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Rollerski harassment



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 6th 06, 05:30 AM
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Default Rollerski harassment

I have just started rollerskiing in my neighborhood and find that a lot
of people are giving quite a bit of harassment. Most people will just
stare like crazy when I pass or give the thimbs up but a lot will yell
stupid things out at me, like "go for the gold!!" I dont really care
about this and will continue to have fun rollerskiing, but I am just
amazed at the reaction from people. Do others experience this also?

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  #2  
Old April 6th 06, 08:08 AM
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"Delesh" schreef in bericht
oups.com...
I have just started rollerskiing in my neighborhood and find that a lot
of people are giving quite a bit of harassment. Most people will just
stare like crazy when I pass or give the thimbs up but a lot will yell
stupid things out at me, like "go for the gold!!" I dont really care
about this and will continue to have fun rollerskiing, but I am just
amazed at the reaction from people. Do others experience this also?

School chirldren laughing quite hysterically, I ask them what their problem
is.
High school girls giggle. Tall man in tights working out, well you know...
Dogs get quite upset that my hard boots and turning wheels make it
unpleasant to attack my ankles as I just roll by.
Elderly people dragging their nordic poles along think it's quite nice. Kids
on on rollerblades find it way cool.
Middle aged people try to stop me to ask "what it is they are" as I shoot by
with no option to stop like on a bike as they probably think.
It makes a significant difference what speed I'm going with what level of
grace how responses.

I'd love to get the "go for gold" responses, if the tone's right.

Are you the first rollerskier they've ever seen in your neighbourhood, like
I am?
Some people that ask about it have never even heard of "langlaufen" as we
call XC Ski here when I offer that as a reference. "It's Olympic" I say.
"Oh?" they'll respond cluelessly.

I try to look as "Olympic" as I possibly can skating off after getting any
sort of response, as a sort of revenge. Responses are not keeping me home,
but I really can't be bothered to be exposed to my fellow countrymen should
I have chosen classical as my new goal in life.


  #3  
Old April 6th 06, 03:54 PM
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Yeah, get used to it. I've been rollerskiing for 30 years, so by now I
have forgetten how I weird I must look out there to some people.

Of course, with my perfect technique, people might just be staring at
my "poetry in motion".

I did wipe out once in front of some guy walking a dog, and he laughed.
Not nice.

bt

  #4  
Old April 6th 06, 04:10 PM
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"sknyski" schreef in bericht
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I did wipe out once in front of some guy walking a dog, and he laughed.
Not nice.

In the last 200m home after a hard workout I came to a T-crossing on a cycle
path, and had to go right, my "bad" side. A cyclist came towards me in the
distance, and the was enough for me to lose balance and tumble over from
pretty much standstill. As the cyclist passed he asked if I was okay, I said
"sure". What normally never works, now because of my self-irritation was a
breeze : getting up on my feet without holding on to something.


  #5  
Old April 7th 06, 06:51 AM
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Thanks for the amusing stories. Well, I guess I am not the only one.
Nice to know. I just thought that people would have a little more
knowledge about this sport. I guess I shouldnt be so surprised, most
americans have little interest in non-american sports. And yes, I plan
to use my raised fitness to wup some ass ... when I get there.

  #6  
Old April 7th 06, 07:32 AM
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"Delesh" schreef in bericht
oups.com...
Thanks for the amusing stories. Well, I guess I am not the only one.
Nice to know. I just thought that people would have a little more
knowledge about this sport. I guess I shouldnt be so surprised, most
americans have little interest in non-american sports. And yes, I plan
to use my raised fitness to wup some ass ... when I get there.


Here in The Netherlands I can see it in their eyes : "Hey, that looks like
sport! But, it doesn't look like soccer??".
Note to self : have a shirt made that says "Sexy, huh?"


  #7  
Old April 7th 06, 02:12 PM
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Lots of school age kids think the rollerskiing looks cool, and want to
know where to get some. Older driving teens can be a pain and throw
things at me. Woe to them when I find out who they are! Free running
dogs can be a real pain, but just holding out your carbide-tipped pole
and letting them run into it is ususally all they need. I've called
our local animal control office for a few repeat offenders, with
pleasing results.

Aggresively belligerent people, especially in vehicles, are scary.
Best to just avoid confrontation. If they persist, pulling out a cell
phone or going to the nearest house ususally sends them packing, but
one especially enraged guy hung around even after I called the police,
Why he was so enraged is beyond me, since I had pulled over off the
road when I saw him coming, since we we nearing the crest of a hill.
The truly scary part was that the police found he had a concealed
handgun. He got in a lot of trouble, but it could have been worse had
I tried to confront him myself.

Bottom line? THERE ARE NUTCASES OUT THERE! BE CAREFUL!

Randy

  #8  
Old April 7th 06, 02:21 PM
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Delesh wrote:

I have just started rollerskiing in my neighborhood and find that a lot
of people are giving quite a bit of harassment. Most people will just
stare like crazy when I pass or give the thimbs up but a lot will yell
stupid things out at me, like "go for the gold!!" I dont really care
about this and will continue to have fun rollerskiing, but I am just
amazed at the reaction from people. Do others experience this also?


If you rollerski in italy, lots of people will stare at you like a
strange guy (guess many have never seen a rollerski before!) and think
of you like a fanatic.
Of course, car drivers will never have any respect for you, which makes
rollerskiing not so safe :-(
What's more, by law rollerskiing is not permitted on roads, so if you do
it, you're risking a fine.

--
beorn
"You've got to learn to crawl
before you learn to walk"
Aerosmith (Amazing)
  #9  
Old April 7th 06, 02:22 PM
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My skiing usually starts at a park where there's a large play ground,
so there's usually lots of kids. When a group of kids starts the
staring thing, I usually ask, "you guys seen any snow?"

It's so seldom that I see other roller skiers that when I do we usually
do the staring thing at each other!

I've often imagined a cartoon where two roller skiers are talking with
each other, one's asking the other, "got a dog problem?" The other one
has a number of small dogs skewered on one of his poles like a shish
kabob !

  #10  
Old April 7th 06, 04:36 PM
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ellis wrote:


Well, depends on where you are, I suppose. If you are in some redneck
dinkwater US town, I can see people will look at a rollerskier funny. Then
again, they will look at you funny if you don't have a beer belly protruding
over a bronze belt buckle. Just remember, you will be in a better shape
than them and will probably kick their ass.


And we wonder why other people think we're a bunch of effite dweebs.
Don't tell me, ... let me guess... you live in a small eastern state?

 




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