London bike riders facing ‘dehumanising’ abuse online, British Cycling say | Evening Standard
Social media forums are also seeing misogynist language used
William Mata
London cyclists are worried “dehumanising” language directed at them on social media could be transferred into aggression on roads.
British Cycling has said the issue is particularly bad in the capital and the south east where there are proportionally more people on a bike.
Nick Chamberlain, policy manager of British Cycling, said: “Cyclists are worried that abuse online is going to be converted to dangerous [behaviour] on the road either verbally, or tragically physically where people have used a vehicle as a weapon.
“It is just generally dehumanising language. Things have not got better. The abuse is still there. The language is as unpleasant now as it was ten years ago.”