In twenty or more years of riding my bike round the city, I think I can say that I've learned a few things. Things like: never leave home without certain essentials (puncture repair kit, tire levers, pump and so on) - the time you do will be the time you puncture; always carry a plastic bag to put over your saddle if you have to leave your bike out in the rain; never try to move a grand piano by bike. OK, I think I already knew that last one before I ever started my time as an urban cyclist; but maybe I'm getting away from the point here.
By far the biggest lesson I've learned - and it's taken some learning - is to always stay cool and calm, no matter what the circumstances or provocation. I'm actually very calm and composed by nature, which helps - but there are times when anyone's natural composure is tested to the limit. Don't get me wrong here - I love cycling in the city, otherwise I wouldn't do it - but over the years I've been cut up, endangered, and abused enough to make anyone mad.
So, on occasion I've lost my temper and yelled or ranted at people (normally motorists) who I think have wronged me. And where did it ever get me? Nowhere, that's where. As Damon Runyon might have put it, the best thing you'll get from shouting is a reputation for shouting - you certainly won't get listened to, or treated like a rational person with a valid point to make. I'll give you a couple of examples, both taken from my own real-life experiences.
First, I was waiting to pull out left at a junction one time and a car driver went into my back wheel, bending it beyond repair. I hopped about and shouted at him; he was massively and genuinely apologetic. The way he reacted instantly changed me from wailing banshee mode to contrite and humble mode - in all honesty, I felt a fool for behaving as I did, without even giving this guy the chance to say a word. As it turned out, he agreed to pay in full for a new wheel, and then did so - even though the wheel in question wasn't cheap. But getting mad didn't get me that wheel - the other guy's reasonableness did that.
So, there's a story with a good ending - this one ends less well. I was once knocked off my bike by a taxi which drove straight across my path; I was on the major road, he was crossing it and didn't look properly. I jumped up (I'd hit the side of the taxi in an effort to swerve, and ended up laying in the road) and gave the taxi driver a mouthful. He simply sat in his car and said "Didn't see you." That made me even madder, so I yelled at him a whole lot more. The upshot? He drove off, I made a note of his license plate. Later that day, I reported it to the police; a few weeks after that, I got a letter from them saying that they wouldn't be taking any action.
Now, if I'd kept my cool I'd have acted very differently. I'd have asked the driver for his ID, the name of his employer and so on; I'd also have talked to his passenger, who looked pretty startled when I hit the side of the taxi. In all, I may have had a case against this guy. As it was, I had nothing but a bruised shoulder and a grazed knee. Keeping calm in spite of my rage could have made a big difference.
Getting mad does you no good - you might as well shout at a traffic light for being red when you want to go. But there's a wider point to all this. If you cycle round your city, you're automatically a winner - you're getting around in the best way possible, by bike. If you spend your time raging at people or things, will this make your cycling more enjoyable? I doubt it very much; in fact, the reverse will be the case. Sure, there'll be things that happen which aren't so great - but look on the bright side. You could be stuck in a car, a bus or on the subway - and then you'd really have something to get mad about!
By far the biggest lesson I've learned - and it's taken some learning - is to always stay cool and calm, no matter what the circumstances or provocation. I'm actually very calm and composed by nature, which helps - but there are times when anyone's natural composure is tested to the limit. Don't get me wrong here - I love cycling in the city, otherwise I wouldn't do it - but over the years I've been cut up, endangered, and abused enough to make anyone mad.
So, on occasion I've lost my temper and yelled or ranted at people (normally motorists) who I think have wronged me. And where did it ever get me? Nowhere, that's where. As Damon Runyon might have put it, the best thing you'll get from shouting is a reputation for shouting - you certainly won't get listened to, or treated like a rational person with a valid point to make. I'll give you a couple of examples, both taken from my own real-life experiences.
First, I was waiting to pull out left at a junction one time and a car driver went into my back wheel, bending it beyond repair. I hopped about and shouted at him; he was massively and genuinely apologetic. The way he reacted instantly changed me from wailing banshee mode to contrite and humble mode - in all honesty, I felt a fool for behaving as I did, without even giving this guy the chance to say a word. As it turned out, he agreed to pay in full for a new wheel, and then did so - even though the wheel in question wasn't cheap. But getting mad didn't get me that wheel - the other guy's reasonableness did that.
So, there's a story with a good ending - this one ends less well. I was once knocked off my bike by a taxi which drove straight across my path; I was on the major road, he was crossing it and didn't look properly. I jumped up (I'd hit the side of the taxi in an effort to swerve, and ended up laying in the road) and gave the taxi driver a mouthful. He simply sat in his car and said "Didn't see you." That made me even madder, so I yelled at him a whole lot more. The upshot? He drove off, I made a note of his license plate. Later that day, I reported it to the police; a few weeks after that, I got a letter from them saying that they wouldn't be taking any action.
Now, if I'd kept my cool I'd have acted very differently. I'd have asked the driver for his ID, the name of his employer and so on; I'd also have talked to his passenger, who looked pretty startled when I hit the side of the taxi. In all, I may have had a case against this guy. As it was, I had nothing but a bruised shoulder and a grazed knee. Keeping calm in spite of my rage could have made a big difference.
Getting mad does you no good - you might as well shout at a traffic light for being red when you want to go. But there's a wider point to all this. If you cycle round your city, you're automatically a winner - you're getting around in the best way possible, by bike. If you spend your time raging at people or things, will this make your cycling more enjoyable? I doubt it very much; in fact, the reverse will be the case. Sure, there'll be things that happen which aren't so great - but look on the bright side. You could be stuck in a car, a bus or on the subway - and then you'd really have something to get mad about!
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