i think things have been getting worse for cyclists over the last 40 years. more cars on the road, more angry motorists, less inclination to not speed or give a guy a break.
also, the indians/gay/slave argument is more dramatic than other groups, since they had lots of room for improvement. Jewish lawyers, not so much over the last 50 years. though things are definitely better than the first half of the 20th c., when my grandfather graduated law school.
