this is so underrated. even smart people can do stupid things. but that’s only half of the story… second half is culture (and here even european countries are not much better). in real life it is almost always worth more to look strong than to be smart. changing your opinion does not make you look strong - it makes the “other” person look like they’ve won an argument and that makes you look both weak (you didn’t stand your ground) and stupid (you didn’t know better). this is both entirely nonsense and perfectly understandable due to the culture (deeper level than propaganda). so nobody who makes it somewhere wants to do it. they will rather invent opposing false story and bend over backwards trying to defend it than concede a point to their percieved opponents… which brings us - here.

i was driven by an uber driver yesterday who seriously thought cycling should be illegal.

his rationale was that bicycles are “unregistered vehicles and so if they cause accident who is going to pay?!” when i pointed out that probably they should pay just as anyone else he just dismissed it like this: “that is not possible. if a cyclist crashes into me and kills me who is gonna pay me?!” i was speechless after that.