I have spotted a weird synergy between cyclists, umbrellas and the band Oasis fans. So what do they have in common?
Before I get into the details I need to share that I cycle, use umbrellas and I like Oasis. But all three have recently demonstrated to me the biggest problem with society. Entitlement.
Entitled Cyclists
Riding a bike off-road is one of my greatest joys. Mountain biking on anything from lanes and bridle paths to epic downhill and sinuous single track puts the biggest smile on my face.
I also do plenty of urban riding to get around my home town of Brighton. And use roads to reach off-road trails. I have no issues with people cycling on the road, and always give plenty of space when driving.
However I keep witnessing entitlement on the roads. Sometimes it is large groups of roadies causing long tailbacks because they feel entitled to cycle up Ditchling Beacon (a very steep local hill) at three miles an hour.
Other times it is someone jumping the lights entitled to get to their destination sooner. Or riding on the pavement, because they are entitled to be safer than the pedestrians.
Of course sometimes it is drivers who feel entitled enough to put cyclists at risk, just to save themselves 30 seconds. I even experienced it recently while off-road, a rider screamed Strava, expecting me to move over, entitled that he should enjoy his ride more than I enjoy mine.
Umbrella Entitlement
Now I have a hate, hate relationship with umbrellas. I hate people that use them, I hate trying to put them up and down, and then hate myself when I use this evil apparatus to keep myself dry.
The problem is they turn us into entitled space hoggers. We go from having the personal space of the width of our shoulders (and not always that), to the diameter of the umbrella. The bigger the ‘brella the more encroaching the entitlement becomes.
This week I was forced off the pavement into the road by a golf umbrella wielder and from under cover into a torrential downpour by an umbrella user who seemingly didn’t want to get theirs wet. Finally, I had to endure an umbrella dripping on me at a bus stop, so I was taking on the ‘brella wielders share of the rain.
The issue is the moment we put up an umbrella we feel entitled to the space it provides. Let’s face it you’ll only share the canopy with a lover or very good friend. Strangers can get wet and get out of the way.
Entitles Oasis Fans
Finally the Oasis tickets fiasco showed more entitlement than Tories arguing over the outgoing Prime Minister’s honours list.
Oasis fans felt entitled to tickets. After all they haven’t been able to see their favourite band for 15 years. New younger fans felt entitled as they never got a chance to see them, older fans even more entitled as they’d been fans since the beginning.
Oasis felt entitled to fleece their fans for a final payday, despite having given relatively little for many years. And then Ticketmaster introduced dynamic pricing, as they are entitled to over charge fans based on demand. To top it off, touts felt entitled to buy up tickets and flog them for more than ten time face value.
Entitlement is What’s Wrong With the World
So why is entitlement such a problem? Well it brings out the worst in us. When we feel entitled we act like dicks to each other, it brings out our selfishness and puts up barriers between us and other people.
I don’t expect this article to change your behaviour. After all, those leading society are often the most entitled humanity has to offer. With the likes of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson taking it to new levels it has set a bad example that the rest of us have followed.
And I am not immune. While I consider myself eco-friendly I feel entitled to fly around the world on adventure holidays. And I am not the only one.
We all feel entitled to new clothes, new cars, new phones and new TVs. Entitlement is killing the planet and we are blaming each other rather than accepting our own responsibility.
Unfortunately it is probably not going to improve. In fact it is so entrenched that we all feel entitled to our entitlement. On that note I am going to cycle down the pavement with an umbrella touting Oasis tickets.
I hope you enjoyed this look at what cyclists, umbrellas and the band Oasis have in common! If you’d like to keep travelling but reduce your impact then check out these tips for eco-friendly adventures.
