John Stevenson

When I first got here I thought Mastodon's lack of free-text search odd. But you know what I'm really enjoying? The lack of arguments that start when some muggle posts 'cyclists suck', it gets quote-tweeted by someone with a search for 'cyclists', #cycling twitter piles on, football & cabbie twitter pile back, days later people are still fighting with no minds changed or knowledge exchanged.

I've started a few of those and taken part in a few more. Mea maxima culpa.

Nov 10, 2022 at 9:08pmWeb
Show threadSpokes(wo)manNov 10, 2022
@CyclingJourno I’m really enjoying the lack of aggro from ppl who don’t like cycling or cyclists. So far, this place is excellent for anger management ! I feel like I’m at a resort … #MuskToTusk
Show threadJohn StevensonNov 11, 2022
@Spokeswoman IKR! And that Mastodon's set up to make that sort of silliness harder, you have to hope when the antis do finally arrive they'll soon get bored and go back to NextDoor.
Show threadRosamundiNov 11, 2022
@CyclingJourno I always used to wince whenever someone started a pile-on like that. Eg innocently mentioning "road tax" and getting brigaded for *days* by people "well akshually road tax hasn't existed since 1937 drone bore winston churchill blah blah blah". Like, how do you think that helps to change minds?
Show threadJohn StevensonNov 11, 2022

@rosamundi Yeah and I did it too, being an argumentative bolshy Northerner!

That said, pretty much every mention of road tax implies paying a tax gives drivers more right to the road. You probably can't fix that, but I understand why people would try.

Show threadRosamundiNov 11, 2022
@CyclingJourno I appreciated the people who started with "roads are paid for out of general taxation and since everyone pays tax, everyone contributes to the upkeep of the roads and has an equal right to use them," but, as a massive pedant myself, seeing people jumping straight in with the "well akshually..." pedantry just made me cringe.
Accept that people use "Hoover" when they mean "vacuum cleaner" and address the issue, not the window-dressing.
Show threadJohn StevensonNov 11, 2022
@rosamundi Exactly!
Show threadGary James #cyclingtweepsNov 11, 2022
@rosamundi @CyclingJourno It's easy to dismiss it as pedantry but it needs to be challenged. I suspect that for many they know full well but wilfully maintain the stance to justify motor hegemony.
Show threadRosamundiNov 11, 2022
@Tradescant @CyclingJourno via a pile-on of hundreds of quote tweets and @ mentions? No. I don't see that as remotely helpful and pedantry shouldn't be the opening point in any discussion.
Show threadGary James #cyclingtweepsNov 11, 2022
@rosamundi @CyclingJourno Unfortunately when you are subjected to the same crap every day, which then manifests itself on every journey, it does not always elicit a Mr Spock like response.
Show threadJohn StevensonNov 11, 2022

@Tradescant @rosamundi It's understandable, but the problem is that Twitter makes it so easy that it becomes a reflex. Here, not so much, and that's good.

As for 'needs to be challenged' I understand the urge and have succumbed plenty myself, but it does seem to be vanishingly rare that a road taxer changes their mind.

Show threadGary James #cyclingtweepsNov 11, 2022
@CyclingJourno @rosamundi It's too good an othering tool to let go.