Sneering racers

Why do bike racers seem to have such a huge sense of entitlement? Here in Seattle we have the Burke-Gilman Trail (today is National Trails Day,btw). It's a former railroad turned into a widely enjoyed linear city park. On any given day you will find runners, walkers, bicycle commuters and racers all using it. I have logged thousands of miles on this trail. I know the etiquette. Why do racers seem to be above this? Arrogant youth? Nope, plenty of bad behavior with gray hair. Confidence in skills? Maybe, but I'm skilled too. I'm just going to go with bad manners. Unfortunately our culture seems to embrace bad manners. Bike racers (and the wannabees) tend to ignore the courtesies that allow us to peacefully co-exist. But it's ok if this helps your performance. At least that seems to be what they think. Riders like myself are widely disregarded as commuter nerds and thereby, obstacles. I don't wear bright clothes, my bikes don't look like race bikes. They have racks and bags on them. I'm not just a recreational rider. I ride for my health. I ride because of the freedom it gives me. I ride to see the world up close. I ride to avoid driving a car and to decrease the burden of cars on the environment. 95% of my work commute has been by bike for the last 5 years. I think I'm viewed as an old VW bus. I get buzzed on the Trail every time I ride it. If I feel like it, I'll give chase, catch the offender's wheel, and just sit in for a while. Sometimes they get agitated and try to ride me off. Unless they're really fast, I can keep up for a long time. I'll break it off when traffic gets thick. The racer-type usually just rides like an asshole through the crowd. Does this serve a purpose? Probably not. It makes me feel better though. Am I making it worse? Maybe. If it's too crowded I don't do it. I guess my rant is about wanting the racers to knock it off. It's not gonna happen. I know this. I try to be Zen about it. Sometimes it works. My friends say this makes me unhappy. That may be true. What is the solution? Searching, searching.....

Big Gourds 

My first post

Took me long enough to do this. I've been told I tell a story well. If anyone bothers to read this I guess I'll find out. Tonight I'm tired and I'll try for something more substantive later.