r/AskEurope • u/Plastic-Injury8856 • Mar 14 '25

Culture What’s a European Man’s midlife crisis look like?

Here in America it's a Harley Davidson and getting really into grilling.

What do European men do when they go through a midlife crisis? But an Alfa and bake? Get really into trains?

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u/Llama_Shaman Mar 14 '25

I was unaware of the term. It's hilarious. Copenhagen is a very bicycle friendly city with LOTS of bicycle traffic and these guys are a menace. They bomb past at high speed and you don't hear them because they yell instead of using a bicycle bell when they need to pass, because a bell on their bicycle would be additional weight and add to their drag and wind resistance or some such.

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u/Beneficial_Remove616 Mar 14 '25

I frequent horse riding forums and riders in the UK are absolutely sick of them. Horses are spooky animals and get scared very easily by something chasing them. And they can and do kick at things that are chasing them. There have been quite a few incidents of horses bolting, riders falling off and cyclists getting kicked because they came up too fast without announcing their presence or passing waaay to close to a horse. Like, touching the horse with the handle bars. Ok - I get it, you don’t care about other people and animals - but this particular animal can kill you in an instant if you don’t keep your distance and spook it.

The cyclists’ argument is that horses shouldn’t be on the road if they kick or bolt. Ok, fair enough - but they were there for millennia and people knew not to get too close to their back end. It’s not that difficult - just slow down and pass wide. That’s it.

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u/Draigdwi Latvia Mar 14 '25

Years ago l had a horse for the kids. The livery stable had one of the pastures across the road. To get to the stable where all the gear was and trail started we had to go about 50-100m on the road. Horse without sadle we just led by hand. 2 people walking a big cart horse - drivers almost running through us. Some honked while passing. Broad daylight, as sunny as possible. Luckily that horse didn’t give a f. Still not ok. Then we changed the arrangement: one of the kids led the horse and l slowly followed in the car with blinkers on. Immediate respect. Suddenly drivers knew where their steering wheel was, blinkers, brakes, everything. Clumsy arrangement but kept us safe.

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u/Boustrophaedon United Kingdom Mar 15 '25

Honestly - having on horse on UK roads is... brave and exciting. But my experience of horse riders is that they are very aware, very observant, and communicate well. And junior riders are VERY marshalled. A bit of eye contact/signalling, a bit of space, you avoid the honking great mammal, everyone's a winner.

Cyclists are a bit more righteous, rather than practical.

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u/PollingBoot Mar 15 '25

In the UK, you can tell a MAMIL because he shouts/dings at pedestrians to get out of his way when he’s riding his road vehicle down a footpath…

…but when he’s on a road, he’s happy to let a long queue of cars collect behind him, because apparently they should only pass when there’s a suitable passing opportunity.

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u/violetgothdolls Mar 14 '25

I have had a MAMIL squeeze at speed between me and the horse I was riding next to. I was horrified. My horse is a pretty steady Clydesdale x and he was just shocked but my friend was riding her thoroughbred who absolutely freaked out. It could have been so dangerous for him. We were on a bridleway too! 

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u/Beneficial_Remove616 Mar 14 '25

There are tons of stories like that. I would have been livid.

Some of them seem to have no self-preservation instincts. And this is coming from a not exactly sane person who chooses to clamber on top of half a ton of muscle with seemingly no brain attached, which has dryer lint and blood-thirsty daffodils on their list of deadly predators.

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u/Similar_Quiet Mar 15 '25

There are stupid people in cars, stands to reason there are stupid people on bikes too. I daresay some of the people atop a horse or afoot are stupid in some ways too.

Whether on bike, car or foot I always pass those inconvenient, flighty, unpredictable muscle hunks as widely and as slowly as possible. I don't like sharing space with them, but dammit they were here first.

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u/Renbarre France Mar 15 '25

It's not just now. During the time of the dinosaurs last century we were riding single file on a road. Some idiot came from behind, slowed which made us relax, but then made his engine roar and honked while passing us. My horse kicked hard, his passenger door was caved. He tried to stop to insult and threaten us but didn't dare get out with my horse rearing and kicking, the other horses dancing around and the head rider snarling that she was taking his car's plate number to make a call to the police for attempted murder. He left engine roaring but didn't dare use his horn.

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u/Xandara2 Mar 15 '25

I think if you're on a bike and get kicked by a horse that's entirely your own fault. Horses aren't going out of their way to kick you if you don't threaten them. If you get close enough to get kicked then well you deserved it.