Kids Can Be So Cruel

Thursday I wanted to head down to the Trek Omaha store and drop off a winter coat. The cause: get a balanced voice about on-street cycling on the Tom Becka show on KFAB while helping the disadvantaged. Read more on the Trek Store blog here.

Apparently, last week Becka went off on a rant about cyclists, even to the point of allowing callers to suggest that cyclists should be vehicularly murdered. (I haven't heard the show myself, so correct me if I got that wrong).

I had planned to cycle down with my wife, but at the last minute, she changed the plans: we're driving. The store would be closing soon, so we'd have to hustle down whether we cycled of motored.

When leaving, I heard a kid on his girlie bike ride up behind my car and call out to me, in the sing-song mocking vocal style we all remember from the school-yard days. Think "nah nah na naaah naah."

You own a car.

Only it had more syllables to make it fit with the taunt.

You own a caaa-aaar.

I was hurt. Wounded. I almost cried. I ride my bike every day. To work. To restaurants. Errands. Shopping. To Shenandoah.

Never had I felt such shame.

I've going to get you, Lucas.