crazy pedestrians

[lph]

ooh, my favourite topic.

Last week I was lucky with the green lights and came tearing round the corner on the last stretch of road on my way to work. More green lights, no cars ahead, no cars behind, so I just keep to the middle of the road, stand up and get to it.

Until I notice the bunch of pedestrians waiting to cross. No, for Gods sake, they are NOT going to try to cross the road RIGHT in front of me on a red light just because there aren't any cars in the road... oh, yes, they are.. All of them! Without even casting a glance in my direction!

I slam on the brakes and just barely avoid hitting 4 people sideways with my bike. And scream hysterically: "You can't just cross on a red light if the road's not clear!!!"

The closest gentleman turns and looks surprised. "Hmm - sorry, did you say something?"



I was so roiled up I rolled out of a parking lot right afterwards without checking and was almost run down by a taxi... I want a fog horn on my bike!

[7rider]

I frequently find pedestrians more frustrating than cars on my commute.
The last 100 yards or so of my commute is through a bus depot and up the sidewalk towards our office's parking garage.
I'm usually saying "on your left" until I'm blue in the face and creeping along at their walking pace. Pedestrians are far less predictable than cars, they tend to "drift" on their walking path, they wander around without a glance. And don't even get me started on jay-walkers.....

[KnottedYet]

I was jaywalking once and got pulled over by a bike cop.

Oh, the irony....

[lph]

So what did you say? "Uh, sorry, I usually ride a bike..."

Some pedestrians are just plain cute. Yesterday traffic had piled up in front of me so I swung up on the sidewalk, where I see an ancient old man 100 m ahead doddering in my direction with a ... don't know the name, push-thingy with four wheels. So I slow down, and keep to one side to give him plenty of room and not scare the poor guy.

But when great-grandpa catches sight of a (relatively) young woman, on a bicycle, wearing nothing but bike shorts, a sport top and bike shoes all he can do is stop, mouth wide open, eyes wide open and GAWK.

I still wonder how long it took til he started moving again.

[xeney]

The last 100 yards or so of my commute is through a bus depot and up the sidewalk towards our office's parking garage.
I'm usually saying "on your left" until I'm blue in the face and creeping along at their walking pace. Pedestrians are far less predictable than cars, they tend to "drift" on their walking path, they wander around without a glance.

But if you are on the sidewalk, you really should be going at their walking pace, shouldn't you? Is sidewalk cycling legal where you live?

It isn't where I live, except in residential areas (a law that was enacted so that kids don't have to ride on the street while they are still learning), and when I am walking downtown, it really irritates me to hear, "On your left!" like I am supposed to move over for a bike. It irritates me even more when they don't even bother with that, of course, but really, if you HAVE to be on the sidewalk where you aren't supposed to be, you should be ceding the right of way to pedestrians.

[susiej]

I frequently find pedestrians more frustrating than cars on my commute.
The last 100 yards or so of my commute is through a bus depot and up the sidewalk towards our office's parking garage.
I'm usually saying "on your left" until I'm blue in the face and creeping along at their walking pace. Pedestrians are far less predictable than cars, they tend to "drift" on their walking path, they wander around without a glance. And don't even get me started on jay-walkers.....

I usually call out "excuse me" as I'm zipping through the train station parking lot. People stop dead and look in my direction, which is what I wanted. I don't think non-bikers understand "on your left." My husband finds people tend to move left when he says "on your left."

But I need an air horn for the cars ...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I usually call out "excuse me" as I'm zipping through the train station parking lot. People stop dead and look in my direction, which is what I wanted. I don't think non-bikers understand "on your left." My husband finds people tend to move left when he says "on your left."

I've said it before and I'll say it again....every time a biker comes up behind me and says "On your left!", all I really hear is "(mumble mumble) LEFT!". More times than not, I would think it would make pedestrians obey and jump left.
I think only savvy bikers might know what you're referring to.
I really think it is better to say something else. "Excuse me", "Coming Through!", "Bicycle passing you", "Bicycle coming!", or even just "Passing you!", all would be more easily understood by joggers and pedestrians.

[uk elephant]

I agree, pedestrians are often much more frustrating. They don't move fast like cars, but are much more unpredictable and often pay less attention. Had a crash with a pedestrian only a couple of weeks ago. A professor obviously absorbed in solving whatever important scientific problem was puzzling him, stepped off the sidewalk right in front of my bike, getting himself tangled up in my front wheel. I of course fell over too. I wasn't going fast luckily so there was no major damage, but still had to get my wheels trued as he had managed to put a small buckle in both of them. Luckily he was very sorry for causing the accident and paid for the repairs without any discussion. It seems pedestrians don't actually look for traffic before they cross the road, they just assume that when they can't hear any cars coming it must be clear. So maybe the solution would be to put a little speaker at the front of the bike blasting out engine noise to warn people you're coming. Preferably something sounding like a very fast engine revving up....

[lph]

"Excuse me", "Coming Through!", "Bicycle passing you", "Bicycle coming!", or even just "Passing you!", all would be more easily understood by joggers and pedestrians.

I've never heard the term "on your left" and I don't know what the Norwegian equivalent might be. If I'm about to pass a pedestrian who doesn't seem to have noticed me I usually just go "Hepp!"

It's also scared the bejasus out of a meandering cyclist or two, the type who hasn't quite got around to thinking that there might be other, and faster cyclists in town...

[spokewench]

I like that I think I will use it for now on when passing pedestrians.

Does it mean anything? or is it just a grunt?

spokewench