The Last Socially Accepted Prejudices
Today I went out for a training ride with my coach Heath Thurston. I am not ashamed to say that Heath burried me. I was on my way to drop my bike off at Racer's Cycle Service and I passed a guy on University Avenue. He was riding a Surly bicycle and I passed him on the left. I was abiding by all the traffic laws and did nothing wrong.
He caught up with me at a stop light and began insulting me. I guess he was mad because he was riding at around 10mph when I passed him at about 27-28mph. The insults made me angry but nothing that I could not deal with. Then, as he began to ride off, he made things personal. He called me a "fat a**" and said that "fat lazy pigs shouldn't ride bikes".
Where was this guy coming from? Does he realize what he did was as bad as calling a black person the "N" word. Many people do not realize the hatred that overweight people encounter. It is the same type of hatred and prejudice that minorities and disabled people have put up with throughout time. An overwhelming generalization with no care given to the harm inflicted upon people who are already struggling to do their best.
This punk, of about 40 years of age, stood there and made a judgement of me. He saw me as a lazy, overeating, undisiplined, worthless, slothful piece of trash. He then verbalized his narrow- minded, uninformed, and absolutely destructive opinion of me. Did this guy give any consideration to the YEARS of HARD work and dedication I have put into losing the 115 pounds I have already lost? Did this guy think about the illness I struggle with daily? Or did he take a moment to ponder the idea that each individual who is trying their best in this world deserves to be treated with decency and respect?
Being honest, this HATRED that was thrust upon me crushed me at first. It brought me to tears and shook me up. But then I realized something. I am overcoming what many could not begin to fathom. The goals that I have set for my life, though many see them as unattainable, are within my reach. The ideals and principles that direct my life are uplifting and empowering.
This guy is the epitomy of the hatred that prejudice breeds. Too many people fall into this trap. If someone calls someone else fat, most would not see that as prejudicial hatred. Yes, I acknowledge that some people are fat and that is a matter of fact. But the difference comes when calling someone fat is a prejudicial slur. It carries with it an entire set of connotations designed to label the individual as unworthy of respect and dignity. This is the same devisive hatred found in racial prejudice. Overweight people have to work harder in this world. They are treated as underclass drivel. They are scorned and scoffed.
The discipline, dedication, and focused drive my training and racing brings has helped me become a happy irrepressible man. I have used training and racing as a means of overcoming a mental illness that almost took my life on many occasions. I have been looking for a sponsor for my training and racing. I am not looking to become a professional triathlete. What I have been looking for is a sponsor to fund a charity to help people overcome the challanges set before them. I would like to see more people become empowered, strong, happy people. I would like to see every race I enter help others overcome their seemingly impossible obstacles. I would like to see every race I enter help fight the prejudice and hatred that people with weight problems and mental illness face everyday.
I could be bitter about the "fat a**" comment. But I realized that this guy simply empowered me to fight this prejudice. Afterall, he provided me with a great topic and an opportunity to share my feelings about an important topic.
IRONMAN
© Copyright Ryan Robert Schopke, 2006
He caught up with me at a stop light and began insulting me. I guess he was mad because he was riding at around 10mph when I passed him at about 27-28mph. The insults made me angry but nothing that I could not deal with. Then, as he began to ride off, he made things personal. He called me a "fat a**" and said that "fat lazy pigs shouldn't ride bikes".
Where was this guy coming from? Does he realize what he did was as bad as calling a black person the "N" word. Many people do not realize the hatred that overweight people encounter. It is the same type of hatred and prejudice that minorities and disabled people have put up with throughout time. An overwhelming generalization with no care given to the harm inflicted upon people who are already struggling to do their best.
This punk, of about 40 years of age, stood there and made a judgement of me. He saw me as a lazy, overeating, undisiplined, worthless, slothful piece of trash. He then verbalized his narrow- minded, uninformed, and absolutely destructive opinion of me. Did this guy give any consideration to the YEARS of HARD work and dedication I have put into losing the 115 pounds I have already lost? Did this guy think about the illness I struggle with daily? Or did he take a moment to ponder the idea that each individual who is trying their best in this world deserves to be treated with decency and respect?
Being honest, this HATRED that was thrust upon me crushed me at first. It brought me to tears and shook me up. But then I realized something. I am overcoming what many could not begin to fathom. The goals that I have set for my life, though many see them as unattainable, are within my reach. The ideals and principles that direct my life are uplifting and empowering.
This guy is the epitomy of the hatred that prejudice breeds. Too many people fall into this trap. If someone calls someone else fat, most would not see that as prejudicial hatred. Yes, I acknowledge that some people are fat and that is a matter of fact. But the difference comes when calling someone fat is a prejudicial slur. It carries with it an entire set of connotations designed to label the individual as unworthy of respect and dignity. This is the same devisive hatred found in racial prejudice. Overweight people have to work harder in this world. They are treated as underclass drivel. They are scorned and scoffed.
The discipline, dedication, and focused drive my training and racing brings has helped me become a happy irrepressible man. I have used training and racing as a means of overcoming a mental illness that almost took my life on many occasions. I have been looking for a sponsor for my training and racing. I am not looking to become a professional triathlete. What I have been looking for is a sponsor to fund a charity to help people overcome the challanges set before them. I would like to see more people become empowered, strong, happy people. I would like to see every race I enter help others overcome their seemingly impossible obstacles. I would like to see every race I enter help fight the prejudice and hatred that people with weight problems and mental illness face everyday.
I could be bitter about the "fat a**" comment. But I realized that this guy simply empowered me to fight this prejudice. Afterall, he provided me with a great topic and an opportunity to share my feelings about an important topic.
IRONMAN
© Copyright Ryan Robert Schopke, 2006
posted by Schopke at 3/29/2006 04:43:00 PM
4 Comments:
Are you sure you didn't blow snot or get some sweat on the guy as you went by?
Maybe the wind turbulence you create at 27 MPH was nearly enough to blow him over?
Either way, his response was uncalled for. I'm not aware of any cycling code of conduct that states you can't blow by people.
Did you yell, "on your left" as you passed?
Based on your side of the story, this is the only thing you didn't mention you did while passing, and therefore, makes me think this might have been what pissed the person off. But if you did verbalize your passing, then I can't think of any reason the guy would be so rude.
Anyway, have you looked in the mirror lately? You aren't fat.
Plus, if a fat guy just blew by you, the last thing you'd want to do is call him fat, as that doesn't say much for the name caller.
At least he didn't want to fight you! It'd be embarrassing to get your butt kicked by a "fat guy" in spandex.
Tony,
No, I did not yell out "on your left". But this shoulder was so wide you could have fit one and a half cars in the shoulder. I gave the guy so much room that yelling "on your left" would have been akin to a passing car yelling "on your left". The guy was angry and I do not know what the big deal was.
He was saying my pass was dangerous but There was a good 4 feet between him and I. What I think happened was that my pass scared him. But then there have been numerous times a car has snuck up on me and I did not hear them. The car passed me and scared the crud out of me. This happens to bikers al the time.
My pass was safe. This guy, in my opinion, felt hurt because I blew past him and his ego couldn't handel it. His approach was to personally and intentionally insult me with his prejudicial slur. It was a classless and tasteless thing to do.
I agree, it sounds like the guy had some other issue(s) beyond the way you passed him, so the fact you didn't call out probably wouldn't have made a difference.
A loop that I do regularly around Bidwell Park, which accommodates cars, walkers, and cyclists, creates a situation similar to what you experienced.
I'm never sure whether to call out "on your left" or not. When I do, half the time it scares people, half the time they move left into my path, half the time they have headphones on and can't even hear me.
I realize that 1 and 1/2, but it happens a lot.
Oh, and half the people are appreciative I’ve called out while the other half are startled, not counting the half who have headphones on, of course.
So, sometimes I do it and sometimes I don't. It's usually a split second decision and typically I only call out if I’m going to be within a few feet of them. Otherwise, I’m just wasting precious air.
By the way, did you see how Fatty at FatCyclist.com said triathlon is not a sport?
Funny stuff!
Yeah I saw that. Another guy showed me the blog today. It was hilarios!
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