This is a question I’ve wondered about for about a year, but never thought to ask the SDMB about. Situation: I’m a cyclist year-round. While I try to stick to the road when I can, part of my commute is on shared pedestrian/biker pathways along the river and when going across bridges. As I approach someone from behind, I always wonder what the preferred bell-ringing etiquette is. The poll options should be pretty straightforward, I think!
I voted always. And it should be from about half a block away. It’s no good giving them a fright with the bell. And it shouldn’t matter how slow you’re going, you should always ding!
I am a bike commuter and for 3 miles of my ride I am on a bike/walk trail. Dinging your bell is going to get you killed. The people who need to be alerted inevitably turn around and veer to their left. It is safer to just zoom past them. Anyone that is not a fast pass gets a verbal “on your left”. Don’t get me started on dogs, their owners, and bells which is even more of a death wish.
The only time I ding is when there is no path around due to oblivious pedestrians.
You use the bell like a car horn, to alert other road users to your presence. If you’d do it if you were in a car, you do it when you’re on a bike.
IME I have never had the problem **Disheavel **has had. Everyone and I mean everyone knows what a bike bell sounds like and reacts immediately. it works better than anything else I’ve tried. From old to young everyone instinctively moves to their right and I love my bell.
I use it all the time if there is a pedestrian ahead of me.
I’m a bike commuter, too, at least 3x a week.
I went on a walk yesterday for the first time on a “bike & hike” path. Being a Doper, I’m much more versed in bike culture than I would have been otherwise, so I was trying my hardest to make sure I was being as proper as possible.
I also had my dog with me.
I pretty much spent the whole time looking backwards for bikers. The first person to pass us used his bell, but I felt he did it a little too close. Had I not known he was there, I don’t think I would have had time to reel my dog in before he passed us. The second biker was going more slowly and said “passing on left” as he approached. I actually hadn’t seen him and his timing was good.
None of the other bikers said anything or rang a bell. Maybe a half dozen more passed us. I guess they just assumed that me, mom and doggy were all going to stay put in our little line.
I was so tense about the situation that I’m not going back to the bike & hike trail, unless I’m on a bike myself. I don’t think the bikers really are at fault, tho. I just am the sort of person who doesn’t like making others uncomfortable, and I think an old lady, a fat chick and an 80lb dog just don’t mix well with bikers.
The crowd has spoken, it appears! I’ll remember that when I start biking again on Monday.
Yes I agree. I loathe those cyclists who ring their bells just as they get right behind you.
I wish bikers in my area would stay off the sidewalks!
But I understand that sometimes they can’t.
Please ding a bit back from me, and I shall smile and wave.
Agreed completely.
Cars do NOT honk every time they pass someone else, or someone near. If they did, they’d get the finger in return. But cars are more noisy, and pedestrians are not going to be able to move in time anyway; the burden of responsibility is 100 percent on the driver.
Bikers have the same responsibility, BUT letting people know you are passing isn’t just courtesy, it’s important. But the bell thing? Either bell a good 5 seconds back, as an alert, or don’t bother.
Always, and from a distance so they aren’t startled.
Disagree completely.
I always ring my bell and so far I have not been killed. Also the bell helps shift liability in the event the pedestrian does do something stupid. If there is a collision and you hadn’t rung your bell, you would be at fault. I’m not saying that the bell totally absolves you in a collision, but you can at least say that you did the right thing by ringing your bell and the pedestrian can’t claim that they weren’t alerted.
99.99% of people walking on a busy bike trail are going to know what that bell sound behind them means. And the remaining .001% that don’t know - it wouldn’t matter whether you ring or not, so might as well always ring.
Always, unless I already have the walkers attention. The problem is, most wimpy bike bells are so soft sounding, that I’m on top of them too fast. I slow to less than 10 mph too. Horses and their riders require an earlier warning, usually. Boneheads with IPods installed in their heads almost demand to be startled!
…horses and their riders?
Around here, in the parks, the law is that all bikes have to have a bell and they have to signal when they approach anyone from behind. I don’t always “ding” (sometimes it’s not safe to shift my grip to hit the bell) but in those cases I will give a loud verbal warning like “Coming up on your left”.
As someone else pointed out, there is really no telling which way a pedestrian (or another biker, or a horse rider, etc) is going to go when you alert them - they might go left, go right, stop, stay moving straight ahead, etc. Add dogs on leashes and little kids (who randomly veer all over the place) and it’s a fun mix.
Again, laws in the EB regional parks address this - basically a cyclist has to yield the right of way to everyone (pedestrians and equestrians). When I’m coming up on someone from behind and I signal them, I cover my brakes because there’s no way to know what they’re going to do. In most circumstances there’s just no reason why I should keep moving at high speed as I pass someone from behind. I’d feel horrible if I hit someone and I’d probably wind up injuring myself and/or my bike at the same time so why run the risk.
It’s a (widely-ignored) legal requirement that all bicycles in Queensland have a bell on them and, and it’s further expected (and strongly advised by the Department of Transport) that the rider use said bell to warn pedestrians of their approach when using footpaths (it’s legal to ride on the footpath here) .
Couldn’t agree more with this statement. When I’m out running I sometimes zone out and bicyclists startle the hell out of me when they don’t call out. I’d say about 90% of the time they do say ‘on your left’ and I like that. If anything as a check to make sure I am far over to not be an ass.
Vote for “on your left” – not banshee-style – or the bell when necessary. After a few dozen unnecessary shrieks from faster-moving folks over a few hours, I think the average pedestrian is not likely to have any kind words or deeds for many cyclists or runners after a while, which might be some sort of bad karma overall.
For meanderers or tight passes, a verbal call or ring is always welcome and very good for safety of everyone, rider and walker. As a pedestrian (and not a very fast one, usually), when dealing with some pod (invariably of sportily-dressed older women) stopped in the middle of the trail, the most effective is to stop completely and wait for the well-masticated apology, and for them to make a kind of walk-hole. Doesn’t translate to bikes or even running, though.
Here in the Netherlands, where bikes (and dedicated bike lanes) are ubiquitous, you are supposed to ring your bell one time to warn other bicyclists and also pedestrians that you are going to pass. Here the pedestrians are usually using the bike paths for one reason and another, rather than the other way around. Verbal calls are restricted to “good morning/afternoon/evening” as you pass.
The Dutch are in general well practiced in encountering a bicycle and invariably move to the right, unless they are under 5 in which case nobody knows what they are going to do, including themselves.
Generally speaking, always.
However, there are certain people who are sufficiently oblivious that a noise may cause them to move to the middle of the path and start looking around. I’ve learned to recognize and anticipate those people. Occasionally, when it’s clear that the bell would do more harm than good, I’ll pass without ringing.