We are not GEEKS! or WEIRDOS!

system · November 14, 2001, 5:21am

About the closest experience I’ve had to this is when some kids in my
neighborhood threatened to shove a street hockey stick into my spokes.
This was several years ago and this harrassment stopped quite abruptly
after I told one of the kids’ father that he had better check the
liability limit on his insurance policy if he did not put a stop to it.

-----Original Message----- From: jimmyjimmy
["]mailto:forum.member@unicyclist.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2001 5:45
PM To: rsu@unicycling.org Subject: We are not GEEKS! or WEIRDOS!

I just was at the park recently where i was really tormented! I had 2 milk
cartons thrown at me and the ice cream man, I couldn’t beleive my ears!!!,
called me gay! I have enjoyed unicycling for almost 15 years now and find
this to be the worst harrassment i have ever had! I think it is the kids
these days or less unicyclists out there so they don’t see how cool it is.
Skateboarders constantly yell profanities also telling me to “get a
skate”. I can do any sport but find this sport to be awesome!

Do you guys have these issues also?

–
jimmyjimmy Posted via the Unicyclist Community -
http://unicyclist.com/forums
_________________________________________________________________________-
__
rec.sport.unicycling mailing list -
www.unicycling.org/mailman/listinfo/rsu

system · November 14, 2001, 5:21am

About the closest experience I’ve had to this is when some kids in my
neighborhood threatened to shove a street hockey stick into my spokes.
This was several years ago and this harrassment stopped quite abruptly
after I told one of the kids’ father that he had better check the
liability limit on his insurance policy if he did not put a stop to it.

-----Original Message----- From: jimmyjimmy
["]mailto:forum.member@unicyclist.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2001 5:45
PM To: rsu@unicycling.org Subject: We are not GEEKS! or WEIRDOS!

I just was at the park recently where i was really tormented! I had 2 milk
cartons thrown at me and the ice cream man, I couldn’t beleive my ears!!!,
called me gay! I have enjoyed unicycling for almost 15 years now and find
this to be the worst harrassment i have ever had! I think it is the kids
these days or less unicyclists out there so they don’t see how cool it is.
Skateboarders constantly yell profanities also telling me to “get a
skate”. I can do any sport but find this sport to be awesome!

Do you guys have these issues also?

–
jimmyjimmy Posted via the Unicyclist Community -
http://unicyclist.com/forums
_________________________________________________________________________-
__
rec.sport.unicycling mailing list -
www.unicycling.org/mailman/listinfo/rsu

system · November 14, 2001, 6:55am

In the last year, I have done a lot of unicycling on city streets training
for the European Unicycle Tour. Here in Minnesota, people are pretty dang
friendly. I started keeping track and for about every 50 good comments I
would get one bad one. Usually, this comment cycle would repeat about
every two days of riding. The bad comments wearn’t even all that bad. One
of the more interesting times was Tammy and I were riding and we got the
honk and thumbs up and in the next second some teenagers going the other
the way screemed faggot while riding in daddy’s convertible (must of been
their first beer). Tammy and I thought it was more funny than anything.
Many times while riding alone, I listen to music and don’t hear many of
the comments, good or bad.

Lately, I have been talking on the cell phone while doing some riding.
While I don’t go quite as fast (about 17 kph), it is a fun way to talk and
enjoy the outdoors. I’m sure I get even more strange looks but I since I’m
busy talking I don’t notice many. Good thing there isn’t any laws here in
Minnesota about unicycling and talking on a cell phone.

When we did the actual tour in Europe, I found there wasn’t quite as many
comments. Also, there were more not so friendly drivers. Spain was more
friendly toward unicyclists with Germany being a close second. France was
mixed as they respect bicycling so we would get postive comments along
with people annoyed with us for taking up space on the road.

What I have found that the bigger the wheel, the better the comments (size
does matter). Also, the more riders there are, the better the comments.
And, weather plays a big factor in the quality of comments. The nicer the
day, the better the comments.

-Andy (Coker is now put away for winter)

Andy Cotter - Andy.Cotter@OutTech.com Unicycle Video “One Wheel - No
Limit” - http://www.tcuc.org/nolimit/ Twin Cities Unicycle Club -
http://www.tcuc.org International Unicycling Federation - Director

system · November 14, 2001, 6:58am

Here in Quebec, I never ever got any bad comment - just tons of lame
“where’s your other wheel”. It’s amazing to see how people are respectful
(and generaly amazed) when spotting a unicyclist in the streets. Funny
thing, I generally get the best appreciation from BMXers, skaters and
trialists.

On the other side, when I went back to France last year to visit family,
the comments were aggressive (well it was in Paris), passing people were
staring strangely at me, and so on.

Oli-

-----Original Message----- From: Andy.Cotter@outtech.com
["]mailto:Andy.Cotter@outtech.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2001 9:55
AM To: rsu@unicycling.org Subject: Re: We are not GEEKS! or WEIRDOS!

In the last year, I have done a lot of unicycling on city streets training
for the European Unicycle Tour. Here in Minnesota, people are pretty dang
friendly. I started keeping track and for about every 50 good comments I
would get one bad one. Usually, this comment cycle would repeat about
every two days of riding. The bad comments wearn’t even all that bad. One
of the more interesting times was Tammy and I were riding and we got the
honk and thumbs up and in the next second some teenagers going the other
the way screemed faggot while riding in daddy’s convertible (must of been
their first beer). Tammy and I thought it was more funny than anything.
Many times while riding alone, I listen to music and don’t hear many of
the comments, good or bad.

Lately, I have been talking on the cell phone while doing some riding.
While I don’t go quite as fast (about 17 kph), it is a fun way to talk and
enjoy the outdoors. I’m sure I get even more strange looks but I since I’m
busy talking I don’t notice many. Good thing there isn’t any laws here in
Minnesota about unicycling and talking on a cell phone.

When we did the actual tour in Europe, I found there wasn’t quite as many
comments. Also, there were more not so friendly drivers. Spain was more
friendly toward unicyclists with Germany being a close second. France was
mixed as they respect bicycling so we would get postive comments along
with people annoyed with us for taking up space on the road.

What I have found that the bigger the wheel, the better the comments (size
does matter). Also, the more riders there are, the better the comments.
And, weather plays a big factor in the quality of comments. The nicer the
day, the better the comments.

-Andy (Coker is now put away for winter)

Andy Cotter - Andy.Cotter@OutTech.com Unicycle Video “One Wheel - No
Limit” - http://www.tcuc.org/nolimit/ Twin Cities Unicycle Club -
http://www.tcuc.org International Unicycling Federation - Director

rec.sport.unicycling mailing list -
www.unicycling.org/mailman/listinfo/rsu

system · November 14, 2001, 6:58am

Here in Quebec, I never ever got any bad comment - just tons of lame
“where’s your other wheel”. It’s amazing to see how people are respectful
(and generaly amazed) when spotting a unicyclist in the streets. Funny
thing, I generally get the best appreciation from BMXers, skaters and
trialists.

On the other side, when I went back to France last year to visit family,
the comments were aggressive (well it was in Paris), passing people were
staring strangely at me, and so on.

Oli-

-----Original Message----- From: Andy.Cotter@outtech.com
["]mailto:Andy.Cotter@outtech.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2001 9:55
AM To: rsu@unicycling.org Subject: Re: We are not GEEKS! or WEIRDOS!

In the last year, I have done a lot of unicycling on city streets training
for the European Unicycle Tour. Here in Minnesota, people are pretty dang
friendly. I started keeping track and for about every 50 good comments I
would get one bad one. Usually, this comment cycle would repeat about
every two days of riding. The bad comments wearn’t even all that bad. One
of the more interesting times was Tammy and I were riding and we got the
honk and thumbs up and in the next second some teenagers going the other
the way screemed faggot while riding in daddy’s convertible (must of been
their first beer). Tammy and I thought it was more funny than anything.
Many times while riding alone, I listen to music and don’t hear many of
the comments, good or bad.

Lately, I have been talking on the cell phone while doing some riding.
While I don’t go quite as fast (about 17 kph), it is a fun way to talk and
enjoy the outdoors. I’m sure I get even more strange looks but I since I’m
busy talking I don’t notice many. Good thing there isn’t any laws here in
Minnesota about unicycling and talking on a cell phone.

When we did the actual tour in Europe, I found there wasn’t quite as many
comments. Also, there were more not so friendly drivers. Spain was more
friendly toward unicyclists with Germany being a close second. France was
mixed as they respect bicycling so we would get postive comments along
with people annoyed with us for taking up space on the road.

What I have found that the bigger the wheel, the better the comments (size
does matter). Also, the more riders there are, the better the comments.
And, weather plays a big factor in the quality of comments. The nicer the
day, the better the comments.

-Andy (Coker is now put away for winter)

Andy Cotter - Andy.Cotter@OutTech.com Unicycle Video “One Wheel - No
Limit” - http://www.tcuc.org/nolimit/ Twin Cities Unicycle Club -
http://www.tcuc.org International Unicycling Federation - Director

rec.sport.unicycling mailing list -
www.unicycling.org/mailman/listinfo/rsu

system · November 14, 2001, 6:58am

Here in Quebec, I never ever got any bad comment - just tons of lame
“where’s your other wheel”. It’s amazing to see how people are respectful
(and generaly amazed) when spotting a unicyclist in the streets. Funny
thing, I generally get the best appreciation from BMXers, skaters and
trialists.

On the other side, when I went back to France last year to visit family,
the comments were aggressive (well it was in Paris), passing people were
staring strangely at me, and so on.

Oli-

-----Original Message----- From: Andy.Cotter@outtech.com
["]mailto:Andy.Cotter@outtech.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2001 9:55
AM To: rsu@unicycling.org Subject: Re: We are not GEEKS! or WEIRDOS!

In the last year, I have done a lot of unicycling on city streets training
for the European Unicycle Tour. Here in Minnesota, people are pretty dang
friendly. I started keeping track and for about every 50 good comments I
would get one bad one. Usually, this comment cycle would repeat about
every two days of riding. The bad comments wearn’t even all that bad. One
of the more interesting times was Tammy and I were riding and we got the
honk and thumbs up and in the next second some teenagers going the other
the way screemed faggot while riding in daddy’s convertible (must of been
their first beer). Tammy and I thought it was more funny than anything.
Many times while riding alone, I listen to music and don’t hear many of
the comments, good or bad.

Lately, I have been talking on the cell phone while doing some riding.
While I don’t go quite as fast (about 17 kph), it is a fun way to talk and
enjoy the outdoors. I’m sure I get even more strange looks but I since I’m
busy talking I don’t notice many. Good thing there isn’t any laws here in
Minnesota about unicycling and talking on a cell phone.

When we did the actual tour in Europe, I found there wasn’t quite as many
comments. Also, there were more not so friendly drivers. Spain was more
friendly toward unicyclists with Germany being a close second. France was
mixed as they respect bicycling so we would get postive comments along
with people annoyed with us for taking up space on the road.

What I have found that the bigger the wheel, the better the comments (size
does matter). Also, the more riders there are, the better the comments.
And, weather plays a big factor in the quality of comments. The nicer the
day, the better the comments.

-Andy (Coker is now put away for winter)

Andy Cotter - Andy.Cotter@OutTech.com Unicycle Video “One Wheel - No
Limit” - http://www.tcuc.org/nolimit/ Twin Cities Unicycle Club -
http://www.tcuc.org International Unicycling Federation - Director

rec.sport.unicycling mailing list -
www.unicycling.org/mailman/listinfo/rsu

system · November 14, 2001, 7:55am

Greetings

In message “Re: We are not GEEKS! or WEIRDOS!”, Joseph ROWING wrote…
>On this thread has anyone got any good replies to the inevitable "
>Where’s your other wheel?"

I think there is a list of hundreds of clever replies somewhere on
unicycling.org.

Regards, Jack Halpern President, The CJK Dictionary Institute, Inc.
http://www.cjk.org Phone: +81-48-473-3508

ericgiesecke · November 14, 2001, 1:40pm

Man oh man, Barb…where is your town!? Utopia I guess!! I’m from NYC and I’ve been on one wheel since I was 12 (I’m 24 now). I grew up in Rockaway Beach (yes, that one) in Queens. The neighbor hood was pretty…blue collar, shall we say. Anyway, I had all sorts of taunts thrown my way. Like, I’m Italian, so all the Irish guys would ask me when I was going to get an underglow for my “tin.” Stuff like that. Whatever. One can expect it there. But even in the Village, where I rode on the weekends, i would have to take phallic sh** from the gay guys. I mean, nothing against them, but you’d think that if anyone would understand being marginalized. Crabs in a bucket, I guess. Anyhow, I’m living in Madison, Wisc. now and things are a little better. A group of kids who looked like hippies came at me about two months ago, but nothing came of it. I just made a game of it and tried to see how long I could stay vert with them tugging at me. I’d be about a level seven if I was into that stuff, so I dealt pretty well. They were like twelve year old anyway. So Barb, if you check in, seriously, where do you live. I’m thinking Austin might be chill. Any thoughts? Anyone?

system · November 14, 2001, 3:08pm

Also, the bigger the rider, the less aggressive the comments.

John

Andy.Cotter@outtech.com wrote:

> What I have found that the bigger the wheel, the better the comments
> (size does matter). Also, the more riders there are, the better the
> comments. And, weather plays a big factor in the quality of comments.
> The nicer the day, the better the comments.
>
> -Andy (Coker is now put away for winter)

> Andy Cotter - Andy.Cotter@OutTech.com Unicycle Video "One Wheel - No
> Limit" - http://www.tcuc.org/nolimit/ Twin Cities Unicycle Club -
> http://www.tcuc.org International Unicycling Federation - Director

system · November 14, 2001, 5:30pm

I’m in the Netherlands and apart from the ubiquitous circus and other
“funny” comments all that is thrown at me is positive. (And then the
“funny” comments are meant to be positive as well, I believe.) I hope it
will stay like that for a long time!

Klaas Bil

On Tue, 13 Nov 2001 22:45:12 +0000 (UTC), jimmyjimmy
<forum.member@unicyclist.com> wrote:

>I just was at the park recently where i was really tormented! I had 2
>milk cartons thrown at me and the ice cream man, I couldn’t beleive my
>ears!!!, called me gay! I have enjoyed unicycling for almost 15 years now
>and find this to be the worst harrassment i have ever had! I think it is
>the kids these days or less unicyclists out there so they don’t see how
>cool it is. Skateboarders constantly yell profanities also telling me to
>“get a skate”. I can do any sport but find this sport to be awesome!
>
>Do you guys have these issues also?
>
>
>
>
>–
>jimmyjimmy Posted via the Unicyclist Community -
>http://unicyclist.com/forums

–
“To trigger/fool/saturate/overload Echelon, the following has been picked
automagically from a database:” “Mohamed Atta, Carla del Ponte, espionage”

Mt_Uni · November 14, 2001, 5:35pm

Hi,

I have gotten a variety of comments. I think around 90% of them are positive. I believe I am the only rider out here in Adrian, Michigan, a.k.a in the “sticks”.

See, I am almost fully anti-society. My reasoning, because in society, everything is put into two catagories. Cool or gay. I have nothing to fear because I’m not gay, and I’m not a nerd. So, despite what anyone may say to my extreme riding, I really don’t care what they think, unless it’s about the circus.

I once won over a whole skatepark full of kids; as a matter of fact it was this summer, in a neighboring town called Tecumseh. I rode down these HUGE, and STEEP hills, they cheered so loud, those tons of grommits.

If you’re an extreme rider, either carry pictures of yourself, or of other extreme riders in your folders for school. That way if word gets past around of what you do for a sport, and someone thinks they’re cool by remotely trying to make fun of you, they see pictures of extreme riding, and they shut up right a way.

Word of me with Mountain, and Trials has spread, mostly throughout the whole school, from talk about Kris Holm, to seeing my riding first place, and actually trying to ride my cycle.

Don’t worry about society. It is a big game. A game that all of us here are rather not a part of, because we, and I would rather be myself instead of acting “cool”, and being someone I’m not.

Ride to live; Live to ride.

Evan, future owner of a KH24"/ dialed with awesome parts.

system · November 14, 2001, 5:54pm

My favourite, though stolen, reply is “I don’t need a training wheel
anymore”. Other replies include “couldn’t afford two”, “left it at home”,
“it’s coming along” or “I lost it”.

Klaas Bil

On Wed, 14 Nov 2001 15:43:52 -0000, “Joseph ROWING”
<jr699@soton.ac.uk> wrote:

>On this thread has anyone got any good replies to the inevitable "
>Where’s your other wheel?"
>
>Joe Munitic extroadinaire
>

–
“To trigger/fool/saturate/overload Echelon, the following has been picked
automagically from a database:” “Mohamed Atta, Carla del Ponte, espionage”

system · November 14, 2001, 11:56pm

>>> “Where’s your other wheel?”

I’ve taken quite a shine to “I couldn’t afford it.”, which I heard someone
else say recently (MarkW? Roger?). It’s short, amusing and seems to shut
the morons up. It’s also educational: I’ve had the subsequent response
“Oh. I guess you hear that a lot…”. Just rattle it out with an
I’m-slightly-annoyed-and-so-bored-with-this voice.

What do you do when a mentally challenged person thinks a good way to
respond to seeing a unicyclist is to throw things at him? Last night it
was stones; previously a full can of pop (open). The idiot had just spent
50p on that! What a waste. Thankfully they missed.

I’ve been dreading the possibility of having to dodge a firework thrown by
someone with a death wish. They’d probably miss too, but the police would
ask a lot of awkward questions about their body…

Arnold the Aardvark

British Unicycle Convention 9: Kidderminster, 19-21 April 2002

system · November 15, 2001, 11:37am

In article <mailman.1005752418.22008.rsu@unicycling.org>, “Joseph ROWING”
<jr699@soton.ac.uk> wrote:

> On this thread has anyone got any good replies to the inevitable "
> Where’s your other wheel?"

From the FAQ:

“Your kidding?! It was there last time I looked”, then fall off, examine
unicycle, scratch head, etc.

Andrew xADF

system · November 15, 2001, 4:33pm