Dealing with anti-cycling "friends"

One of my friends (co-worker, actually) posted on Facebook that he had an encounter with a rude cyclist, and he couldn't wait to see the cyclist's ghost bike.

I don't know about anyone else here, but I know there are rude cyclists, just as there are rude drivers, but I don't wish any of them dead. I said as much, and told him he was wrong for wishing the cyclist dead and should be ashamed. He responded that he didn't really care about my opinion and I should keep it to myself, to which I responded that he invited my opinion when he offered his. So he defriended me.

That's all I got really, just a basic Facebook pissing contest. Do you ever encounter "friends" (or people you just know) who hate on cyclists? How do you deal with them? I can let a lot of stuff slide by, but I draw the line at hoping to see a cyclist's ghost bike.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by blair on January 8, 2013 at 5:58am

I had a coworker tell me I deserved to have my face smashed into the ground by a cop's boot because I ride in Critical Mass.

Good times!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Will on January 8, 2013 at 6:00am

Very professional!

122782_ said:

I had a coworker tell me I deserved to have my face smashed into the ground by a cop's boot because I ride in Critical Mass.

Good times!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Juan Primo on January 8, 2013 at 6:09am

I think you won that pissing contest because he unfriended you.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by dan brown on January 8, 2013 at 6:14am

who needs a 'friend' like that ? eventually that person will realize they were a moron to think and

say that. if not..then they are a true moron and you can and will find better 'friends' to talk with. keep taking the high

road

Juan Primo said:

I think you won that pissing contest because he unfriended you.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Duppie on January 8, 2013 at 6:23am

That's is why having co-workers as friends on FB a bad idea, unless they are friends primary and co-workers second. You don't get to choose your co-workers as you do your friends. I have one co-worker that kept forwarding me articles from stormfront.org, thinking I might be interested in that. WTF?

But you made the right choice to come here and commiserate with folks that more amenable to your viewpoint.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Holly on January 8, 2013 at 6:41am

It's astonishing what people will "say" on the internet. The fact that you've been unfriended for pointing out the cruelty in this person's statement makes me feel really sorry for this guy. He must have a hard time living in a world with so many differing viewpoints. Does he have one of those "Shoot Them All, Let God Sort Them Out" t-shirts?

Maybe this goes without saying, but don't eat any food this co-worker might offer you.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on January 8, 2013 at 6:46am

You did exactly what I would have and I think it is the right thing to do.

Here is the thing about it; the issue here is not really that the person in question is 'anti-cycling' but that they are a terrible human being. Regardless of your feelings about cyclists or how bad an interaction you have wishing another person dead over something so petty is a terrible thing.

Long run I think you are better off with less of that person in your life.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on January 8, 2013 at 6:53am

Well said Doug! (And in the short run also.)

notoriousDUG said:

...

Long run I think you are better off with less of that person in your life.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on January 8, 2013 at 6:55am

Exactly! I cannot fathom wanting to be in the same room with such a person much less claim him as a "friend".

notoriousDUG said:

Here is the thing about it; the issue here is not really that the person in question is 'anti-cycling' but that they are a terrible human being. Regardless of your feelings about cyclists or how bad an interaction you have wishing another person dead over something so petty is a terrible thing.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dan Allison on January 8, 2013 at 6:58am

it sounds like this co-worker of yours is still 8 years old, mentally speaking anyway.

saying that you wish another person dead because they aggravated you is one thing. we all have our moments when we say stupid shit that we shouldn't in the heat of the moment.

not backing down from the statement after its inherent stupidity has been pointed out, and then throwing a tantrum by "de-friending" someone over it, that is the behavior of an immature child.

life is way freaking too short to waste time with such unfortunate individuals. just remember, that this poor creature has to live with his affliction, there's nothing you can do but move on. you can't make a child grow up, only time and experience can do that, and in some cases it never occurs at all.