Reactions to Unicyclists

[Alec Bateman]

I've been following with some interest the discussion of the reactions people
get when they're unicycling.

I get the standard (and all too frequent) "where's your other wheel?" etc.
etc., along with some genuine interest "How hard is it to ride?" "How did you
learn?" etc.

Unfortunately, I also get some less friendly reactions, such as obscene gestures
and less pleasant comments like "What the ---- is that?" or "What the ---- are
you doing?" (fill in your favorite four letter word - the actual selection being
more or less unimportant)

Do other people get these reactions too?

Alec

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Alec Bateman Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute batema@rpi.edu
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[Goodrich, Paul - TEB-3]

>> Do other people get these reactions too?

The only REALLY outlandish reaction I ever got was when I was delivering my
hometown newspaper on my unicycle. For me, it was very early Sunday morning;
for the driver of the car weaving slowly down the street toward me, it was
obviously very late Saturday night. When he drew even with me, he stopped,
rolled down the window, looked at me, looked away, shook his head, looked
again, rolled up the window (never saying a word) and drove off -- still
slowly, but straight as a die!

Paul Goodrich
psgoodrich@bpa.gov

[Darwin Teague]

If someone asked me where the second wheel was (and I had the skills needed)
I'd do this:

Look over my shoulder and down and spin around, acting very confused/angry that
my second wheel wasn't there.
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Dishheads, dishheads, roly poly dishheads!
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[Ron Wichers Schreur]

Alec Bateman wrote:

> I get the standard (and all too frequent) "where's your other wheel?" etc.
> etc., along with some genuine interest "How hard is it to ride?" "How did you
> learn?" etc.

Since a few weeks I use my uni to cycle to work. I'm surprised how few reactions
I get and most of them are positive. The most frequent "funny" remark is
"Sameone stole your wheel", probably because a lot of bicycles and bicycle parts
are stolen in the Netherlands.

> Unfortunately, I also get some less friendly reactions, such as obscene
> gestures and less pleasant comments [..]

I suppose there's xenophobia everywhere.

Cheers,

Ronny Wichers Schreur ronny@cs.kun.nl