CYCLISTS SAY “UP YOURS” TO VIDA E AND GENERAL PUBLIC’S REQUESTS
BLATANTLY ignoring Vida e’s polite public-led request (here) for cyclists to remove their helmets when frequenting their establishment; it seems that THESE cyclists couldn’t care less about the general public’s wishes regarding their grossly inappropriate, anti-social and imposing behaviour.
This, sent in this morning by a 2oceansvibe reader and concerned fellow citizen.
Camps Bay Vida e
Skin doesn’t get much thicker than that
I tell you, this whole vibe (past stories here) becomes more and more mind-blowing as it goes on. I’m certainly not saying that I am a saint, but one thing I try very hard to display, is general considerateness . I simply cannot help but worry about the comfort of those around me. If I am out and about with my fellow citizens and I am doing something or behaving in a way that bothers them – I would like to know about it.
Wouldn’t you?
Vida e’s “No Helmets” sign
is up at all stores (story here)
Society simply cannot operate in a civilised manner when a group of people decide to go against the grain and do as they please. And the above display is just the beginning, compared to the other liberties that they (the relative few) seem to be taking. I’m talking, in particular, to the blatant disregard for traffic lights and safety, as we witness cyclists continually riding straight through red traffic lights on Sea Point’s Beach Road, among other places.
Given the fact that a bicycle is the first mode of transport for any child, surely this is not ideal when it comes to impressionable children watching from their parent’s car? Just a simple argument – not even taking into account things like “safety” and “public law.”
We’re not going against ALL cyclists here, it’s just the few that are ruining it for the rest.
It is SUCH incredibly uncool behaviour.
Seriously, who do you think you are?
[thanks reinier]
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52 Comments
The Cartoonist
15 Jun 2009
Why are the morons behind the counter serving them???!!! They should just ignore them until they take the damn ugly things off!!
AAAARGH I FUCKING HATE CYCLISTS!!!
onelargeprawn
15 Jun 2009
Get a vicious bouncer. Problem sorted.
Macanix
15 Jun 2009
Just have to remember these two when passing them on the road and I have a handy snoek next to me.
The old “20kmh snoek bitch slap” is widely known to be the SA variant of waterboarding and is an excellent “etiquette motivator” for illiterate cyclists!
The Cyclist
15 Jun 2009
I’m fairly new to this blog and while humourous I’m still trying to get to grips with what the big deal is about wearing a helmet into a coffee shop?
Happy to accept that a helmet is not a fashion item but hey who cares – you already look like a clown in the cycling shorts so whats the deal with the helmet?
On another note – if enough people started wearing baseball caps into Vida do you think they’d put a ban on those?
Kev
15 Jun 2009
How rude…funny enough I almost hit a cyclist yesterday who went through a red light. Unfortunately my breaks were working fine…damnit!
griffin
15 Jun 2009
@The Cyclist. Grow up.
The Cyclist
15 Jun 2009
Sorry guys but you’re not addressing the question – whats the big deal and why do you really care what people wear?
PS: Griffin – I am a grown up. You still at school?
Eugene
15 Jun 2009
@The Cyclit…
You agree to the fact that you look like a total idiot wearing cycling outfit – but then also defend it? You are most prob just here to start a comment flame.just fack off!
The Cyclist
15 Jun 2009
Eugene,
If you want to ride a bike then cycling attire is both necessary and practical. If I came to work in my cycling gear then yes I’d look like an idiot. If I walk into a cafe to buy a coke or a coffee in my cycling gear do I look like an idiot? IMO – No..
What I’m still trying to establish is why the helmet? What not ask us to take off our cycling shoes that make a noise and scratch the floor? Or our cycling glasses?
craig
15 Jun 2009
Cyclist, just get over it… Its a terrible fashion statement and no one likes it… You know u look like an idiot, so keep looking like an idiot:)
All in all, its just siff and looks gay… So rather keep the cyclist look to a minimum… please:)
Seth
15 Jun 2009
Because, my friend, whilst we (the general public / society) are politely trying to mind our own business and are barely managing to DEAL with your massively distracting shoes, sweat stench and testicle exposure; taking off your helmet is the VERY LEAST you could do.
If you can’t manage that as a courtesy to your fellow man, then you might as well go the full hog and climb on top of my table and take a dump in the middle.
Do you have a clever reply to the shooting red lights argument as well?
The Cyclist
15 Jun 2009
Seth,
That sounds a bit excessive – but perhaps ask the next helmet wearing cyclist if they need the toilet.
Has it ever dawned on you that under that helmet lies a head full of sweat, hair all over the place, and soaking foam that has probably not been washed for months?
Do you really want to be exposed to all of that? They are doing you a favour by keeping it on! I’ll happily buy you a coffee and demonstrate.
PS: shooting red lights is just irresponsible. Simple.
Seth
15 Jun 2009
As I said, it’s unfortunate that a few of them are ruining it for the rest of you.
donovan
15 Jun 2009
Bru I’m also a cyclist and I totally agree with Seth’s vibe on the twattiness of a helmet unless you are *actually* riding a bike. Take it off, tool!
john
15 Jun 2009
Macanix, The Cartoonist, Seth, you guys come across as a bunch of w@nkers
Seth Rotherham
15 Jun 2009
I’ll remain the adult here, John, and stress that I’m merely writing what the majority are thinking.
Such is life in a democracy.
So, while you may have assumed the role of delinquent, there is no denying the truth.
Perhaps a little lie-down is in order?
Blamey
15 Jun 2009
I say to all the cyclists rebel. Not everything in life is about looking cool, somethings are still old school and cycling is one of them. Most classic sports have been replaced/ influenced by the more popular/fashionable versions. Snow Skiing vs snowboarding, Water-skiing (check those speedos)/wakeboarding
Blamey
15 Jun 2009
continuing the above comment.
Cycling/mountain biking. All these new sports the ‘cool’ look is a big part of the marketability of the sport and a big part of why people part-take but the classics are about a love for the activity and not how ‘awesome’ you look. It’s more pure and that’s what the cyclist is about. It’s him and the road, so they really aren’t considering the vibe they are putting out when they have stopped to take a break as they are still in the ‘zone’.
I am a snowboarder/wakeboarder who totally goes for the cool sport but i do respect the other side.
Schalk
16 Jun 2009
For me it’s not really about cool vs uncool. It’s simply a case of good manners vs bad manners.
It’s not acceptable etiquette to wear hats/headgear when indoors, especially when eating or dining. It shows a lack of respect for the people around you.
Any golfer will tell you that when you finish your 18 holes and go into the clubhouse for a drink, you remove your cap or they won’t serve you, regardless of “helmet hair”. If you don’t remove your cap, people will probably assume you don’t know any better. Someone will approach you and ask you to remove it. Then, because you are not a poes, you remove your headgear and everyone gets along just fine.
It’s really just a case of upbringing. Your parents should have taught you not to wear a hat when sitting down for a meal/drinks.
Slinks
16 Jun 2009
Schalk thanks for groundin us all back in the very basic principle of good plain manners.
Blamey – why is it only cyclists who are not concerned with the vibe they’re putting out there while they’re still in the ‘zone’. What drivel! If others adopted this selfish attitude of ‘still in the zone’ rubbish one might wander in for a coffee next time with a rain-coated member?
Liz
16 Jun 2009
I love the way everyone keeps on about it being the minority of cyclists who behave like dooses. Honestly, from personal experience, it seems like it’s the majority. I hardly ever see cyclists who aren’t doing really idiotic, inconsiderate things: Jumping red lights, not staying in single file, cycling on patently dangerous roads, chucking their bikes down on the pavement so that it’s difficult to walk past, the helmet thing and so on. Let’s be honest, most cyclists are uninterested in the fact that the majority of people on the roads today are thoroughly sick of their crap. We’ll never change them. They’re just like smokers. Righteous, inconsiderate, and thick skinned.
herman
16 Jun 2009
LOUD NOISES
Lauren
16 Jun 2009
I think they are all rather cute! Nice tight butts – I dont bother to look at their faces let alone helmets.
It is almost Tour de France time and hence many wannebes – skinny little “Lances” in their tight ass gear!!
Mad Hatter
17 Jun 2009
Take a look at the picture where this all originated from… I see the Vida guy serving the cyclists is wearing a baseball cap the wrong way round. Is this acceptable behaviour – or does he have “cycling hair” too!
Grant
17 Jun 2009
It’s actually not about manners, it’s about tolerance, of which no-one on this site seems to have much.
By the way Will/Seth, I suspect that you don’t really care much about whether cyclists wear helmets or not…it’s a little social experiment of yours to see how many sheep you can get to jump onto your campaign of getting people to ban helmets. And you are doing pretty well judging by the sheep backing your campaign over something so UTTERLY INSIGNIFICANT!
By the way, your claims to represent “the general public/society” are laughable. Bishops boys, Camps Bay locals and the Southern Suburbs clique are a delusional bunch and certainly are not “the general public/society”.
Do something useful with the audience you have.
Ganoesh
17 Jun 2009
Grant it has taken you your whole life of feeling neglected and many hours in the basement alone to realise that this might be your opportunity to have a word! Which is truly insignificant! If you are against the general vibe of the site do you go along searching for articles to place your feeble comments directed at the blogger. If it is merely a site for the dilusional few, how come it is the 2009 Best BLog award winner as surely we were not the only ones who voted.
Grant
17 Jun 2009
Ganoesh, I enjoy the site, it makes me laugh and I logon daily. I do however not understand the constant blogs about people with helmets on. If people on this site get so infuriated by someone wearing a helmet indoors, I shudder to think about how they deal with the day-to-day realities of living in SA.
Are you saying delusional people don’t use the internet?
“Ganoesh”? This isn’t you is it Jen? You seem to know alot about my personal life….and you’re the only one who knows about my basement!
CS
17 Jun 2009
Basements are for Peadofiles… freak!
Greg
17 Jun 2009
I have to agree with Grant. This has nothing to do with cycling – its just a game.
With the following this blog has imagine if it were steered towards issues/concerns that are important in our lives in SA and Cape Town.
Who really gives a toss whether someone walks into Vida e to buy a take away coffee wearing a helmet, baseball cap or whatever. Social etiquette – pleeease. Its hardly like you’re going to meet the Queen for high tea!
Joe Bones
17 Jun 2009
Greg, it’s people like you who have ruined society. Seriously. Ruined it. It’s rubbish now. Thanks to you. Rubbish.
tony
17 Jun 2009
I think the biggest lag is how you cyclists get all worked up about it.
6000
17 Jun 2009
However this began – and wherever it’s been since – the point has been lost.
If you want to go into Vida and buy a coffee, then you observe their rules. Simple as. It really isn’t rocket science.
It says no smoking, so you don’t smoke. It says no cycle helmet, so you take your cycle helmet off. It’s just common respect and if you don’t want to have to stub out your ciggie or take off your helmet, then you don’t go into Vida.
That said, if Vida really want to have that rule, they have to enforce it, as they are obviously not doing in the photo above.
Greg
17 Jun 2009
6000 – if the point of all this was simply “observe their rules” then surely there are better and more important national rules (aka laws) that this blog should be focusing on? How about people start taking photo’s of cars/taxi’s that stop in no stopping areas and put cyclists lives at risk?
PS: havent ridden a bicycle in 20 years.
Chris
17 Jun 2009
Reading this I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or wank so I tried doing all three, and I can safely say it was a far more fulfilling ten minutes than I would have spent reading any more of this bollocks.
Karel
17 Jun 2009
People that ride motorcycles/scooters manage to take their helmets off in a public place! Why can’t cyclists?
niels
17 Jun 2009
What I don’t understand is why anyone would want to drink coffee from Vide in the first place.
The helmetted hordes are probably the ones that sucked on pacifiiers until they were five years old.
Tristan Bergh
18 Jun 2009
Oh my god. As a cyclist i had no idea that the wearing of a helmet indoors, to drink coffee, would cause people’s toenails to fall off. And I’m not religious.
Or to prevent their children from sleeping.
I must say that Cape Town, thank goodness, is doing it’s bit to keep the fashionistas alive and well.
In fact, in keeping with all sorted slacktivism, 2oceansvibe (i hereby start a call to ban all annoying slang-based moronic names – c’mon vida – hear my call…) has even coined its own term for the wearing of a helmet indoors: it’s called, wait for it… an “attack”.
Ok, so while I was reading through this quite fun and lighthearted site, I was struck with alarm – attack? New York? Could it be that people were holding up and robbing stores while wearing a cycling helmet for a quick getaway? No – it couldn’t be! More crime, injected via cyclists? Also, your face is still visible. Through the sweat.
No – I realised with relief that I was merely reading about a bunch of people with nothing better to do than collect their vitriol, holier-than-thou smug cowardice and fling it, steaming, at the feet of the owners of some organisation or other. Instead of a quick word or two to the sweatiest offenders: “Umm, excuse me, but because you’re wearing your cycling helmet, I am feeling uncomfortable, with a little nausea in my bling.” they organised a SIGN. Campaign.
One of the more sensible comments was “grow up.”
Are you happier that the sign will continue to beaver away while you’re not sucking on your gut-fat adding, triple ultra skinny no fun life? That the sign will fly the flag of “eina, my fashion-retina just detached”? when you’re at home sleeping off you eagle-eyed successes?
I cannot believe that adult people actually put their energy and heartbeats into an initiative this inane.
It was fun commenting on it though!
smithers
18 Jun 2009
Someone hasn’t taken their tablets
Mad about Merida
18 Jun 2009
Most cyclists I know hang their helmets on the handlebars of their bikes. What would also help is a wheel-friendly system that allows you to park your bike neatly infront of the shop (something that does not damage your wheels, like the old style racks we had at school). I am amazed at the intolorance shown to cyclists in general. I think that instutions would do well to try and accommodate cyclists. If all the cyclist decide not to frequent Vida in Camps Bay, their turn-over would probably show a 20 to 30 reduction. Rather get the freaks that sit and smoke at the tables on the pavements to go elsewhere.
6000
18 Jun 2009
Greg (33) >> Ah. So now you want to dictate what Seth writes about on his blog as well?
I agree with your sentiments, but why stop at national traffic issues? Why not the genocide in Sudan? The war in Afghanistan? The price of loo paper in Vienna? Pollution in the Amazon? Global warming? How jeans fray around the back of the hem if they’re a bit too long?
Things that concern us all.
Or – if he should choose to continue spouting such controversial shit about headgear in public spaces, why not expand into more serious hat issues: mining safety helmets worn outside mining areas, motorcycle helmets in Edgars or those terrifying basball caps sported at a jaunty angle by phat, down wid dat shit nigga! gangsters in Grassy Park?
Or he could write about kittens. Kittens are popular.
Please send all suggestions of what Seth should write about to STFU@2oceansvibe.cock
Sean
18 Jun 2009
@6000 — I’ve been following all the comments and yours is BY FAR the best! Finally…humour…written well.
Oh and you have to call the baseball hats “ballers”
Greg
18 Jun 2009
6000 – maybe he should start writing about gingers?
Schalk
19 Jun 2009
This article is fucking hilarious!
Cyclists own the road, seriously they do. They can ride three or more abreast, jump red lights and so on. Best of all, they don’t get fines and don’t pay license fees!
Anyway
This article’s roots somehow reminds me of the one Family Guy episode where Peter starts a TV show about how much particular people and stuff pisses him off.
Alex
19 Jun 2009
I think the whole helmet thing is absent minded behaviour. You stop at a coffee shop to grab a takeaway espresso or some water and simply forget that the helmet is on your head a lot of the time. Also, whilst you are fumbling around in back pockets for change or your mobile phone, carrying a helmet can be a hindrance.
I did it yesterday in France – I was tired and literally couldn’t be bothered to take my helmet off for two minutes while I walked up to the counter to buy some water and gatorade. As someone else said, you look pretty outtrageous in the lycra and clumpy shoes already, a helmet is hardly a bridge too far.
In a takeaway environment you can expect all sorts of behaviour – people coming in without shirts from the beach, runners, cyclists, surfers etc. I don’t think that a guy walking in with a helmet, buying a coffee and then leavving within 5 minutes is too much to bear. Certainly better than someone talking noisily on their mobile at the next table – perhaps that is more of an issue?
Alex
19 Jun 2009
I think perhaps the “no helmets” sign from Vida was a little imupulsive. I imagine that the business they get from cyclists (especially on the weekends) is quite substantial. It’s not like the presence of helmets will stop other regulars from going to Vida, but that sign might start off a boycott within the cycling community.
Alex
19 Jun 2009
The one thing that is quite fascinating with this whole comments thread is how the internet allows people to bypass societal filters of proper conduct. I’m sure none of these people would behave like this in real life. From The Cartoonist onwards.
So whilst we are talking about manners, perhaps some of the posters should examine their own words.
5Star
19 Jun 2009
Arguing on the internet is like running in the Special Olympics. Even if you win… you’re still retarded.
Alex
19 Jun 2009
5star,
Thanks for proving my point – that you can be wrong and extremely offensive at the same time on the internet.
George
19 Jun 2009
HA HA HA HA HA!! This is why I love this blog
shaun
19 Jun 2009
hi all. i am one of the shareholders of vida and the one that approved the no cycle helmet.
i received the following email today: “Not sure of the fuss that you’re causing but it would be good to get Vida’s view on why the need for a “no helmet” sign?”
at this point i must just say that it was more for a laugh than anything else. we would never turn a helmet wearing customer away as we would never turn a tea drinker away. (we have plenty “don’t drink tea” stickers etc up and around).
we are here to serve you, the customer and make your experience as pleasant as possible.
all valid points above but as peace of mind and for everyone to feel welcome, with their own personal opinions, the stickers will be removed – sorry seth, was fun while it lasted.
thanks all and if i have seriously offended anyone, please feel free to email me. shaun@caffe.co.za
muito obrigado
shaun
Alex
19 Jun 2009
Shaun,
Good to get some common sense into the issue. Many thanks.
Alex
Mano
20 Jun 2009
Thank God for the French translation. “Vida really caters for more a European population than African”
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