I don't think that most people in the US believe cycling is a threat to their way of life.
Sadly for many it is indeed a threat. Just like all the other paranoid fear based rubbish we see. 40 years of promoting sociopathic narcissism as a virtue and empathy as a mortal sin. From fear-mongering of immigrants as all "drug dealers and rapists", to how the evil "socialism" is going to destroy this nation. Even if you're not a liberal, to how the "green new deal" will somehow magically eviscerate this nation's economy. (as if it already isn't) Arrogant self-centered sociopaths will perceive someone doing a "green" activity -- like riding a bike -- as their mortal enemies.
To that end I have difficulty thinking his actually hitting the cyclists was an "accident". His original action of "coal burning" clearly illustrates that sociopathic lack of empathy, and you can bet your sweet bippy that in Texas at least half the population will chalk that up to "boys will be boys" or any of the other lame excuses used to justify unjust sleazy dirtbag bullying behaviors.
Many probably think that cyclists are inconvenient and that the roads were built for only cars. It is more a feeling of entitlement than fear. There is also a certain type of idiot out there that thinks this type of stunt is fun and cool to do. I have run for exercise for more than 40 years. I have had drinks thrown at me, cars swerve at me to scare me, horns honked, and the ever popular "run Forrest run" yelled at me many many times.
Again, sociopathic if not psychopathic behaviors. Typical of limp dicks feeling the need to do harm to others JUST to show how "big" and "powerful" they are; trying to compensate for their lack of manhood by screaming "I'm an Alpha Male"... when their very behaviors prove they're not even Epsilons. They literally NEED to hurt others to feel better about themselves. It's the same crowd that runs around screaming about how most of us are all "living in fear" in regards to the pandemic, but CANNOT leave their front porch without their penis extensions. The types who go out and buy SUV's and oversized pickup trucks and then never once drive them off the pavement or fill the bed with anything a normal car trunk can't handle, just so they can tailgate or otherwise intimidate others on the road. The ones who go out and drop 20k on a Harley fat boy, truck it into Hampton, and then sit around pointing and laughing at the "losers" on their Kawasaki's and Suzuki's.
Like that pansy I dealt with here and his jacked-up pickup covered in right wingnut hate stickers, gun rack, confederate flag, etc, etc who screamed at me to "get out of the road" right next to the sign that said "no bicycles on sidewalk" who at the next corner -- next to the "share the road" sign -- decided to run me off the road directly in front of a meter maid.. and ended up crying like a little b**** in the back of the cruiser when they hauled him off. Oh yeah, "Alpha male" right there.
Or the other turd we had locally who would throw sticks at the tires of passing bicycles because they were "in the road", who got a very nice introduction to my left hook. He started carrying a gun after that which was fun since he was already on probation for assault, then bragged about how "People are less likely to hit me because I carry a gun" on the Colbert Report. Good going dumbass, brag on TV about your probation violation. Naturally that particular waste of flesh made national news at the Tiki Torch convention.
And that last part may have given away to some of you exactly who I'm referring to. Let's just say that psychopath can't well do much of anything.
When we have nutjobs like that out to harm others JUST to feel better about themselves, I'm hard pressed to think that at least half this nation doesn't treat "the rest of us" as a threat to "their way of life". Evangelical whackjobs, racists, and bigots of every stripe overlap greatly with the "big man syndrome" bullies who go out of their way to make the rest of us miserable; endangering our mental and physical well being, as well as our lives and futures.
... and to be frank if they feel threatened, GOOD! They should be. Nothing is going to get better until we weed the wolves out of the flock.
jalopnik.com
