Dear Cyclist,
I have to say, I’m not impressed. When you sped past me on your bike and yelled “What an idiot!” I didn’t take a moment to consider whether I was in the bike lane or if I should have moved quicker. Nope, my only thought was that you were being rude. And guess what? That opinion hasn’t changed one bit.
Let me share a little story with you. A while back, when my son was just a baby, I buckled him into his car seat and headed to the grocery store. It was a beautiful day, and the parking lot was huge—finding a spot was easy-peasy. As I parked, I suddenly heard a loud, furious honk. Confused, I thought they must be honking at someone else, so I finished parking and went about my business.
As I was pushing my cart through the aisles, I encountered a woman whose face looked like thunder. “You weren’t even looking where you were going!” she shouted. “That’s really dangerous, you know! You’re supposed to look before you pull in!” I was so stunned by her tone that I just stood there, speechless.
But her words stuck with me. I kept wondering where her car had been when she honked and why I hadn’t noticed it. After a while, I ran into her again. This time, I decided to speak up. “Hey,” I said, “you’re right. I didn’t see you at all.” I explained how I had heard the honk but couldn’t figure out where it came from. I told her I often drove with a baby and needed to know if I had a blind spot.
Her demeanor changed completely. She relaxed and described exactly where her car had been, and suddenly we were on the same page. We left the aisle without anger and with some valuable insights instead—a win-win!
So, dear cyclist, let me clarify: I’m a pretty nice person. I’m not out to block anyone’s way, and as a parent, I aim to set a good example. So let’s skip the insults next time, shall we? You could achieve the same goal with just as much effort but a much nicer tone.
Here are some alternatives to what you could have said:
- “Bike coming through!”
- “Hey, watch out for the bike!”
- “Careful there, friend!”
- “Whoa, speedy!”
See? Easy peasy.
With all sincerity, from a brief encounter but never your friend,
Megan
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Summary:
The letter expresses frustration toward a rude cyclist while sharing a personal story about a misunderstanding in a grocery store. It emphasizes the importance of kindness and constructive communication, suggesting better alternatives to shouting insults.