# Message to "On your left" bicyclists (too mild for the Pit) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 5, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572 "2010-11-05T13:52:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/21 "2010-11-05T15:54:27Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I guess what they hear is “… **LEFT**!”, and reflexively jump to the left. At that point, what I usually say is, “No, your OTHER left!” It’s just a jump to the left And then a step to the right With your hands on your hips You bring your knees in tight… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/22 "2010-11-05T15:55:06Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > \ > I’ve got a nice, loud bell on my bike. Does that work for everyone? It doesn’t seem to work for the cyclists that are all on the sidewalks around here. I’m starting to wonder what the hell is going on with that - it’s not only the busy roads that are full of cyclists on the sidewalks, but even the quiet, side streets - I think somebody somewhere is telling cyclists that they are ONLY supposed to cycle on sidewalks. It’s probably kids who are brought up by helicopter parents, who learned to cycle on the sidewalk and the parents never bothered to teach them when to get the hell _off_ the sidewalk, because the parents never get out of their SUV anyway and it doesn’t affect them. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/23 "2010-11-05T16:00:36Z")
Even though I self-identify far more with cyclists than those on foot, I agree with those who think “on your left” is the wrong thing to shout, even if you make yourself heard, and even if the pedestrian hears the “on your” part as well as the “left.” The problem is that the pedestrian isn’t likely to be expecting this interaction _at all_. Even if they hear the message in its entirety, they’ve got a split second to parse it correctly, and the “left” part is the only thing they’re likely to process. I don’t do much bikepath riding these days, but next time I do, I’m going to just holler, “Passing!” and see what people do. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/24 "2010-11-05T16:01:10Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > It doesn’t seem to work for the cyclists that are all on the sidewalks around here. I’m starting to wonder what the hell is going on with that - it’s not only the busy roads that are full of cyclists on the sidewalks, but even the quiet, side streets - I think somebody somewhere is telling cyclists that they are ONLY supposed to cycle on sidewalks. It’s probably kids who are brought up by helicopter parents, who learned to cycle on the sidewalk and the parents never bothered to teach them when to get the hell _off_ the sidewalk, because the parents never get out of their SUV anyway and it doesn’t affect them. Can I ask where in Calgary you are referring to? I’ve seen cyclists on the sidewalks in downtown Calgary, but not anywhere else. Everywhere else has pathways, but I’m in the NW, so maybe it’s different in other areas? Also, it’s illegal to not have a bell on your bike in Calgary, though I know this isn’t 100% followed. They hand out tickets on the paths in to downtown if they catch you without (or if you’re speeding - the limit is 10K downtown). I’ve found that using my bell vs. hollering doesn’t make a difference in having a pedestrian move in front of you or not, some still do it. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/25 "2010-11-05T16:04:18Z")
When I’m coming up behind pedestrians on a bike/multi-use path I slow down and call out loudly “Passing on your left”. I’ve also got a good loud bell that I use. And the reason I slow down is (a) I’m not racing and (b) Shit happens - as noted, people hear “blah blah blah LEFT” so they move to the left, or they aren’t listening, or a group will part down the middle like the Red Sea, their little kid will be weaving randomly, the dog darts over to smell something, etc. I don’t like it when there’s people walking all over the dedicated bike paths and not using the pedestrian paths but it’s not worth running into someone. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/26 "2010-11-05T16:05:01Z")
And here, I thought that “on your left” was the standard vocal warning for a bicyclist passing a pedestrian. It shouldn’t matter if the pedestrian zones out the first two words, because it shouldn’t matter if they zone out all three. The important message is “there’s someone behind me on a bike saying something to me”, and from there, the pedestrian should be able to reach the appropriate conclusion on es own. It’s just like the bicycle bell (which not all bikes have, incidentally): You can’t distinguish any words at all from that, either, but it means the same thing. Fortunately, I live in a town where there are enough bicyclists that most people seem to get this. But I can certainly understand the frustration when they don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/27 "2010-11-05T16:05:06Z")
> [@Mops](#): > > I for one wouldn’t get the “on your left” if it were addressed to me (it is totally unknown here in Germany AFAIK). As the pedestrian I’d probably hear “something left” and move left. After all when you are unexpectedly addressed by someone you tend not to clearly understand the first few phonemes. But it’s not unknown here, it’s pretty standard for me and all the other bike path bikers here in Boston. There are even signs about it, and they also tell people to always stay to their right. But in reality, people walk three across taking up most of the bike path, they have dogs on leashes that block large parts of the path, kids on bikes seem to go every which way at a moments notice, and there are a few folks who walk to the left. I have a bell, and I loudly and clearly say “On your left” and the majority get it. But a big minority are either oblivious or are wearing headphones and don’t even hear me. A small minority hear me and move left. I still ride the bike paths, but I ride slower than I would like, and I use them only to get to roads that I prefer to ride on. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/28 "2010-11-05T16:06:43Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Even though I self-identify far more with cyclists than those on foot, I agree with those who think “on your left” is the wrong thing to shout, even if you make yourself heard, and even if the pedestrian hears the “on your” part as well as the “left.” > > The problem is that the pedestrian isn’t likely to be expecting this interaction _at all_. Even if they hear the message in its entirety, they’ve got a split second to parse it correctly, and the “left” part is the only thing they’re likely to process. > > I don’t do much bikepath riding these days, but next time I do, I’m going to just holler, “Passing!” and see what people do. I think “Look out!” would be better, or maybe “Excuse me!” I’m totally one of those people who goes “what? My left! Shit, better go left!” - we don’t have a lot of cyclists around here. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/29 "2010-11-05T16:14:45Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I get this problem a lot more with joggers. I jog around my neighborhood 4-6 times a week. Some parts of my run are made up of back streets with virtually no traffic except for locals coming home, and on those sections i’ll often jog on the road, especially in the few places where there are literally no sidewalks for pedestrians. For the rest of the run, i jog on the sidewalks. The sidewalks in this area are about two-and-a-half people wide. That is, two people can comfortably pass, or walk side-by-side, but three is generally too much of a squeeze. And yet, whenever there’s a single pedestrian walking on the sidewalk, he or she manages to walk a line in the perfect center of the path, making it difficult or impossible (depending on the size of the person) to squeeze by on either side. These sidewalks do not run along the edge of a 2000-foot cliff, so keeping to one side or the other should not be especially difficult or dangerous. Even worse are the ones who tend to veers back and forth randomly as they walk. Keep to one side or the other (i don’t really care which), and maintain a roughly steady course, and you’ll get no trouble from me when i’m out for a run. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/30 "2010-11-05T16:15:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The important message is “there’s someone behind me on a bike saying something to me”, That’s not the message that I get, though. I often don’t know there’s a bike until I actually see one. Bikes are incredibly stealthy and quiet, especially when the ambient noise of cars is drowning them out. And I often don’t know if the person is speaking to me. It could be two people having a conversation, it could be someone on their cell, it could be a crazy person talking to themselves for all I know. So I get your important message quoted above, but strike out “on a bike” and “to me.” I think that a bell combined with a voice is the surest way of conveying the right message. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/31 "2010-11-05T16:16:43Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > They hand out tickets on the paths in to downtown if they catch you without (or if you’re speeding - the limit is 10K downtown). Do you mean 10 km/h, on a bike path? What’s the point of even having a bike? I could almost walk that fast. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/32 "2010-11-05T16:22:20Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Do you mean 10 km/h, on a bike path? > > What’s the point of even having a bike? I could almost walk that fast. It’s a very wide bike and pedestrian path, and it can get very congested at certain times of the day. I agree that the limit is low (it should be 15 or 20km/hr), but I see the reasons behind it. Most people use the path for a short while then turn on to a road. Also, when it leaves downtown, the speed increases to 20 km/hr, though I don’t agree with that limit either (I think it’s too low considering the bike a walking pathways are entirely separate for a lot of it). One of the big issues that cyclists have with the speed limit is that they do issue tickets, but most cyclists don’t have speedometers on their bikes, so they have no idea if they’re going too fast. They still get a ticket though (unless they outrun them, which is easy). ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/33 "2010-11-05T16:44:13Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > You’d think, but I still have people step right in front of me (on the signed bike route, not the sidewalk) and one guy very indignantly told me to use my voice because it was easier to hear over the traffic. It may heve been the peculiarities of that path, or the noise in the environment, or the guy himself. But if someone uses their voice, it may take me a few seconds to parse it all out. A bell is immediately recognizable and says Bike with zero ambiguity. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/34 "2010-11-05T16:46:22Z")
Well if you insist on jumping left then over here you’ll get flattened every time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/35 "2010-11-05T17:04:52Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > On the bike path that I use, I’d say about 30% of the people \*\*\*move to the left \*\*\* when I try to warn them. And about 50% of the rest are wearing headphones and don’t move no matter what you do. That goes for bicyclists, too. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/36 "2010-11-05T17:05:01Z")
I agree that “On your left” is standard enough that any pedestrian or runner with a few miles under his or her belt would react appropriately. I imagine that “afternoon stroll” folks with baby carriages and such are more likely to misunderstand the command. I run many miles along the Delaware & Raritan Canal in the Princeton area, and I have encountered the “On your left” folks, the people with bells, and everyone else who just blasts on by without concern. I prefer the bells. One problem with dirt trails such as that canal towpath is that there usually a nicer section that everyone wants to use, avoiding tree roots and puddles. This means that bikes and pedestrians will often change sides frequently in an effort to avoid the bad parts. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/37 "2010-11-05T17:13:56Z")
“On your left” is standard, but “on your right” happens often enough too. Mr. Ay Ah got me both ways. Another part of the problem, at least for me, is that when I hear a person talking behind me and to one side or the other, I’ll tend to turn in that direction to see who’s talking. That puts me a little more in their path. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/38 "2010-11-05T17:30:06Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > And about 50% of the rest are wearing headphones and don’t move no matter what you do. That goes for bicyclists, too. Relevant local recent [death](http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/100410dnmetjogger.156702d91.html)- the jogger was wearing headphones, and abruptly U-turned. Directly into a bicyclist. Head met pavement. The end. Minor RO: every article when this happened specified that the bicyclist would not face charges. Of fucking COURSE there won’t be charges! All he did was bicycle in a straight line, the heathen barbarian. She rammed directly into him. > [@RTFirefly](#): > > … > > I don’t do much bikepath riding these days, but next time I do, I’m going to just holler, “Passing!” and see what people do. Or you can do like me when I was a reckless little kid hitting the ski slopes. I’d come barrelling down the mountain and when I was getting ready to pass some slowpokes (read: adults) I’d simply holler as loud as I could: **“INCOMING!!!”** I could hear them chuckle as I passed them with a Doppler effect: “Outgoiinnngggggggggg!” ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/39 "2010-11-05T18:23:09Z")
The solution to this ageless dilemna is simple. Install cow catchers on bicycles. Issue cattle prods to pedestrians. Sell tickets. Profit! ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572/40 "2010-11-05T18:25:41Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > The solution to this ageless dilemna is simple. > > Install cow catchers on bicycles. > > Issue cattle prods to pedestrians. > > Sell tickets. > > Profit! Wouldn’t that require adding a few cattle to the bike paths? Just so the pedestrians have something to prod, and bicyclists have something to catch. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-to-on-your-left-bicyclists-too-mild-for-the-pit/559572.md?page=3)