Yesterday I worked from 9am-10pm. Got a lift home. Had a rough night’s sleep. Worked today until 9pm. Cycled home.

Joy over the last 48 hours has been slim (bar that provided by the best facebook group in the world called Oestrogen-fueled Mob of Lactating Childless Women for Cute Animals).

Joy deteriorated further when this conversation took place as I was passing a man who was struggling to figure out which side of the footpath to walk on (it wasn’t until too late that I realised he was drunk). I snuck through on the left hand side of him, very slowly, but still gave him a fright.

Man: You should ring your bell.
Me: Sorry, I tend not to ring it on the footpath

Man chases after me screaming

WELL MAKE SURE YOU FUCKING RING IT NEXT TIME YOU FAT FUCKING BITCH!

Me: Holy crap!

I sped off, upset.

I will ding my bell on a shared and dedicated bicycle/pedestrian lane because I believe it’s respectful and follows etiquette.

I will not ding my bell on what is technically a shared bicycle/pedestrian footpath, but is basically just a crappy old footpath because I would cop more abuse from pedestrians (many who believe I am not welcome on ‘their’ footpath) than if I didn’t.

Plus I go really, really, really damn slow around people. It’s not my fault they get a fright.

What I’ve discovered is that men react to fright with anger and women react to fright with annoyance. It’s become a fascinating psychological gender study for me in my travels.

My favourite people are the ones who react to fright (then discover you are just a bicycle) and then crack up laughing. If only there were more of those people in the world. What joy they must have in their hearts to react so differently and lovingly.

The man tonight was an anomaly.

This man will not stop me engaging with other human beings in society. This man will not stop me engaging with other human beings in society. This man will not …