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news
male karen cyclist on trail - via tom morris on facebook.PNGClip of 'male Karen' cyclist who told disabled rider his adapted trike wasn't allowed on trail goes viral
A disabled US cyclist has urged people "to be more kind to each other", after sharing a clip of a confrontation with a mountain biker who told him that he wasn't allowed to use his adapted trike on a trail. After the clip went viral, the mountain biker was dubbed "the male Karen" by some on social media.
2020 has been quite a challenge for all of us but remember no matter what, be KIND to each other. - - - #resilience #attitude #can #coaching #discomfortzone #strength #mask #embracetheday #patience #consistancy #consistant #love #kindness #grattitude#adversityequalsopportunity #core#flex#empathy #strong #explore #pushyourlimits #getconfortablewithbeinguncomfortable#dominate #motivation#focus #drive #discomfort #growth #growthmindset #seizetheday
Posted by Tom Morris on Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Tom Morris was stopped by the man while riding on a trail near Bloomington in Indiana. At the start of the clip shared to Facebook (above) he can be heard saying to Morris: "You're not supposed to have e-bikes on this thing."
Morris replies: "It's a handicapped piece of equipment", to which the man says: "And?"
The man, who says his name is Freddy, then adds: "Show me the rules saying you're allowed to do this", with Morris reiterating that it's an adapted bike, saying:"I can't walk."
A female companion of 'Freddy' tells Morris: "You should have led with that", before Morris replies: "Is this your husband? Class act, brother."
Morris - pictured above with the adapted electric tricycle he was riding at the time of the confrontation - has since said he has been in touch with Terry Coleman, the deputy director of Indiana's Department of Natural Resources (DNR), who told him that his bike was perfectly legal to ride on trails.
Morris said: "What I'm on is not an e-bike, it's an adaptive piece of equipment. And adaptive equipment is allowed on all of the trails throughout all of Indiana. So if you've got this equipment, get out and use it, use it in the state parks, use it on these trails."
Morris also said Coleman told him that the DNR had actually just bought 12 "off-roading wheelchairs", to give disabled people in the state more access to trails and paths for leisure activities.
Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.
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29 comments
Pretty sure he says "C'mon buddy" rather than "I'm Freddy" when asked who he is. All of you calling him Freddy 😂
I think you're right, but this guy is now Freddy. Whether he likes it or not. Freddy is the new Karen.....
I'm confused. Is any part of the vehicle manually powered or is it an electric vehicle?
I'm confused. Is any part of the vehicle manually powered or is it an electric vehicle?
It is a powered wheelchair so all electric. However it allows people to traverse terrain they would not normally do. I'm pretty sure there are multiple uk areas that have the same type for use on off road nature trails.
Neither. It is an electric wheelchair, so theirfor the user is considered a pedestrian.
How that interacts with local rules on cycle only MTB paths I don't know, but I would guess (in the UK) that they have no legal standing as rights of way, so it is down to the land owner to set rules.
Be kind - don't try to throw the rider with his adapted trike off the trail.
But also be kind - don't humiliate Freddy by broadcasting his bad behaviour around the world. And be kind - don't use this horrible "Karen" thing to label people.
I reckon it is OK to call out and publish unpleasant behaviour like this and raise awareness of the everyday prejudices that people with a disability face.
I'm not sure he initially realised the rider was disabled, but he ought to have profusely apologised once he realised his error.
Instead, the female rider then blames the victim of the abuse saying he 'should have lead with that' comment about not being able to walk.
So there's every reason to call this out publicly. Hopefully it will make pedants stop and think.
This.
Definitely should have apologised (playing devil's advocate, maybe Mrs Karen was trying to make light of it, joke her way out of it?).
However, and there is a tenuous Covid link here, it illustrates how on the one hand people are being encouraged to act all vigilante because there aren't enough police but on the other hand there are so many ways to trip yourself up when you do try and 'enforce' regulations...
We've all seen video clips of police, aircrew, etc, all getting it wrong, so 'civilians' can get it even more wrong.
Personally, nowadays, I just presume that someone is allowed to ride somewhere or do something; if not, well I'm afraid that it is Somebody Else's Problem. Let the authorities deal with it.
Cough - cough - electric scooters in cycle lanes - cough - cough.
hang on - you use cycle lanes?!
I also thought that these two are not mountain bikers. Back in the early days, there were not that many places to ride a MTB legally. Even the bridleways, whilst legal, most hikers then made you feel very unwelcome. Of course there are now some great trail centres etc. but it wasn't always like that. If you wanted to ride challenging terrain, you had go 'off-piste'.
I also think some ramblers forget that 'they' were once the law breakers, trespassing on Kinder Scout etc.
I'm sure in time the riding of electric scooters in cycle lanes will become lawful. Maybe then there will be a push for better cycle infrastructure.
Perhaps I should have been more clear:
Cough - cough - electric scooters going the wrong way in cycle lanes - cough - cough.
I think it is worth noting, electric scooters are illigal.
Riding on footpaths and other areas is not illigal. Trespass is only illigal if the land owner specificly asks you to leave, (with the exception of some areas covered by other laws, such as millitery bases and railways) which can be done in person or by putting up a notice.
Ramblers have no right to tell someone not to cycle somewhere in general. Footpaths only confir a right of access to walkers, they do not prevent access to other people.
not all of them - you can even hire them in Keswick of all places!
https://e-motion.technology
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/e-scooter-trials-guidance-for-users
TBH whether I'm disabled or not is nobody's business other than my own, my family, friends and my Doctor.
If you do not know me and you're going to stick your nose into my business, humiliate me and attempt to throw me out of a place where I have a right to be just like everyone else then that behaviour deserves to be called out as It's very rude and uncalled for.
You are not the park ranger. You do not possess the authority to throw me off the nature trail. Leave the policing to the authorities that look after the area. Don't stick your nose in other people's business.
Freddy deserved what he got
Taken from a different creed but still very relevant:
-- "It's not what you ride, It's that you ride..."
If Freddy showed some respect and common decency, He would have got some back.
(edited for some spelling, grammatical errors and extras.)
Normally and generally I agree. I've taken a stomping or two for calling out incriminating video when they were of people with obvious psych issues, who didn't deserve the ridicule.
But when it's a hostile able-bodied, self-entitled twat like this, let the world see what kind of bullying they (including his cheerleader female) think they can get away with. Maybe there's a slim chance they'll see these comments and have moment of reflection.
Maybe not.
What's so wrong with ebikes anyway - if they mean that someone can get on the trails that otherwise would struggle then why not. Be More Kind (FT).
FYI, a male Karen is a Kevin.
A Darren, surely? 😏
My nice Tory MP is a Kevin; the one who showed his entitled ignorance last week in a Twitter exchange with Marcus Rashford. So based on that, I agree that a male Karen is a Kevin.
Conclusive argument there.
According to the authority on this matter (The Chive) a male Karen is a Kyle.
Yeah. Great, I'm sure everyone who was given these quite normal names by their parents before the words were pinched by the internet public shaming squad is grateful to all of you.
Can we just go with "Class Act" which I think was pretty restrained in the circumstances?
There's arseholes driving, cycling and walking around. Personally, I don't see much problem with e-bikes on MTB trails except for inexperienced riders going too fast and that can easily happen on any bike. I love seeing unusual trikes/hand-cycles etc. going around and improving their owner's mobility, so I'd've welcomed Morris even if he wasn't strictly allowed.
There's arseholes driving, cycling and walking around.
Agreed. The cyclist complainant is one. Who would even dream of complaining at this man?
My 89 yo mother in her e-wheelchair, one foot amputated is fairly safe on her 400 yard trundle up to the High Street- the idea that, even at the most base level, you're going to come off worse if you start a road argument with her has this effect.
Until Darren/Kevin.
That was in an Indiana park? I know the perfect person to deal with this....
I'm pretty sure that's the same totally obnoxious twat who was harrassing and filming the cyclist who had been in collision with the child last week. I guess not all cyclists are reasonable, sensible, empathic people like me.
Edit; modest too, I forgot modest.
You also forgot - hidden sense of humour!
Freddy the Dick. The trike isn't going to rip the trails etc and other riders can call out to get past if going faster.