Cracker! Seriously!

Not sure what the intent was, but that could be interpreted as a racial epithet. No response necessary aside from an icy stare.

Liz

@Dickie 42692 wrote:

Yesterday afternoon, as I waited for the light to make my left onto Fairfax Blvd. from 10th street in Clarendon I was approached by another cyclist from behind. I was first in line and taking the lane and expected the cyclist to pull up next to or behind me. He instead passed me on my left, crept a few meters in front and stopped. I must admit I chuckled as I thought it odd that this cyclist felt it necessary to get ahead of me, but hey.. perhaps he was much faster than me. He must of heard my chuckle and looked around, and then proceeded to look me over from head to toe. He then said to me “nice cracker bike” and rolled his eyes at my Cannondale cross bike. “Excuse me?” I replied, and again “You heard me, nice cracka’ bike”. He scoffed and then proceeded to run the light and continue in the direction I was headed. Now, I am a very pale Brit on a black Cannondale clad in an elite costume; Bib knickers, jersey, cleats, helmet, etc, and he was wearing jeans, high-tops, a bandana, and riding a Tommaso so perhaps he had a right to judge me… but Cracker…. really? Sad thing is, although he ran every light through Clarendon and I stopped for each one, I continually caught him up so the banter continued. I tried and tried to channel Pete but failed and called him “an embarrassment to cycling”. Not my best comeback ever, but I tend to fail miserably in those situations, instead thinking of a much better response minutes too late. So, what would have been your best response?

I have the same disorder. Let’s call it, “Way Homer’s Disorder” (because you think of a better barb on the ‘way home’).

To be fair, maybe he thought you were scoffing at his bike? Anyway, you could have profusely thanked him for allowing you into a small corner of the bike culture, seeing as how he is now its official custodian.

I used to live in Jacksonville, Florida and a “cracker”, as I understood it, specifically referred to a rural white of limited means and education. IE someone who certainly would not ride a high end bike (or probably any human powered bicycle at all). Perhaps the usage is different in these parts.

@lordofthemark 42745 wrote:

I used to live in Jacksonville, Florida and a “cracker”, as I understood it, specifically referred to a rural white of limited means and education. IE someone who certainly would not ride a high end bike (or probably any human powered bicycle at all). Perhaps the usage is different in these parts.

My general understanding of “cracker” was that it was an older version of “redneck.” There used to be a baseball team in Atlanta called the Georgia Crackers.

I’m real curious how the Tommasini rider meant it. Maybe that a cross bike was for riding the red clay rural back roads, not the mean streets of Clarendon?

@Tim Kelley 42757 wrote:

I think it was explained to me once as the white slave owner who would “crack” the whip. I always thought it to be a mild racial slur. Was the other rider non-caucasian?

At least in FL it meant something akin to cowboy years ago, and more recently just anyone who was a native or a good ol’ boy redneck.

@consularrider 42756 wrote:

I’m real curious how the Tommasini rider meant it. Maybe that a cross bike was for riding the red clay rural back roads, not the mean streets of Clarendon?

This is an important distinction. OP said Tommaso… or is it Tommasini (like conslarrider says here)?

IIRC, one (Tommaso) is a rebranded OEM Chinese frame with nothing special going for it, and the other is a handcrafted Italian frame (I think still made in Italy) that is something worth coveting.

If I had such encyclopedic knowledge of frames without having to Google it, my retort would be some obscure little dig at his bike – but in an entirely innocent and friendly tone. “Oh Cracker, you say? How is that Bontrager carbon fork on your Tommaso holding up? That’s not the model that is prone to sudden catastrophic failures, *is it?*” And then just ride off. The crazier and more obsucre the better.

Warning – this site, of bicycle component failures, is *not* for the kiddies or weak of stomach or anyone who likes bicylces. (Not gore, just lots of broken bike parts). Seriously, unless you want a serious buzzkill for your Thursday, don’t go there.

For a more tame list: The Bicycle Museum of Bad Ideas