90+% of this article is good, valuable, and interesting. I too ride on 3-4 lane roads and have dealt with aggressive drivers, it’s nice to be seen.
However this bit chafes:
The dismissive ‘male glance’ is real, on the bike as in all of life. I can distinctly recall men realizing another cyclist (me, almost 50) is behind them, at a red light or whatever, and looking back, only to discover a woman who is older than he is, on a not-interesting-to-him bike, with no interesting blingy gear on it, and have him turn away, barely able to acknowledge I was there at all. What was he expecting to see? A sexualizable object young enough to be worthy of his attention?
There is no winning, being catcalled or ignored is equally appalling to you, how is anyone supposed to go about their life in proximity to you? He could certainly say hi, but is not obligated or even expected to. His response likely has less to do with the fact that you’re a woman than it does with they fact they probably have something else on their mind.
90+% of this article is good, valuable, and interesting. I too ride on 3-4 lane roads and have dealt with aggressive drivers, it’s nice to be seen.
However this bit chafes:
There is no winning, being catcalled or ignored is equally appalling to you, how is anyone supposed to go about their life in proximity to you? He could certainly say hi, but is not obligated or even expected to. His response likely has less to do with the fact that you’re a woman than it does with they fact they probably have something else on their mind.