Hating Cyclists on Facebook 8

Today I stumbled across a Facebook page entitled “There’s a perfectly good path right next to the road you stupid cyclist”. Cyclist hate groups on Facebook are common, but this one in particular is more distasteful than others I have come across because it boasts more than 31,000 fans, and it in no uncertain terms explicitly promotes the murder of cyclists for simply being on the road.

The description for the group reads:

No matter how far to the left you are, you’re taking up my road.
My car is hard, and i am not slowing down!

Status updates include messages such as “saw a cyclist stack it today!” (Nov 29th), with 396 people who like it, and 116 comments, including the following:

Carly Foster – epic fail. Thats so funny

Kristen Hawkins – yayyy!!!! stupid cyclists ill run them over!

Kay Leggat – Ha ha that will teach them stupid stupid stupid cyclists

Ashley Gibson – cyclists suck balls n if i ever hit one i will have no sypathy for them. fukn pilow byters!

The discussions page also contains some interesting exchanges between the cyclists and the anti-cyclists – including this note from one Adam Fry:

Adam Fry wrote on November 20, 2009 at 7:02am

“Geoff, if you and 9 other cyclists were occupying the lane in front of a truck driver, let’s just say I would have no qualms in watching said truck driver run you all down, ok? That kind of behaviour may be ILLEGAL on the driver’s part, but it would serve you all right for being so OBNOXIOUS and believing you have any right of way to prevent motor-vehicles from occupying that space. Secondly, if you are driving in the right lane it is only to turn or to overtake. If you cannot overtake in an applicable time-frame, then you most probably will be yelled at by the person behind you. We don’t all work on your time-frame, some people are in a hurry. So please, stop being so OBNOXIUS and don’t attempt to tell other users to “chill a bit” unless you plan to do so yourself.”

I have reported this group to Facebook, as I’m sure many others have done as well. I would encourage you to report this group as well for its hatred and threatening content. The “Report Page” link resides on the bottom left side of the group page.

Here is the note I included in my report:

Please shut down this hate group immediately. This group violates section 3-7 in the Facebook Statement of Rights and Responsibilities by containing hateful content, threatening messages and photos and it contains graphic or gratuitous violence.

It contains inappropriate photos and comments that promote the murder of cyclists.

Intentionally killing a cyclist is as much of a crime as murdering somebody with a gun. Facebook would never allow a page that encourages bringing guns to school and commit mass murder, so why would it support a page that encourages people to run down and murder cyclists with an automobile?

Other Facebook hate groups include “I hate buses”, “I hate cyclists that use the road but abuse the rules!”, “The People Against Sucky Ass Drivers”, “I hate women drivers” among others.

I do believe in free speech, and people have the right to complain about cyclists. But explicitly condoning the murder of cyclists crosses the line. If enough people report this group, Facebook will shut it down.

R. Parker

My submission:

This is a hate group.

While criticism of cyclists is as valid as criticism of motorists, this crosses the line by advocating violence toward and murder of other road users.

I strongly recommend closing this incubator of violence.

How would, for instance, a group that used illustrations of the deaths not of bicycle racers but of a particular ethnic group to incite hatred against them be welcomed in this community?

Surely this “group” contravenes the Facebook terms of use (3-7) by promoting violence and intolerance, especially through the (mis)use of a photograph in which cyclists were tragically killed.
http://www.blogger.com/profile/11913167335750971226 JJB

At the bottom left of the page, there is a link called “Report Page”. Use it. We need to shut down this hate group.
http://www.blogger.com/profile/02486808945912681657 z

This is just a fantasy group. These people are harmless.

It’s like violent video games. Video game players aren’t murderers in real life, just in their little fantasy world.

Luckily though, it can be used as evidence if they end up charged with dangerous driving.
http://www.blogger.com/profile/10510514405099510918 Michael

Shocking discovery, James, and you are right to move against it.

But cyclists have to do their part. Incitement is not a good idea, esp considering the relative weight of bikes and cars.

I’m big on sit-up bikes because I think they help create a new dialogue with other traffic, a friendlier one. Mike
http://www.blogger.com/profile/04454437680686627778 James D. Schwartz

Agreed Mike, incitement is not the answer – education is the best approach. If drivers can understand and respect the needs of cyclists and cyclists can understand and respect the needs of drivers, we would be better off.
http://www.angelfire.com/blog/bicyclerider/ lonerider

Maybe a bunch of cyclists should post pictures of dead drivers in cars wrapped around telephone poles?

Or instrructions on how to do your own pedal-by-shooting?

As far as I’m concerned if someone is going to threaten to murder me or my friends before they even meet me they should be hung from the nearest streetlight.

It is a good thing cyclists aren’t as violent as some of these drivers are.

Seriously, if I started a facebook page about shooting drivers, don’t you think I’d get in trouble? So what the hell is the difference here?

Oh, wait, we’re on bikes so it’s okay for people to kill us. Hell of a messed up world.

With this sort of bike-bashing being culturally accepted, it really is only a matter of time until some cyclist hit by a driver snaps and beats the driver’s face in.

And when it happens I am going to cheer. Why? Because violence begets violence, maybe if someone made that point to these ignorant bigots in cars they’d back the *** off!
Anonymous

This group is right, you are all trash. Least of which is the fact that you sound pathetic with the “ima freak out and beat up a diver!” Cyclist are self centered, socially irresponsible scum, period
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Hating Cyclists on Facebook 8