I walk to work. I like walking; it’s relaxing and good for the environment. It’s about a 30 minute walk from where I live, which is definitely feasible most times. As I was walking to work today, and enjoying the lush vegetation of the Pacific Northwest, I heard a faint humming sound behind me.
Now, this is a sound I’ve heard many times before. I should be able to process it instantly, but for some reason (possibly due to undercaffeination), I inevitably fail to recognize it until a bicyclist goes flying past me at 15 miles per hour (often sans helmet) leaving me approximately 10 micrometers of clearance and inducing massive tachycardia.
Some of my best friends are cyclists Hell, it seems like 1 out of 4 people or so in my area is a huge bike geek. They’re all good people. And I know that cyclists have it tough, what with cars running you down half the time if you take to the roads. But this is the third or fourth time this week some jackass has buzzed me on his bike ON THE SIDEWALK, and I don’t much appreciate feeling like I’m being strafed by F-15s on the way to work. Is it so much to yell out ONNNNN YOUUUUR LEFFFFFTTTT as if you were Wesley/Dread Pirate Roberts from the Princess Bride? 'Cause nobody seems to do that. And the Doppler effect is hilarious. I mean, inevitably one of these days I’m going to be hit (since I can’t hear you coming, and I’m inclined to change directions suddenly due to my absent-mindedness); it’s just a matter of time.
My frustration is compounded by the prevalence of stickers in this area that say “Leave Cyclists 3 Feet of Space!” I sure wish I could, you fucking dickbags.
Also, if you’re riding in the road, please stop at the goddamned stop signs. And then don’t flip me off when you come out of nowhere and run that stop sign as I’m about to enter the intersection in my car. You’re a fucking vehicle! You have wheels and go fast! I know you probably think you’re some renegade half-pedestrian-half-vehicle thing that plays by his own rules, but what the fuck am I supposed to do? ARGH!
My apologies to the considerate cyclists, I just can’t take it anymore.
Don’t get me started. In my neck of the woods we have a lot of triathalons. Bikers will ride four and five abreast, forcing me to pass them blindly on a double yellow laned road. This is incredibly dangerous, as I either dawdle behind them for a good three miles or I take my chances that another car isn’t coming while I’m passing them.
My apologies also to the considerate cyclists. If you’re one of them this is not meant for you.
Yeah, bells are definitely the best. Even if you’re yelling what side you’re on while biking, it’s sometimes hard to hear whether you said “left,” “right,” or “vote for LaRouche”. And generally, we pedestrians don’t have a lot of time to react. Bells are unambiguous. Thanks
I am a bicyclist. And I agree with you completely. The same assholes who don’t let pedestrians know they are passing also don’t let other bikers know. Roads have potholes, and sometimes I have to swerve to avoid them. Because some asshole can’t vocalize, I am going to some day end up as a tangled mass in the middle of the road with some asshole who can’t vocalize gets run over by a car with me.
My suggestion? Spit. Often. Aim high.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were there.”
If we could get every pedestrian to spit, we could end non vocalization in our lifetime.
As far as running stop signs. Hundreds of bicyclist a year find out that is a bad idea. But often it is their last bad idea.
But do me a favor pedestrians, take off of at least turn down the friggen ipod. I say “On your left” with a loud, clear voice. But I don’t scream it.
We also have a bike path that crosses a major road. There are stop signs on the bike path sides. I cannot tell you the number of bikers/rollerbladers/women with strollers have blown through that without stopping.
Usually when I yell “left”, the people move to the left. You can’t win for losing in that game.
Bicycles don’t belong the sidewalks, though, except as need to access some other roadway or building. I don’t mind it so much when I see kids in my neighborhood doing it, but adults should know better.
As a biker, my problem is the fact that the only places to be in the winter are the river trails, on which people walk. And now, I actually have to go out of my way to alert them. Before, my bike creaked loudly–loud enough that people would turn around when I was 20 feet away to see what was making the racket. I just got it fixed, so I won’t have my automatic warning system. I tend to squeal “ding ding!” as I approach, and that usually works.
Do you care if they run stop signs, or just care if they come out of nowhere when you’re about to enter the intersection in your car, and then flip you off?
Both I guess? I’ve known cyclists to get ticketed for running stop signs, so I’m pretty sure it’s illegal up here. Mostly I just want some consistency. Either you’re a pedestrian, in which case slow the hell down and don’t ride in the road. Or you’re a vehicle, in which case obey posted signage. Ideally, there’d be bike lanes everywhere, and then everyone would be happy, but there aren’t.
I tend to agree, although I am sympathetic to bikers who fear for their safety, especially on busy roads with narrow lanes and high speed limits. It’s scary to ride in that kind of environment. But if you’re going to ride on the sidewalk, then don’t inflict that same fear on the (even slower and more vulnerable) pedestrians.
Sure. I’ve even been ticketed for it. I suppose that makes me a criminal and worthy of derision and a pit thread. I just think it is, in many circumstances, an order of magnitude more dangerous to run a stop sign than it is to exceed the posted speed limit. Believe me, I am equally flabbergasted and infuriated when an automobile pulls the same shit. However, recently I observed this behavior in a cyclist, and in the particular instance, the cyclist seemed to believe he was well within his rights to disregard that particular sign (as evidenced by his display of what is colloquially known as “the bird”). I found this to be particularly galling. I am not attempting to impugn all cyclists with this particular anecdote, but it seems that at least one member of the cycling population takes their somewhat ambiguous vehicular status as licence to behave in an unpredictable and hazardous manner. Several others have buzzed me on the way to work in a dangerous fashion. I became frustrated with the accumulation of bike-related stressors in my transportation experience. Hence the pit thread.
Actually, that is what I say. But people still often move to the left.
Not really. You need to get them out of the way fast, and you want to know which way they are going to move. Too often you get groups of walkers or runners hogging the whole trail, and when you come up behind them, they act all surprised that someone might have to pass them. Pisses me off.
I only encounter pedestrians when they are walking on the dedicated bike path. No problem. I have a bell. I ring it. I say “on your left.” And yet as I pass the pedestrians, at least half jump out of their skin and say, “I didn’t know you were there!” “But I rang my bell.” “Oh, I heard that, I didn’t know what it was.”
You’re on a bike path. You hear a ringing noise approaching from behind. LOOK AROUND.
But again, right with the OP. You can’t ride a bike for any length of time without realizing that pedestrians can’t hear you approach. The burden of notification is on the cyclist.
(I did use to breeze through stop signs, and will still occasionally slow rather than stop if there is no other traffic on the road, cross or parallel, but it is a Bad Idea and I have for the most part reformed.)
ETA: I have the same problem with people moving to their left. Perhaps I should shout “move to your right?” But then half would hear that as “on your right” and move left.
I’m naturally a very spastic, panicky person, so I’m probably guilty of this. It’s like when people say, “Heads up!” what they really mean is “GET THE FUCK DOWN.” I think people hear “blah blah blah LEFT!” and instinctively move left. We pedestrians are not much better than cattle.
I so agree with the OP. I see cyclists blow stop signs, ride without lights at night, ride on the sidewalks, and go the wrong way on one-way streets. Here in Portland it’s a fad to ride “fixies” without brakes!
Please, people, can’t we all just get along? Car drivers and cyclists both need to follow the law and be considerate of each other.
I often walk on paths shared by cyclists. Most are pretty good and bells are mandatory. But I do not know left from right without thinking about it. And then I have to think if you mean your coming up the left or you want me to move left. This takes about 20 seconds. Maybe I should just move over and you drive through the open spot.
Hell, it seems like 1 out of 4 people or so in my area is a huge bike geek. They’re all good people. And I know that cyclists have it tough, what with cars running you down half the time if you take to the roads. But this is the third or fourth time this week some jackass has buzzed me on his bike ON THE SIDEWALK, and I don’t much appreciate feeling like I’m being strafed by F-15s on the way to work. Is it so much to yell out ONNNNN YOUUUUR LEFFFFFTTTT as if you were Wesley/Dread Pirate Roberts from the Princess Bride? 'Cause nobody seems to do that. And the Doppler effect is hilarious. I mean, inevitably one of these days I’m going to be hit (since I can’t hear you coming, and I’m inclined to change directions suddenly due to my absent-mindedness); it’s just a matter of time.
