To Ding or not to Ding
- rdp_au
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To Ding or not to Ding
Postby rdp_au » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:16 am
For the past few weeks, I’ve become a pedestrian myself, due to a persistent ITB problem (Grrr…). The shoe is on the other foot, so to speak, as I am now the pedestrian being passed by the many bikes that commute through the area. As a cyclist (albeit a wounded one..), I am very aware of bikes, keep to the left and check behind before changing course. Even so, I get surprised every now and again by a bike that wizzes past without warning. For those who do warn, my experience is that the ding of a bell is MUCH easier to distinguish than a voice, which is easily lost amid all the other sounds in the park. Perfect example of this last night, heard the word, ‘right’, just before a cyclist rode past. I know what ‘passing on the right’, means, yet the bike was already past me before I realised that what I had heard was a fragment of the phrase.
If you believe that offering a warning when passing is a good idea, I can vouch from first-hand experience that using a bell is much more effective than calling out.
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby human909 » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:36 am
A bell is a useful accessory on a bike. So is a mirror. I don't actually have either on my bikes....
- il padrone
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby il padrone » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:40 am
Your bell is a warning device that should be used well before you reach the pedestrian, not just as you go by. Pedestrians should have time to (if they wish) turn and look behind to check what and where you are. Many cyclists do not appreciate this and ding their bell just before they pass/collide with the pedestrian.
Ringing your bell is not rude - pedestrians recognise it, and appreciate it. The only good alternative that I have used (quite effectively) is to whistle a tune inanely while I ride. Pedestrians hear this ahead of time and can judge my approach from it. There is no voice so no tone of expression involved.
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
- il padrone
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby il padrone » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:42 am
I am soon to go to Italy on a cycle-touring holiday. I believe this is the norm over there. I shall soon find out.human909 wrote:I find that the need for ringing is a little silly, it isn't like we need to honk the horn for every car or cyclist we past.
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
- g-boaf
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby g-boaf » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:49 am
Just give me warning you are passing (not with a blast of the air-zound) and I'll be happy. I check before changing direction. And by checking, I'll move off the left side of the path if I can, getting completely out of the way.
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby Sparx » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:51 am
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby hannos » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:52 am
If there's dogs or small children I slow right down to almost walking pace.
- roller
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby roller » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:01 am
but hang on, isn't that. . . . .against the law?hannos wrote:I don't have a bell on my bike.
#givingALLcyclistsabadname
j/k
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby rkelsen » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:51 am
Apparently some of us seem to think it's acceptable to ring your bell like a fire engine while doing 35kph along heavily foot-trafficked areas like Southbank. Well, it isn't. You need to shut up and slow down. You're not that important. You're embarrassing yourself and giving us all a bad name.
- Howzat
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby Howzat » Wed Feb 06, 2013 12:01 pm
+1. The bell sounds instantly means "bike" - everyone recognises it. That's the problem with electronic beeping bike bells; people don't recognise the sound.rdp_au wrote:I can vouch from first-hand experience that using a bell is much more effective than calling out.
...adding, the advantage of the AirZound blast on the roads is that drivers think there is a semi-trailer or freight train that they didn't see.
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby Undertow » Wed Feb 06, 2013 12:08 pm
A lot of pedestrians do think it's rude and yell at your for using it. I stopped ringing my bell ages ago (except for when needed such as people completely blocking paths or coming up to a completely blind corner) mostly due to the unpredictable reaction you get from pedestrians and partly because most of them can't hear it anyway because their ipod is too loud.il padrone wrote:Ringing your bell is not rude - pedestrians recognise it, and appreciate it. The only good alternative that I have used (quite effectively) is to whistle a tune inanely while I ride. Pedestrians hear this ahead of time and can judge my approach from it. There is no voice so no tone of expression involved.
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby westab » Wed Feb 06, 2013 12:11 pm
Most the time this works and most peds turn their heads a smile or say thanks too.
If the ped makes it easy for me to pass (either by doing nothing or moving over) I try to say thanks just as I have passed. For me the key is for all of us to get safely where ever we are headed.
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby jlh » Wed Feb 06, 2013 12:19 pm
In many Asian countries it is customary and polite to give a beep beep when passing especially out of the city areas.human909 wrote:I personally don't believe that a warning is necessary on every passing. Personally I find bell ring kinda rude. I find that the need for ringing is a little silly, it isn't like we need to honk the horn for every car or cyclist we past.
A bell is a useful accessory on a bike. So is a mirror. I don't actually have either on my bikes....
Back on topic: Personally I have found that half the time peds will jump across the path into my anticipated line when I ring the bell so I don't do it if there is a clear line around them. Also that's if they have even heard the bell, as often they are listening to their music with ear buds.
- gorilla monsoon
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby gorilla monsoon » Wed Feb 06, 2013 12:32 pm
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby arkle » Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:12 pm
arkle
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby il padrone » Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:18 pm
Don't know where you are riding or what sort of bell you ring, but that has never been my experience. OTOH there have been some occasions where I or companions, having called "passing", have received displeased comments.Undertow wrote:A lot of pedestrians do think it's rude and yell at your for using it.il padrone wrote:Ringing your bell is not rude - pedestrians recognise it, and appreciate it. The only good alternative that I have used (quite effectively) is to whistle a tune inanely while I ride. Pedestrians hear this ahead of time and can judge my approach from it. There is no voice so no tone of expression involved.
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby arkle » Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:29 pm
I agree with il padrone. I ride on shared paths a lot and I ding my bell for everyone I pass and I've never had anyone get upset or say anything bad to me.il padrone wrote:Don't know where you are riding or what sort of bell you ring, but that has never been my experience. OTOH there have been some occasions where I or companions, having called "passing", have received displeased comments.Undertow wrote:A lot of pedestrians do think it's rude and yell at your for using it.il padrone wrote:Ringing your bell is not rude - pedestrians recognise it, and appreciate it. The only good alternative that I have used (quite effectively) is to whistle a tune inanely while I ride. Pedestrians hear this ahead of time and can judge my approach from it. There is no voice so no tone of expression involved.
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- g-boaf
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby g-boaf » Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:48 pm
Well, people react differently in different areas. I know in my area, some people just hate people riding bikes and will complain about ringing bells, not ringing them, you name it. Sometimes the same person will react differently on different days. And it's usually the same pedestrians I used to see every day. There were a few who'd tell you to stick your bell somewhere else..il padrone wrote:Don't know where you are riding or what sort of bell you ring, but that has never been my experience. OTOH there have been some occasions where I or companions, having called "passing", have received displeased comments.Undertow wrote:A lot of pedestrians do think it's rude and yell at your for using it.il padrone wrote:Ringing your bell is not rude - pedestrians recognise it, and appreciate it. The only good alternative that I have used (quite effectively) is to whistle a tune inanely while I ride. Pedestrians hear this ahead of time and can judge my approach from it. There is no voice so no tone of expression involved.
The exceptions were usually the runners - the ones who go long distances and really go fast. They always seemed to be really at ease and not bothered at all about bikes going past. They always seemed to be the ones who'd acknowledge or give a friendly wave. Perhaps it's some sort of unofficial fitness club sort of thing.
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby high_tea » Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:55 pm
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby jcjordan » Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:31 pm
Veni, Vidi, Vespa -- I Came, I Saw, I Rode Home
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby Wal42 » Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:44 pm
Bicycles will be banned from shared pathways, then the joggers, walkers, day dreams will be rid of those rude cyclists that think it's their personal racetrack.
Easy as, problem solved.
Edit: Forgot to mention earlier, remember that the pedestrian you flash past mere millimetres away from is possible a car driver, they'll get their revenge on the road at a later time.
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby DavidL » Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:46 pm
But if I did pass one, I would give a "ding, ding", except the bell is missing from my bikes.
Ding people! I do when on shared cycle ways!
Closest I come to pedestrians is along Southbank and am amazed at the cyclists that think it is stage win sprint to the lights at Queens Street? But I have digressed here.
Ding, Ding to all those pedestrians out there!
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby arkle » Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:06 pm
arkle
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby il padrone » Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:25 pm
+1arkle wrote:There's a way to ding without sounding rude. If you come wapping up behind someone and start dinging insistently at the last moment then of course they're going to be upset. If you do a friendly double ding from a distance and give them enough time to react and prepare predictably for you coming it's an entirely different vibe. Not dinging at all scares the crap out of pedestrians. Even if they don't seem to react I guarantee that they will be jumping with shock inside as you go past. For goodness sake have some manners.
What arkle said. It's right.
"An unjustified and unethical imposition on a healthy activity."
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Re: To Ding or not to Ding
Postby AndyTheMan » Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:59 pm
I can't ever seem to win....Personally I find bell ring kinda rude.
There is a local share path near where I live that I regularly use - I used to have a bell and ding it when approaching pedestrians, but I got a few comments from people who thought I was being rude/pushy (or perhaps they were in a daze and I just took the by surprise).
I then reverted to the 'excuse me.....thankyou' approach - I would slow to near walking pace and simply say 'excuse me' to pedestrians....then thank them as I passed. But then a few times people have said 'where's your bell?' - including some quite rude people.
I honestly don't think that there is a right way/wrong way, as long as you are doing your best to be polite.
I've stuck to the 'excuse me' method, and most people simply say sorry for blocking the path/move over/whatever....some people would whinge at anything so I don't take it to heart if I get the odd complaint - I know I've done the right thing and tried to be as polite and respectful as possible.
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