A female cyclist recently sparked huge backlash online after a video of her berating a male pedestrian on the sidewalk went viral for all the wrong reasons.
The video, seemingly filmed by the cyclist herself, surfaced on social media on July 13. It showed the man walking with his two dogs on leashes on a sidewalk by a highway.
The woman can be seen following the man and confronting him for not moving out of her way.
The location, identities of the individuals involved, or a more elaborate context for the incident are not known.
As the video went viral, most viewers sided with the pedestrian, slamming the cyclist for her actions.
“If you don’t want to ride your bicycle on the road and obey traffic laws, then cycling is not for you,” one user said.
A female cyclist accused a man of racism for not giving her space on the sidewalk
Image credits: RDNE Stock project/Pexels (Not the actual photo)
The video, shared by @KimKatieUSA on X on July 13, starts with the female cyclist addressing the man in front of her, accusing him of racism for not giving her space when she requested to pass by.
“I asked you nicely,” she is heard saying. “We’re not doing that… You don’t dictate where you walk.”
“You don’t get to take the whole sidewalk, bro.”
Image credits: KimKatieUSA/X
When the man turns around and urges her to ride on the bike lane, she answers, “It doesn’t matter whether there are bike lanes or not.”
At this point, the man makes an offensive gesture at her and starts walking again.
“You’re trying to be entitled, and then you stick your finger. I’m so sick of you people and your racist ways… Why are you being so nasty?” she continued as the man used a slur word and walked on again.
Image credits: KimKatieUSA/X
“You people are not going to keep pushing us with our backs against the wall because you f***ing feel entitled, weirdo.”
After she tells him that his refusal to move was forcing her to walk her bicycle behind him, the man steps aside with his dogs and lets the woman pass, but the heated exchange does not stop right away.
More curses are exchanged before the woman pedals away, yelling at the man, “Even your dogs aren’t barking at me, you moron.”
Netizens ripped into the cyclist for her “entitled” behavior
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Social media users blasted the cyclist in the post’s comments, condemning her for riding on the sidewalk despite an allegedly available bike lane and then getting embroiled in an altercation with a pedestrian.
“Roads are for bicycles. Sidewalks are for people and their pupper frens,” one said. Another wrote, “She’s definitely in the wrong. If a bike lane is available, she must use it.”
Image credits: KimKatieUSA/X
“She needs to educate herself on pedestrian right of way so she doesn’t go out just like this and make herself look and sound ignorant,” wrote a third.
“She’s filming a confrontation she created, playing the victim while violating local traffic laws by riding her bike on the sidewalk,” wrote a fourth.
“On the sidewalk, a PEDESTRIAN has the right of way, not you,” a fifth individual wrote.
A few defended her as well.
“Yeah, but he could’ve moved aside to let her pass. He doesn’t have to be selfish,” one said.
Some thought that the entire interaction was scripted.
“Idk if the guy is in on it, but this is 100% staged,” a netizen wrote.
Cyclists are required to follow “right-of-way” rules in the U.S. states where sidewalk-riding is allowed
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In most countries worldwide, including cyclist-friendly European nations such as the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, cycling on the sidewalk is illegal for adult riders.
In countries where it is allowed, such as Japan and Hungary, there is a speed limit, and cyclists are expected to prioritize pedestrians and their safety under local law.
In the USA, the law varies from state to state and further depends on the traffic rules and regulations of the local municipalities.
Image credits: Kate/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
In states like Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, bicycles are considered vehicles and are prohibited on sidewalks.
Colorado, Connecticut, Oregon, and Delaware are among the states that permit sidewalk cycling, but cyclists must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians.
Potential conflicts with pedestrians are not the only reason cycling on the sidewalk could prove risky for both parties, according to statistics.
Image credits: AntonioDiaz/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
In 1999, a detailed study by the U.S. Department of Transportation collected data from the ER departments of eight hospitals and found that 70% of reported bicycle injuries and 64% of reported pedestrian injuries resulted from events that didn’t involve a motor vehicle.
In addition, 31% of cyclists and 53% of pedestrians were injured at non-roadway locations, including on sidewalks.
A 2015 Cornell University study also found that on roads with both bike lanes and sidewalks, where bicyclists are required to travel in the bike lane, crash rates are 38%-56% lower than on roads where the infrastructure is missing.
“She’s definitely in the wrong.” Netizens picked sides in the argument between the cyclist and the pedestrian
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