I got some curious or uncertain or admiring comments as people seemed to feel I was doing something unexpected, but no criticism.
You're lucky -- particularly as you were doing this in the summer when it's harder to hide a bump under big coats etc so more people would notice (not that I am trying to hide it, but a) it is only a smallish bump still, and b) I get so bloody cold that by the time I've got enough layers on to go outside you wouldn't know if I was carrying an elephant in there).
One of my workmates has said several times that he doesn't think I should be cycling & he wouldn't have been happy with his wife (who had her first baby earlier this year) cycling while she was pregnant. He means well, & hasn't been shouty about it, but it's tiresome & I don't have a good reply apart from "I'm comfortable with the level of risk involved, and it's my decision" which always comes across a bit more aggressively defensive than I want it to.
The other problem is that it is made more emotive by the fact that someone he knows was involved in an awful road incident & as a result not only miscarried but couldn't have any more children; so anything I say is basically going to be interpreted as a) not caring about his friend's tragedy, or b) sticking my fingers in my ears and saying "la la la that could never happen to me". :-/
Apart from him, there have only been occasional acquaintances/colleagues saying things like "But isn't that horribly dangerous?" to which I say "no, not really". I am trying hard not to have the argument unless other people start it, otherwise I know there's a risk I'll get on my high horse (zomg risk of falling!!) before they've actually criticised me. :-}
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Date: 2010-11-10 03:38 pm (UTC)You're lucky -- particularly as you were doing this in the summer when it's harder to hide a bump under big coats etc so more people would notice (not that I am trying to hide it, but a) it is only a smallish bump still, and b) I get so bloody cold that by the time I've got enough layers on to go outside you wouldn't know if I was carrying an elephant in there).
One of my workmates has said several times that he doesn't think I should be cycling & he wouldn't have been happy with his wife (who had her first baby earlier this year) cycling while she was pregnant. He means well, & hasn't been shouty about it, but it's tiresome & I don't have a good reply apart from "I'm comfortable with the level of risk involved, and it's my decision" which always comes across a bit more aggressively defensive than I want it to.
The other problem is that it is made more emotive by the fact that someone he knows was involved in an awful road incident & as a result not only miscarried but couldn't have any more children; so anything I say is basically going to be interpreted as a) not caring about his friend's tragedy, or b) sticking my fingers in my ears and saying "la la la that could never happen to me". :-/
Apart from him, there have only been occasional acquaintances/colleagues saying things like "But isn't that horribly dangerous?" to which I say "no, not really". I am trying hard not to have the argument unless other people start it, otherwise I know there's a risk I'll get on my high horse (zomg risk of falling!!) before they've actually criticised me. :-}