Why do drivers get so mad about cyclists riding through stop signs? A quick thread.
Preamble: I've seen a few good conversations on this topic recently, full of on-point observations, but maybe not hitting the big picture.
Executive summary: Drivers hate bike riders rolling through stop signs because they have an issue with the existence of bike riders on the road. It's literally that simple.
Observation 1: Drivers roll though stop signs all the time. In multi-ton vehicles. They speed in residential areas. They pull out of spots without looking. They play with phones. Generally speaking, there's a culture of naughtiness that is quietly accepted.
Observation 2: If bike riders actually stop at stop signs, it makes drivers even madder than if we don't. This slows them down even more. So to recap, riders make drivers angry if we don't stop and furious if we do.
The problem is that driving is miserable. It's often not a fun or effective way to get around. The presence of bike riders, flitting around in the margins, is infuriating to many because we're there, exposing their misery.
This is the truth. No matter what you do while riding on streets, many drivers will hate you. Framing riders as naughty assholes is just a device to express this deep feeling that they do not want you there.
https://twitter.com/Pflax1/status/993150741245149185
Related: Just try to unpack the anger over bike riders being "self-righteous." The idea that riders are having fun, doing something virtuous and efficient and healthy—and demanding the ability to do it safely—is somehow infuriating. This comes across as an insult to a worldview.
This reminds me of the way that some folks come after vegans as if they are elitist assholes rather than people who are doing something healthy and kindhearted and ethical, basically harmless (or better) to others. Their choices threaten people's identifies. Same with bikes.
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