we all have very different ways of dealing with problems and conflict.  as i commuted in to work today with mark kerlin, having just missed seeing big b, we discussed this a bit.  being polite versus being confrontational.  when you have to take a stand.  etc.  and so i wasn't surprised when i got the following anecdote in my inbox from one of our union brothers.  check it out:

So I went on a ride last night, 20 miles all near BWI.  I know its 20 because it’s all street riding and I drove it over the weekend.  As I was driving it, I noticed a lot of buildings that I didn’t notice the first time I rode it and thought, well I have to be on the lookout for the damn rocks that have been plaguing me and my tires in Ellicott City proper.  I’m basically thinking this as I’m riding, and as that thought pops in my head, I slam into a rock, and that was that.  I’ve even gotten a bit better at jumping the potholes, but this one, I couldn’t swerve and, well, that was that.  I think it’s time for that tire upgrade we spoke of a while back.  The good news is I think it only took me 8 minutes or so to do a complete change.  I was kind of proud of that, and I was able to finish up.  So I’m in Elkridge (just north of Ellicott City) now and the sun is below the tree line so it’s getting dark, not dusk yet but darker and I’m on a very narrow 2 lane road.  The thing is, there are cars parked on either side, so it’s basically a 1 lane road.  I notice a car behind me, so I pull onto the curb which is a ramp style so it’s no problem.  The car speeds up to pass me but as he’s doing this another car is coming towards us.  The car behind didn’t slow though and barely missed the on-coming car.  The on-coming car had his window down; he obviously wanted to say something to the car but he was way to fast and gone by now, so he unloads on me.  Amidst the profanity, I did happen to hear, ‘get a mountain bike.’  I had no comeback.

there are several things in this that need to be addressed.  when a driver utters the phrase "get a mountain bike" to a road cyclist who has pulled over to let traffic by, is this motorist on cyclist aggression or cyclist on cyclist aggression?  the cyclist in this story is clearly not guilty, under a leninist interpretation of racing union thought, of avoiding the necessary struggle between those on two wheels and those on four wheels, while simultaneously clearly being very guilty, under a maoist interpretation of racing union thought, of avoiding necessary confrontation in the first place.  so what do we do with him?  commendation or work camp?  maybe both?

and is telling a cyclist to get a different kind of bike a violation of racing union thought if the sentiment does not appear to be tied to the value of the bike?  there does seem to something pejorative in the way the story is related, but we cannot rule out the possibility that the motorist was kindly suggesting that this humble union ground officer add another two wheeled treasure to his inventory.  though if the motorist was a sneaky capitalist from a local bike shop encouraging unnecessary consumerism, well, that's a whole different ball of wax and we're right back to maoist ass-kicking mode.

please post your answers, in terms of racing union thought and with liberal allusions to the text of the manifesto, in the comments.  if you find it difficult to stay awake when discussing the nuances of leninist-unionist thought versus maoist-unionist thought, you can also just tell us funny stories about your interactions with cars and other cyclists.

-sg