Lessee…I’m automatically (by virtue of being middle-aged, white and male) insensitive to minorities of all kinds (women, blacks, Hispanics, gays, handicapped…er, physically challenged…)
a rapacious destroyer of Earth and all its environs
unknowing and uncaring of other peoples and their traditions
greedy (all men are after money)
sexist (all men stare at tits…er, breasts)
slovenly (all men are pigs)
…what else did I miss?
Geez, if there IS “one last group that it is OK to denigrate”, I think it would be us. Hell, listen to just about any comic (especially the female comics) and you can find one slam after another directed towards men.
But you know what? I laugh right along. And if one stings a little, I can recognize that perhaps there is something I need to change or work on.
And as for the overweight comment? Recall I said that my sister was 5’2" and 240? I asked her once how she handled comments about her weight, and she replied, “I just look them in the kneecap and say, “Yep, you’re right!””
Diane and Lezlers out of an altruistic spirit to support my straight brothers, if you two are going to have a catfight, could you do so in bikinis with some cheesy 70s music as a soundtrack?
NOW you’ve done it gobear…now all the people who have cats are going to have a hissy fit because when you pair the words “cat” and “fight” together you indicate a negative idea and they can’t have that! And all the people who have a religious objection to ladies wearing bikinis are going to jump all over you. And don’t even get me started on the people who will say your classification of 70’s music as “cheesy” is prejudiced towards that decade.
I hope everyone will forgive me posting on topic, but these off-the-shelf cager complaints need answering.
The day my bike is capable of inflicting the deadly harm to other people, cars or the road itself is the day I should bay a remote fraction of what you request. The last thing this world needs is a another thing to discourage a healthy and pollution reducing activity.
Invariably the cry for bicyclists to get liscencing or insurance ('cause we all know how the world is always improved through more beauracracy). is simply another cry to get bikes off the road.
Traffic is bad because there are too many fucking cars. Every bike you see is one less 15’ monster on the road. If traffic is a problem in your area, the bicylist’s speed is not going to be a factor. What you are complaining about is being slowed down for a few picoseconds in open stretches.
Its called ‘the advantage of the vehicle’. I take the lane when I need to because my safety is on the line. 98% of drivers *do not know how to safely pass a bicyclist so I will do what it takes to prevent a disaster to my body. I consider my health to be more important that a handful of seconds of your impatient life.
And yes, one of the advatages of a bike is its maneuverability between cars. This is where I get some payoff from using my muscles to get around without spewing out greenhouse gases.
You first. You are the problem to begin with.
Blaming bicyclist for problems during rush-hour is like blaming the green salad you got with your butter-fried steak for making you fat. Every bicycle you see is one less lane-taking, single-occupant, 15’+ long machine in the road.
So grow an ounce of patience, and learn how to drive.
I guess I’m a little late checking in here (and maybe just hoping I’ll get called an ass in the Pit for the third time today!) but isn’t there some lovely irony involved in observing that the motorist hassling a cyclist was overweight?
Pretty sad state of affairs when folks require that rants be PC.
Thanks, Diane. A hat trick! Gotta get me a saddle!
Gotta leave quickly, so this may need to be appended to tomorrow.
I personally do not believe any words should NEVER be used. Even epithets such as nigger or cunt are an impressive portion of our language, if for no reason other than the strength of emotions they arouse.
Having said that, those 2 should certainly not be used casually, and a user should not act surprised when their use offends others.
I certainly do not place overweight at the same end of the continuum that I place cunt/nigger. But I am not sure that there is one definitive word usage continuum of offensiveness applicable universally.
And, tho I realize it has been done to death many times before, I personally believe that for most people being overweight or “trashy” appearing, is a matter with some volitional element, as opposed to one’s skin color, gender, ethnicity, etc.
Not to get on my high horse on this issue again, but the words, history, and impact of the words are not remotely the same. Not even close. It is bad versus truly horrific.
Depending on what he had for lunch, it could be worse than CO2.
In Space Cowboy’s defense, he WAS riding his bike to work. We have many bike trails around here, but he was fortunate enough to get a job very near his home through one of my friends, which means in addition to enjoying our fine local hike and bike opportunities, he does ride to work. (I do not ride my bike with him, as I am embarrased by his padded-ass shorts and spandex.;))And I apologize for the cottage-cheese woman on his behalf. I should have warned him about speaking ill of the horizontally challenged when I introduced him to the board a few weeks ago.
I shall rap him on the knuckles with a ruler this weekend. Tsk tsk.
Believe it or not Elf and Dinsdale, I actually agree with you both. I just wanted clarification on what Dinsdale meant when he said “Pretty sad state of affairs when folks require that rants be PC”.
If you look back at this thread, you will see I don’t have a problem with the OP. I feel there is a difference between describing one person a certain way (as the OP did, although I STILL don’t understand how this person’s looks made her an asshole, but whatever) compared with BBJ’s redneck thread.
What I have a problem with in this thread has nothing to do with the OP, it is the fact that some posters, one in particular, has been spewing her “lighten ups” and “get a grips” all over this message board lately. The amount of times and the hysterical way in which she has said this over and over and over certainly makes it appear that she needs to get over it and get a grip and lighten up. Her whining is getting old.
As someone in another thread said, she is starting to look like a shrew.
When I cause as much damage on my bike that you can in your car, then I will pay. And because it is a vehicle I have as much right to the road as an H2, SUV or VW.
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Blame the city planners, highway department and politicians on this problem. If they would realize that there are other modes of transportation besides the “sacred” car, we would be better off.
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This is the one thing in your idiotic post I agree with, and when I ride my bike I do NOT do this stuff.
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NO I pay my taxes, I have as much right to the road as you do and how dare you deny me my choice. Should people become virtual shut ins because they cannot afford a car or insurance? Should people who do not want to be tied down to a damn car payment and headaches be penalized? Should we have to rely on public transportation that is underfunded, unrealiable and often does not go where or when you need it to. Hey if you do not like a road because of bicyclists, why don’t you find another route. It is much easier for you because cars are allowed everwhere, whereas bikers have to hunt for decent and often winding routes.
Why is it in this society people can get bigger and larger vehicles, that use more resources, take up space and pollute be looked on as a “god given right”, yet those who do not choose this are looked down on and denied our choice. I just want to say to you and people like you to FUCK OFF, ASSHOLE
I think you should extend this indefinitely, and calling people “RexDartesque” should be an acceptable substitute for “fat.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the delicious irony you think it is. Compare and contrast:
Fat-basher: “So anyway, this fat fuck cut me off and…”
Sensitivo: “STOP IT! YOUR INSENSITIVITY HURTS PEOPLE’S FEELINGS!”
Fat-basher: “STOP SAYING I’M INSENSITIVE! YOU’RE HURTING MY FEELINGS!”
versus:
Fat-basher: “So anyway, this fat fuck cut me off and…”
Sensitivo: “STOP IT! YOUR INSENSITIVITY HURTS PEOPLE’S FEELINGS!”
Fat-basher: “Give it a rest, you goddamn ninny. You’re hysterical, useless, and off-topic.”
In other words, the fat-bashers are not offended by your offense, they’re just tired of hearing about it.
As a man who’s had his own car dinked by a moronic, subhuman, piece-of-shit, and indeed FAT individual, I can relate very much to the OP.
A proper greivance should be directed towards the harmful behavior itself; however, an insult should be designed to malign the overall person. It stands to follow that a proper Rant would combine both approaches, functioning dually as complaints based on logical explanation and negative feelings based on dislike of the person who is responsible for you having the complaint.
Of course, it doesn’t matter if you take the high road or the low road; there’s always someone out there who’s going to have a problem.
