Shall I sound my bell, shout, wait patiently 'till they notice me, or just avoid shared path?
I was in a good mood this morning to start with, planning to go out and do at least 50 km cycling. While I was in the Artarmon shared path I noticed theres a lot of pedestrian walking. This leads me to decrease my speed to about 15-20 kph.
The first batch I encounter was a bunch of dudes mix of middle age guys and some teenies. I sounded my bell politely, as they are occupying both lane of the the shared path. While they gave some room for me to pass them, I heard some background trash talk ...something like that bell is really annoying. I was in a good mood, had only done about 8 km, so I pretend I did not hear that.
The second batch were conscious, a family (husband/wife/baby/4-6yo boy in a kids bike ) in single line on the left side and they saw me before I even saw them. I greeted them Good Morning and the young boy greeted back. This group is really encouraging and cancels out my first encounter above.
Still in a good mood, I met the third group. Two mommies, one granny, and 2 babies in a pram. They are obviously chatting while walking, thinking they own the shared path. I reduced my speed so that I can just stay at their back, thinking that if they notice me, they will give me some space to pass them. After a couple of metres following them, they heard my freewheel noise and started giving space for me to pass. The only problem is that one of the mommy started shouting at me, "WHERE IS YOUR BELL?", YOU SHOULD RING YOUR BELL!, BLAH bLAH BLAH!
After that, I thought I am not having a good morning, decided to ride on the road, go up to Chatswood, Lane Cove National Park and head back home completing only 23km and not even half of what I am intending to do. Sigh!
I just don't know what to do with some pedestrians. I am riding alone, how much more if they see a group of at least 8/10 riders passing them. Anyway, happy Anzac day to all!
Please refer 'to ding or not to ding' very long thread.
bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder characterised by symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations, that indicate impaired contact with reality not containing bicycles.
rheicel wrote:After that, I thought I am not having a good morning, decided to ride on the road, go up to Chatswood, Lane Cove National Park and head back home completing only 23km and not even half of what I am intending to do. Sigh!
fragile work ethic, on anzac day too, i bet some of the soldiers landing on gallipoli would have liked to have gone home after being met with bullets and the occasional grenade.
find_bruce wrote:I found gently tapping ipeds on the shoulder got my pointy across very effectively
That sounds like fun, but could end badly for the rider if the iPed's psycho or litigious.
I've taken to sounding the valve from a rubber chicken squeeze toy as a last resort -- it expresses duck more than chicken and seems to penetrate. My theory is the iPeds, however deeply they're buried under their noise, do hear the bell, but just dismiss it as part of the music. A quacking duck sound-effect would be a rarity on the youngsters' playlists, I imagine.
I've had cause to deploy it only twice so far and it's proven a most entertaining iPed Clearance Device. It'll be even better when I perfect the art of acting like we've just been swooped by a loopy duck.
Just shout NO BRAKKKEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS LOOOOOOOK OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT! That'll get them to move out of your way
Another option is to buy some small speakers and play the Jaws music louder and louder as you get closer and closer Either that or some Wagner as you form attack formation
Lukeyboy wrote:Just shout NO BRAKKKEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS LOOOOOOOK OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT! That'll get them to move out of your way
Another option is to buy some small speakers and play the Jaws music louder and louder as you get closer and closer Either that or some Wagner as you form attack formation
Good idea, thanks. I wonder if there are available bicycle bells or horns that will set the mood of the pedestrians to a good mode! Same like a hypnotising machine!
Lukeyboy wrote:Just shout NO BRAKKKEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS LOOOOOOOK OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT! That'll get them to move out of your way
Another option is to buy some small speakers and play the Jaws music louder and louder as you get closer and closer Either that or some Wagner as you form attack formation
Good idea, thanks. I wonder if there are available bicycle bells or horns that will set the mood of the pedestrians to a good mode! Same like a hypnotising machine!
Try one of THESE, you can youtube it for the sound.
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic. London Boy 29/12/2011
Lukeyboy wrote:Just shout NO BRAKKKEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS LOOOOOOOK OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT! That'll get them to move out of your way
Another option is to buy some small speakers and play the Jaws music louder and louder as you get closer and closer Either that or some Wagner as you form attack formation
Good idea, thanks. I wonder if there are available bicycle bells or horns that will set the mood of the pedestrians to a good mode! Same like a hypnotising machine!
Try one of THESE, you can youtube it for the sound.
Nice find.... Would be good to know how to keep it handy while cycling. I have seen the youtube video, sounds like a police, lol
rheicel wrote:Nice find.... Would be good to know how to keep it handy while cycling. I have seen the youtube video, sounds like a police, lol
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One of these hooked to the shoulder strap of the backpack. Easy to grab and impossible to drop. In known zomped spots like say... anywhere in Melbs CBD, I usually have it ready for instant use. You can get lots of different sounds out them with practice but the full blast scream is always the attention getter.
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic. London Boy 29/12/2011
"People have a right to their own opinions, but not their own facts. Evidence must be located, not created, and opinions not backed by evidence cannot be given much weight." -- James W Loewen
rheicel wrote:Shall I sound my bell, shout, wait patiently 'till they notice me, or just avoid shared path?
I was in a good mood this morning to start with, planning to go out and do at least 50 km cycling. While I was in the Artarmon shared path I noticed theres a lot of pedestrian walking. This leads me to decrease my speed to about 15-20 kph.
The first batch I encounter was a bunch of dudes mix of middle age guys and some teenies. I sounded my bell politely, as they are occupying both lane of the the shared path. While they gave some room for me to pass them, I heard some background trash talk ...something like that bell is really annoying. I was in a good mood, had only done about 8 km, so I pretend I did not hear that.
The second batch were conscious, a family (husband/wife/baby/4-6yo boy in a kids bike ) in single line on the left side and they saw me before I even saw them. I greeted them Good Morning and the young boy greeted back. This group is really encouraging and cancels out my first encounter above.
Still in a good mood, I met the third group. Two mommies, one granny, and 2 babies in a pram. They are obviously chatting while walking, thinking they own the shared path. I reduced my speed so that I can just stay at their back, thinking that if they notice me, they will give me some space to pass them. After a couple of metres following them, they heard my freewheel noise and started giving space for me to pass. The only problem is that one of the mommy started shouting at me, "WHERE IS YOUR BELL?", YOU SHOULD RING YOUR BELL!, BLAH bLAH BLAH!
After that, I thought I am not having a good morning, decided to ride on the road, go up to Chatswood, Lane Cove National Park and head back home completing only 23km and not even half of what I am intending to do. Sigh!
I just don't know what to do with some pedestrians. I am riding alone, how much more if they see a group of at least 8/10 riders passing them. Anyway, happy Anzac day to all!
You are actually supposed to get off your bike and go past them on foot. If they are runners or fast walkers, you'll need to run so you get far enough ahead of them so they can't overtake you again.
And while doing that, you must not unreasonably block them, as they have right of way to do as they want!
Otherwise - you might get some speakers and play the opening of Orff's Carmina Burana - O Fortuna...
Sigh. Cyclists must give way to pedestrians. Pedestrians must not unreasonably obstruct, well, anybody. Oh, and cyclists must not cause a traffic hazard by moving into the path of a driver or pedestrian. That's the legal situation, roughly speaking. How it follows from this that pedestrians have "right of way to do as they want" is beyond me.
To the OP: It is my experience, too, that pleasing everybody you come across is basically impossible. I will mention that squealing brakes are good for focussing pedestrians' minds.
Oh, and if I had to choose music, it would be "For Whom the Bell Tolls". My highbrow pick would be the 1812 Overture. The bit with the artillery, natch
high_tea wrote:Sigh. Cyclists must give way to pedestrians. Pedestrians must not unreasonably obstruct, well, anybody. Oh, and cyclists must not cause a traffic hazard by moving into the path of a driver or pedestrian. That's the legal situation, roughly speaking. How it follows from this that pedestrians have "right of way to do as they want" is beyond me.
To the OP: It is my experience, too, that pleasing everybody you come across is basically impossible. I will mention that squealing brakes are good for focussing pedestrians' minds.
Oh, and if I had to choose music, it would be "For Whom the Bell Tolls". My highbrow pick would be the 1812 Overture. The bit with the artillery, natch
Yeah you are right, it is always going to be hard to please everybody. Why can't all people be cyclist!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts guys! I've decided I will just keep on using my bell and if they get annoyed by it, I will just pretend I never hear them (which is most of the time, hard!)
j/k.
