Do you guys ACTUALLY get mad??

General
1

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/07/18/sports/1194817091655/mountain-unicycling.html?scp=3&sq=unicycling&st=cse

in this video when they are interviewing this guy he kinda sounds like a jerk
i mean come on…do you guys actually get mad when people say something like where’s your other wheel?

i usually just say something friendly back…because honestly…they dont know what to say to a unicyclist. it isnt something that most people see every day.

I am really kinda disappointed by this video. I think it kinda makes the unicyling community look bad. (just kinda snobby, and like we are WAY to serious)

do you guys actually get mad when people say stuff?

2

This is normally how the conversation goes:

-Dude, you got ripped off on you bike, I hope they didn’t make you pay full!

-No, half the bike, half the cost.

OR

-Wheres your other wheel?

-Only the insane use one OR haha

Never, “Where’s you brain.”

3

No… I’m very friendly too.
2 days ago an elderly man stopped me and said “This city is too dangerous, huh?! Look, they couldn’t stole the whole bike so they got just one wheel! Poor girl!” Hahahaha
I looked ate him and said “Yeah, when they saw how strong I was they just began to run as fast as they could and forgot that there were another wheel for them to take!” hahaha and he smiled at me. There’s no reason to get mad and say something stupid… Just be gentle and they’ll be too. I don’t know why some guys get so mad about somehting that isn’t that important…

4

I agree Jamey came off a little strong, but some people can really get to you. Maybe he was just trying to point out that it is an obvious and witless joke, and everyone thinks they are the funniest person alive when they sing a circus tune. He’s a friendly guy but everyone gets tired of the teasing now and then.

I usually ignore or play along laugh at it but “FALL!” and “FAG!” get really old, and who doesn’t wanna dropkick the people who say that?

I do have to agree though, I didn’t like that video overall.

5

I think the best response to someone yelling “FAG!” is “Hey sexy!”.

I’m bored of people ordering me to do tricks. I usually tell them to do one first.

6

Whoa! Those guys are saying what I’m thinking!

Just kidding. I never had any real issue with it until some little kids on skateboards started harassing me… They even followed me “home” :roll_eyes:

Nor am I going to bother actually watching this video.

And I offer thanks to Brian. This isn’t particularly useful on a uni, but rather just general dealing with confused and insecure homophobic classmates.

7

Hm… maybe for men it’s worse than it’s for us, girls. People have never been rude to me… They always do some jokes, like those ones “Oh you forgot one wheel” and bla bla…! But, I’m used to it so I’m not rude with them. I just say “Yeah…” and go away. But, if I were a guy, I wouldn’t like to hear someone calling me “FAG” and I would probably get mad hehe.

8

I don’t really care anymore. I usually just reply, “Alright,” or something of that nature. What does piss me off a bit is when people throw stuff at me. I guess I shouldn’t expect much else from college students.

The strangest comment I ever heard was when I was riding my unicycle while it was snowing. Some guy yelled at me, “Hey fag! Why don’t you ride a bike?” He also yelled a few other things I can’t remember. My reaction to that was ???wtf??? Morons are a common breed, not much point in getting angry over it.

9

Yeah I’m in the same situation as you. I do a lot of campus riding and it is a lot of fun but it can get annoying. People always badger me for some reason or another. I’m sick of people telling me to do tricks. especially since I am more of a muni guy. Nowadays I just ignore people unless they aren’t acting up. Most people are pretty nice. I never get called a fag. But none of it really matters because my campus is the most fun to ride around. Lots of stairs.:smiley:

10

I didn’t like that clip.

Aside from him cursing, and I don’t mean to say he’s not a good rider because I don’t know him but… why did the main guy always fall off on the easy flat bits?

I guess you just get used to the “where’s your other wheels” until you hardly notice it. And you actually come to anticipate people stepping in front of you in an attempt to make you fall off, much to their disappointment. If anyone says “don’t fall off” these days I just reply “thanks.” The most thoughtful comment I’ve had was one time when we were riding in the park and some little kids were watching us. I was attempting to ride this skinny when one of them says “be careful, you might fall off and break your armpit!” Haha that one made my day :slight_smile:

The strangest one I’ve had though was “Oi! Where’s your seat?!” I honestly couldn’t think of a comeback for that one…

11

Jerks that yell stuff are basically mind-limited folks who see us as easy targets to vent the frustations they feel with their own constricted lives. I’ve hardly had any problems, most people are very nice and encouraging. But most of my riding is in the hills, when my Coker arrives and I spend more time on the street, I expect to hear more crude shouts. The only time it really bothers me is when someone yells real loud from a car, startles me a bit and throws my balance. Only happened once in a year of riding though. More often than not, these are the same people who will generally live their lives without doing anything really bold, exciting, truly physically challenging, etc. If they did, they would have more respect for you and wouldn’t act so rude. So just feel sorry for them.

12

I actually love it now when I walk out from school with my 36er and they go, “Oi! can you ride that thing?” trying to act all cool and I just say something along the lines of “nope. I just walk alongside it. why would I want to ride this thing?” It shuts them up, and makes them feel stupid… and every one laughs at them and not me. the best comment I have ever heard was from a young mother with her kid, and she goes “look son, it’s a one wheeled bike! it’s called that because it has no handle bars”. Unbelievable. :astonished:

13

I hear this question at least 5 times when I go out for a train and I usually answer I’m looking for the other wheel or when I’m with Pedro I answer that the other wheel is with him, but it is really boring answering the same question many times a day.

14

wow. The one wheeled bike thing isnt of a stun to me, since it hasnt crossed most peoples minds that unicycles exist, unless theyve ridden them in the past (ive actually encountered a bunch of folk that used to ride back in the 70’s or 80’s probably). But, it does get old and wear on you the more times you hear one wheeled bike, or you hear a mom saying to her son “Hey! Look at that silly bike hes riding!”. Most times i just hear peoples parents actually saying “hey look at what hes riding, its a UNIcycle, cause its got one wheel”

edit: oh yeah on topic i guess. Well, i dont get mad, i just smile and answer any questions they have, and normally when i’m riding to a location and i get seen by a bunch of friends, or people who are out loud pointing me out, i normally pull do a 180 hoptwist and ride backwards, then do it again to ride forwards (its easy enough for me, ive been riding with a lot of camera gear and done it even)

I also if i’m sorta putsing around at a public trials line, just looking for a line, or resting and a person will come by and comment on how they want someone to see it to, i happily will do the line. if someone asks more about unicycling, i tell them about all the clubs we have in minnesota, and about the websites. If its a younger person, or a person who is really really interested, i tell them to check out unicyclist.com and learn to ride.

Oh yeah, Micheal, i was riding in canal park this summer, instead of getting kicked out by security guards, they came and watched me and clapped for me. ahaha…

15

I never get mad … just laugh and give back a witty retort. Same as road rage … when people flip me off or yell I just wave at them like an idiot. It confuses them.
Even on this site there are many who dislike the circus connection. Most people saw their first uni in a circus. I did. Gonna have to live with that. I was a circus clown and I ride MUni and trials a bit but still perform comedy on mine. To each his own or as I say … “ride your own ride”.
In juggling as well there are folks pushing to garner more respect. In my opinion you cannot make people like it just because you do. Your actions will get the respect you want and deserve. Execute well and results will follow.
Serve 5 hamburger and some people will like this one over that one. Still just hamburgers…
We practice an obscure sport. It will take time for others to understand why we don’t ride bikes or play golf … like everyone else.
Give it time and keep riding to your fullest and just enjoy!
That is my rant.

16

…Is there a really a witty retort for total harassment? Those kids were rolling skateboards and tricycles at my uni trying to knock me off, while they were trying to follow me and I was repeatedly asking them to bug off…

17

Lol that’s pretty good, I’ll remember these!

And Chuck has a point there… Some people really can’t act reasonably at all but that seems less common.

18

My response to people ordering me to do tricks is: “I’m not your puppet.”

I’ve gone on 4 hour rides and have spent 3 of those hours talking to people who ask me questions, and seem friendly. If someone seems friendly, honest, and genuine I never mind giving up riding time to educate them and exchange friendly chat about our sport. Both parties end up walking away feeling really great.

Something annoying is how right after people compliment you they either directly or indirectly ask you if you’re a eunuch. I always try to stay calm and reason with them, ie, “I don’t sit on those when I ride. That would obviously hurt A LOT.”

I also shook my head and laughed to myself when a guy on my old campus called me a show off. Main Campus was my trials playground, and he happened to be walking in it. I’m not out to get attention from people. I’m out to ride, no matter if the location is a desolate one, or a populated one.

I’ve had people try to hold onto me while riding, and people try to push me over. Those kids were more than likely drunk. When one saw that I hadn’t fallen he let go and exclaimed to his buddies, “Hey, he didn’t fall over!” as he was walking in a pack of about fifteen people down the sidewalk, while I was trying to head back to my old dorm room for the night.

Then again, college kids can be narrow-minded, drunken asses. I have been called a “fag,” and have had people tell me to shove my unicycle up my rear end, or that they were going to do it, all for no apparent reason.

I’ve had people even go so far as to tell me that trials riding is not actually riding a unicycle. It’s “just hopping around.”

Whatever you do, practice selective hearing and tune out the haters, or fools. Laugh at them, and concentrate on what you’re doing, not them (unless they are distracting you while you’re trying to concentrate on a very hard/dangerous trick/line/whatever). They haven’t stopped me yet. They never will. I continually forget that unicycling can be seen as something ‘unusual.’ To me it’s normal. I’m out, and active in my community, and up off of my lazy ass, creating some positive energy.

19

people are suprised to see us and trying to make contact they may come with a lame joke you’ve heard a thousand of times … please note that they try to make contact so be prepared to be friendly.
Now younger uniyclists may have another problem with other young men: those may fear for their female and so may show agressive behaviour (incuding “fag-naming”, and so on) … if you understand that you may just smile… by the way that never happens to me: an old bear is not supposed to be a menace for the young females around :smiley:

20

These kids weren’t old enough to be worrying about that(I’m guessing the oldest was around 10). If they were a few years older I probably would have bashed some skulls together, but they were just wee tots.

Outside of this particular group ( I have had trouble with them repeatedly ) I’ve only gotten one truly negative comment while riding, and I don’t think it was one of the more common ones…