
Walking is even worse. Even wearing 3 layers and a trenchcoat in winter, men seem to find it necessary to honk and whistle. Interestingly, I seem to get less "attention" when on my bicycle. I do get honks and catcalls now and then, and those men get a middle finger. But I've actually got more harassment from people who are generally upset that I have the audacity to follow the law and bike on the street (as opposed to the sidewalk or in the gutter). These people think bicycles do not belong on the road. I have informed them otherwise. But more to your point -- I just don't understand why some men think it's ok to comment on my appearance. It's not. To those men I say: Go ahead and look if you want. But if you honk, yell, or whistle, I will retaliate. |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Cars are the most inconvenient convenience we have. We're required to have them, but increasingly, we dislike them. At Carectomy, we're trying to figure out how to extract cars from people.
The operation is a little bit painful, but life afterward is much more awesome. If you're interested in carectomies, sign up to our newsletter, or subscribe our RSS feed below.
Subscribe to this comment's feed