You might be a redneck

Triathlon Forum
1

It seems I am being “dissed” by many of the correspondents on this forum. As a member of the southern, white, working class who has also lived in two trailer parks, driven a pickup truck, likes to hunt and fish, goes to church on Sunday, shops at WalMart, etc., I guess I qualify. In several threads, I have seen derogatory comments about “rednecks”-- only “rednecks” throw things at cyclists, honk their horns, cut people off, carry guns in their vehicles, yada, yada, yada. Many people jumped to the defense of the French, but no one ever calls out anyone who blasts “rednecks.” If I ever get stranded on my bike and need a ride home, I’ll bet a dollar to a donut I get a ride from some “redneck” in his pickup truck before some yuppie in a Bimmer even slows down.

Why is it that southern, white, Christians are the only minority that it is politically correct to discriminate against? Were all cyclists and triathletes born rich and never had to live in a trailer? Does this elitist attitude have anything to do with the enmity many riders seem to have for cyclists?

Proud to live in the South where it is still in style to love God, country, and your wife.

3

I must admit I have not seen all the threads mentioning rednecks, but it seems that most of the complaints about things being thrown out at cyclists are from places a long way from the south. I believe the most recent was in front of Nytro (CA ?). I must agree with Tex even in the south their are people who would rather throw things at you than help, but just plain “trash of humanity” is probably a better word than Redneck to describe these people. Tri though has made a point I’ll have to agree with. In the rural south I am willing to bet motorist give cyclist more room and help on the road than anywhere else in the country. The larger cities of the south this does not hold true, but then again many of these people were transferred here from New York or California anyway. In my rural Georgia town it is not uncomman for traffic to stop or slow to about 10mph to pass while I’m running, or swerve into the opposite lane to pass me biking. If I have a mechanical problem on a ride the only reason I would have to walk the bike home is if no passed me.

4

A semantics discussion follows –

While your frustration may be justified, discrimination is not your problem. The posters you are venting against are not discriminating against you. They may be ignorant and prejudiced int their speech, but they are not discriminating.

You have been discriminated against when…

You were not hired beacuse you were a redneck.

You were forced to sit at the back of a bus because you are a redneck.

You were not allowed to eat at the counter because you were a redneck.

You were forced to wear a yellow star because you were a redneck.

You were unable to marry because you were a redneck.

you were forced to go to a separate school specifically for rednecks.

etc. etc.

We have all had experience dealing with ignorant and predjudiced individuals. Discrimination, though, is something more sinister and not something most of us really have had experience with. An accusation like that should not be leveled indiscriminantly (pun not intended).

I would like to apologize on behalf of my non-redneck brethren. They know not what they say.

5

I’m a furry neck.

6

Just for the record, I did not say I had been discriminated against, but I understand your point. My point, though, is that in today’s society, it is taboo to make fun of or speak in a derogatory manner about anyone, with the exception of southerners, white men, and Christians and God help you if you are all three. As one radio commentator puts it–we live in the United States of the Offended. Let’s all either lighten up and learn to laugh a little at ourselves, or treat everyone equally. Case in point–Dusty Baker gets a pass for what he said, Jimmy the Greek gets fired for saying essentially the same thing.

7

It’s very simple. You have a different definition of redneck than I do. I don’t associate rednecks with any type of religion, love of country, or race. My definition of redneck considers qualities such as intelligence, rudeness, drunkenness, volume of speech, law abidement, treatment of children, and treatment of women.

Having spent a week in western NC recently. I “know” what a redneck is and as far as I can tell from this short thread, you ain’t one! :slight_smile:

8

just a random thought on southern rednecks:

you guys are doing a pretty good job of setting this countries agenda… be it foreign policy or domestic politics… the south has become a very powerful player in american politics… on both sides of the spectrum… from Clinton to Bush… what the hell is happening to this country?? damn rednecks… :wink: quit your bitching… and enjoy your power trip… get back to me when you’ve suffered some real social injustice…

9

This post reminded me of one of the best websites. It was entitled my redneck neighbor and the stories told on it were better than any I have seen. I just tried to log on to the site and the guy shut it down. I assume he got nailed by his neighbor and had to stop telling about his actions. If anyone knows the real story of why he shut down, I would be very interested.

Assholes come in all forms, shapes and sizes, not just rednecks.

10

Glad this got posted,i saw in the (should LA get dq) post were someone used the redneck word,i work with a bunch of yankees and they love the redneck word even though they are more of a redneck than most i see in the south,i do not walk around saying the N word or calling people yankee,it gets real old and has hurt some coworkers feelings,If someone is a jerk, call him a jerk etc,etc Yea i live in the south,always will,but i travel all over this country and you would not belive the asses i have seen,sure makes the south look good
.

11

I remember that web site from a couple of years back, it was hilarious. His neighbor put up a HUGE flagpole in his front yard, set his own deck onfire due to a BBQ, built odd things outside of city of code, had a huge cement mailbox with the virgin mary on top, etc…

12

I have been feeling this way for some time now. This isn’t just a Southern problem. My patriotism is at a lifetime high and it’s about ready to burst with some serious expletives, yet I shall refrain. Suffice it to say that this WASP Californian agrees with you wholeheartedly.

As for cycling and dumb-ass auto drivers, I have to say that (knock on wood) I have yet to experience the ignorance and prejudice that others here have experienced while riding amongst the unenlightened. I have been riding a lot in close-quarter metro traffic and while a bit intense, haven’t tried to be run over, pelted with fast food refuse or been referenced as a homosexual in the act of coitus.

13

OH PULEEEEEZE!!!

I am so SICK AND TIRED of this PC crap I could scream!!! Give me a break. Did anyone on Slowtwitch ever insult you personally or did you infer the insult? We all have issues, we are all an “Improper joke”. We are all human, we are all weird, we all have flaws. Damn, someone call the ACLU and report slowtwitch…

I for one will always refer to anyone that honks at me from a pickup truck as a Redneck.

Anyone from Wi. is a “Cheesie”

Anyone from Il is a “FIB”.

All arabs are " Niajoobie" to me (from a distance as long as he cant hear me)

Man…dont take things so personally. We all have issues. Be proud of who YOU are. Who cares what any other people think. Live up to YOUR dreams…not what you think society dreams up for you. If you are firm in who you are and what you stand for - you cant possibly be anything but a strong person. Who cares where you live, what your color, religion or creed it. Just be you.

Myself…I am American. That does not require anything but dedication (hell you can be an American even if you are not born here :slight_smile:

14

I happen to live in the rural south – the rural deep south, in fact – and I’m therefore very familiar with rednecks. Your definition of redneck will vary depending upon where you live, but 99% of the country has that definition all wrong. Down here, the term “redneck” – when used on its own – is actually a term of endearment. Rednecks are not pickup drivin’, beer swillin’, shotgun totin’, coon huntin’, cousin kissin’, bass fishin’, beer can throwin’ at cyclists, rebel flag wavin’, Hank Jr. listenin’, NASCAR lovin’, pro wrestling watchin’ intolerant hillbillies. Those would be dumb rednecks. There is in fact a big distinction between simply being a redneck and being a dumb redneck. To many of you, the term “dumb redneck” would be redundant, but you don’t live down here and do not appreciate the nuances of our culture.

I am a redneck and proud of it. I am a college educated former journalist and current health educator. For the first time a decade, I do not have a pickup parked in my driveway (traded it in a few months ago for a Honda Element, thanks to this forum and my tri habit). However, I love country music (the old, not the new), I have a deer rifle and a shotgun in my house, and a mounted 8-point buck in my shed (my wife, whose neck isn’t quite as red as mine, won’t allow me to display my trophy in the house). I like NASCAR, but not enough to watch it (I just catch the highlights on SportsCenter), and “A Country Boy Can Survive” is one of the best songs ever recorded (along with George Jones’ classic “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and just about anything by Waylon Jennings). I also own two cowboy hats (which I haven’t worn in years) and four pairs of cowboy boots, which I wear fairly regularly. I like my vegetables soft not crunchy, my chicked fried, my bar-b-que is pork, and there are worse things that you can do than put pink flamingoes in your front yard. I don’t drink anymore, but I have downed more than my fair share of Pabst Blue Ribbon, most of which was consumed in a 4 wheel drive on a dirt road with George Jones, Hank Jr. or Earl Thomas Conley in the tape player (no CD’s back then – they still skipped on rough dirt roads). Though I live in town with neighbors close by, I would rather take a leak outside in the yard than in my toilet. I love my country, my mother, and Jesus. I think Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the greatest Americans ever, and the racial/social injustices African Americans have endured in our country’s history is one of the great travesties of all time. And I have never, ever thrown anything at a cyclist.

In the course of my dicussion here, I have realized that it is much easier to describe what a redneck isn’t than it is to describe what one is. I am a redneck. And I’m quite proud to be one.

RP

15

Man get your meds checked i think they may need adjusting,you were the guy that six months ago was saying i am gonna die,and you got a lot of support,now you have this #uck everybody thing going
.

16

Man get your meds checked i think they may need adjusting,you were the guy that six months ago was saying i am gonna die,and you got a lot of support,now you have this #uck everybody thing going

How is saying “be proud of who you are” anything like F**k everybody? The point is…who cares what others think! Who cares! I hope people think I am a redneck…I dont think I am. If I was, that would be fine too. People need to be less sensitive of things…

If my point was not clear I appologize.

(oh…I am off all the meds…)

17

Randall - I’m glad somebody finally said it.

As for the redneck thing, I probably qualify as I have a jacked up 4x4 pick-up with Slayer tapes in the tape deck. Maybe it’s because we “know our own”, but I’ve only had one incident with a redneck. Usually harassment comes from the preppy kids in the Ford Explorers.

And the only motorists who have hit me were elderly. They didn’t hit me on purpose - they just couldn’t see and didn’t have any business being on the road (Thanks a lot, AARP!).

19

I was a little disappointed when I actually read this thread, because when I first saw it I thought someone had started the Jeff Foxworthy thing “You might be a redneck if…” and I was going to chime in with some fun one’s that I remembered. I didn’t realize people were going to be getting all upiddy. I feel bad that you were offended in some way, but unfortunately there are ignorent people all over the place and certain labels and stereotypes have been put out there for people to use. I grew up in NY, went to school in NC, and (obviously) live in FL, so I’ve gotten my taste of the south and I have to say it was great. Most people from the south are great, but there are also those that fit the “redneck” sterotype and say “hey there’s a college boy…let’s beat him up”. (I think that’s a line in PCU if I remember correctly :)) But, then again there are rude people everywhere. I’ve been buzzed a number of times by people in their mercedes trying to teach the kid on the bike a lesson, I’ve been hollered at by kids in a jeep on their way to the beach, and I’ve been called some great names by dudes in big trucks with confederate flags on the back. I just wish people would realize that although there are labels for these people “Snobs”,“A-Holes”, and “Rednecks” respectively, not everyone fits in that category and they shouldn’t feel offended because they should know better that they don’t fit the stereotype. And if they do, well if the shoe fits…

I really just wanted to post something mildly amusing, so I’m going to end with it - Hope nobody takes offense

“You might be a redneck if…you have to climb a watertower with a bucket of paint to defend your sister’s honor” :slight_smile:

Smile people

20

dat’s cuz u da gopha . . .

21

http://www.fortogden.com/foredneck.html

Some good ones there…

(not to infer that any member or reader of Slowtwitch.com is at all resemblant or similar to any of the comments that may be seen on the link above. The comments of the link above are not the comments and or opinions of Slowtwitch.com or any of its employees, family members or anything like that)

22

Don’t feel bad bri - I’m “The Dumb Blonde” no matter what part of the country I’m in. There is however, a distinct advantage in being underestimated .

Also, there are several drivers I’d classify as displaying “Redneck Behavior” while I’m pedaling down the road, which is interesting since I live in Chicago.