I am starting another thread here I know, but....
My wife's experience when cycling on her own in Bolton (a town with
relatively little cycling) is that she is frequently verbally abused,
much more so than I ever am. We cannot work out the logic of this one,
because, as Tim suggests, one would traditionally think that females
generally offer and attract less aggressive behaviour.
It might be that the road is viewed as a "dangerous place", where it is
acceptable for men to go, but it is not acceptable for women to go. If
therefore, a woman is seen in the road, the reaction is that the woman
must be in some way deficient for not having realised this "fact". Any
perceived deficiency in a person is often pounced on by the unloving
(school bullying as an example).
Dr John Parkin
Department of the Built Environment
The University of Bolton
Deane Road, Bolton, BL3 5AB
Dir Tel 01204 903027 Mob Tel 07903 523017
Fax 01204 399074 www.bolton.ac.uk/staff/jp10
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tim Jones
> Sent: 07 February 2006 11:22
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: The effect of cycle lanes on Cyclists' road space
>
> Peter
>
> Can't comment on recumbents but one thing that I notice
> whilst riding my upright is that I am given more space and
> respect by motorists when I ride with my partner in
> situations where I ride at the front.
>
> It is well know that higher response rates to doorstep social
> surveys are achieved by females rather than males for all
> sorts of reasons. I am wondering whether this same issues are
> at interplay here... Are women prone to less conflict than
> men? Do men respect females riders more than their male counterparts?
>
> Tim Jones
>
> Peter Cox wrote:
>
> >Hi
> >
> >One of the things I and other riders of 'non-conventional'
> Bikes notice
> >(anecdotally of course) is that riding a recumbent one
> rarely - if ever
> >- gets cut up close, whereas on a diamond-frame it happens fairly
> >frequently.
> >
> >The suspicion is that drivers are forced to think about
> something they
> >do not recognise or that is out of the 'ordinary' rather than just
> >mentally file it as street furniture. How is your instrumented bike
> >equipped - does the kit alter its appearance at all?
> >
> >Peter Cox
> >Programme Leader in Community Studies
> >School of Social Science
> >University of Chester
> >Parkgate Road
> >Chester CH1 4BJ
> >01244 375444 xt2039
> >
> >
> >Quoting Ian Walker <[log in to unmask]>:
> >
> >
> >
> >>I emailed Pete Owens, who conducted that study, yesterday,
> to suggest
> >>we do it again with our instrumented bike which measures overtaking
> >>proximities. It would be great to see if those findings are
> supported
> >>with accurate measures.
> >>
> >>Ian
> >>-----
> >>Dr Ian Walker,
> >>Department of Psychology,
> >>University of Bath,
> >>Bath BA2 7AY,
> >>England.
> >>
> >>Tel: +44 (0)1225 383908
> >>E-mail: [log in to unmask] (academic)
> >>E-mail: [log in to unmask] (other matters)
> >>Website: www.drianwalker.com
> >>
> >>On 7 Feb 2006, at 10:43, Peter Cox wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>So does this mean that a full study should be undertaken? Anyone
> >>>
> >>>
> >got
> >
> >
> >>>time/money sources?
> >>>
> >>>Perhaps taking into account both gender and style/type of
> cycle might
> >>>be useful other factors as well as relative traffic speeds?
> >>>
> >>>Peter Cox
> >>>Programme Leader in Community Studies School of Social Science
> >>>University of Chester Parkgate Road Chester CH1 4BJ
> >>>01244 375444 xt2039
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>Quoting Tim Jones <[log in to unmask]>:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>This is an interesting critique of cycle lanes but with
> respect the
> >>>>methodology leaves a lot to be desired.
> >>>>
> >>>>-Use of one FEMALE cyclist
> >>>>- No randomisation
> >>>>- Selective use of evidence (i.e. to what extent do the
> photographs
> >>>>represent the true situation?) etc
> >>>>
> >>>>Tim Jones
> >>>>Oxford Brookes University
> >>>>
> >>>>Peter Cox wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>Hello all
> >>>>>
> >>>>>Interesting study with photographs at
> >>>>>http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/
> >>>>>
> >>>>>If you haven't already seen the internationally renowned
> "facility
> >>>>>of the month" pages on the same website then you have
> been missing
> >>>>>a
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>treat.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>>Peter Cox
> >>>>>Programme Leader in Community Studies School of Social Science
> >>>>>University of Chester Parkgate Road Chester CH1 4BJ
> >>>>>01244 375444 xt2039
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>
> >>>
>
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