There's a downside to our car free state I hadn't thought of

[mrsbrown]

Today on the ride home from the pool Rose started a conversation about planets and stars.  We were at some lights so I was able to tell her they were different and that the Sun is a star. 

We started riding and she asked if the Sun was a big star, so I started to try to tell her about gas giants.

And then a truck was bearing left into our bike lane and I had to break off to tell him to "FUCK OFFF"  in my biggest and loudest voice. And our conversation veered (hahaha) onto the subject of silly truck drivers.

Then we turned and were merrily riding down the last street before home when I realised that the four wheel drive coming toward us was focussed on overtaking another bicycle and odds were that he hadn't noticed us, so I pulled over behind a parked car and yelled "DICKHEAD" as he drove past.

Rose yelled "DICKHEAD" all the way home, despite me telling her that we should only use it when there really were dickheads around.

I've had some really lovely conversations in the car with my children over the years, I guess we'll just have to walk more. 

Comments

[sjkasabi]

Well, if you had a car, you could always teach her yell "DICKHEAD" on the road from a car too.

My occasional bike-mounted road rage incidents have never had any visible effect on the people I yelled at. On the other hand I've had a couple of good results (= sheepish looks and moving) from slowing down enough to say in a rational voice "you are breaking the law" or "you will kill someone parked here".

But basically, if you don't want Rose to yell "DICKHEAD" rather than have nice conversations, perhaps you shouldn't stop having nice conversations to yell "DICKHEAD" while she is with you?

[sjkasabi]

PS which isn't to say that motor vehicle drivers who think it's fine to break the bike lane laws or just mow down cyclists AREN'T dickheads. They certainly are. And murderers, too, some of 'em. Or at least assaulters; I have seen several cars knock over a cyclist and drive right on without stopping in the last 15 years. I just don't see how your current rhetorical tactics are meeting your various strategic goals.

[mrsbrown]

I understand the cause and effect process. I'm not especially fussed about the DICKHEAD calls, I'm a bit sad about the cool science conversations you can't have with Rose on the tag along.

And the yelling at the truck was very effective. Instead of turning left in front of us, it went straight ahead.

[jadeluxe]

I wish I had said "dickhead" yesterday when a big rig veered onto the road in front of me without blinkers and I yelled out "oh you FUCK!", completely forgetting the two innocent cherubs in the backseat. Then I was in the conundrum of mentioning it or letting it slide, except I couldn't let it slide because it was so loud (albeit satisfying!). So I said that I'd said a bad word because I felt really angry, and we should never say that word. Zadie spent the rest of the trip home changing "Mama, never ever ever say FUCK, NEVER EVER! NEVER SAY FUCK!"

Fuck it.