Postby newie » Mon Feb 04, 2013 6:27 pm
I have a bell on 2 out of my 3 bikes. In my mind, on a PSP the safety of all the other users is my responsibility - that is how I interpret "give way". That means that I adjust my speed and passing distance in order to be able to safely deal with any unexpected behaviour without a collision. The bell, or voice, is used purely to improve the predictability of behaviour from the other users and make my job a bit easier. So this means, every time I come up behind someone I am making a conscious judgement as to whether I think the bell will improve their predictability or not. A significant minority of people will react unpredictability to the sound of a bell. They will jump to the right into your path, or look over their shoulder and drift across right (especially kids or other less experienced cyclists). When someone is walking or cycling steadily on the left side of the path and appear to be aware of their surroundings, they are already predictable and I feel that a bell might make some of them more unpredictable. I will ring the bell for small children, people with dogs, people looking a bit oblivious and so on, as they are already unpredictable and the bell will probably improve things. On my bike without a bell, because I don't have a loud voice I need to adjust my speed a bit more so that I have time to call out without feeling like I am shouting at them. Even occasionally with children I don't ring the bell, if they look like they are in good control of their bike and are on the far left of the path. I just slow right down and move to the far right of the path. I have had quite a few instances where ringing the bell has caused a kid that was previously riding along nicely has looked around at me and then drifted over into my path.
But some people do get upset about the absence of a bell and I can understand why. I am sure it is not nice to be startled by an unexpected bike passing by. Unfortunately startling people is the price we pay until we get to the point where all people on shared path recognise the bell as a gentle signal that someone is coming and to stay left. They might be startled, but by the time they are, I have already passed and there is no chance of a collision. While some people continue to react unpredictably to the sound of a bell, I will continue to only use it when I feel it will help and refrain otherwise. Safety is the first priority, the politeness of letting them know I am coming is second. The other day I had a lady complain at me for not using the bell (even though I passed her safely and she had no objection on that front) and I rode along next to her for a bit and tried to explain to her why, but I couldn't get through. It was a polite conversation, but ineffective, so I won't be bothering with that again. Although I have previously had success with that conversation off the bike, with people who when they find out you are a cyclist bring it up as a gripe.
The other time I don't ring the bell is when it really congested and/or very poor lines of sight and I figure I am better keeping my hands on the bars and covering the brakes.
Of course, the bell is occasionally needed for people taking up the whole width of the path. Most of the time it works just fine. Of course you occasionally get the one goes left, one goes right and the third one stops dead centre and looks at you in confusion. But it normally ends with a laugh and a hearty apology, so it is not worth getting bent out of shape over. I try to cut a bit of slack to the mothers out with their prams. The chance to get outside, get some exercise and talk to other new mothers has to be really important for some of them. It is a very rare person who is not prepared to let you by, once they know you are coming.
The two things I do really dislike are the ipod wearers who wander all over the path (the ones keeping left are just fine) and, most of all, people with unleashed dogs.