calling out when you're passing

[crazycanuck]

NOrmally when i ride & encounter other folks (i like to ride when it's not so busy) I say one of the following:

Evening, beep beep,-thanks
Morning, honk honk, beep beep-thanks
On your right-yo-On your right
Rider
Hello, honk honk, beep beep, excuse me-Often quite loud especially if it's a family-

I refuse to put a bell on my bike as it's dorky. I'll use my voice thanks.

If people don't listen to my calls, i am really mean & so want to run into the joggers or walkers (but i'm too nice)- I don't care if it's not nice, GET OUT OF MY WAY...MOVE!!!!

Beware if you ever encounter me...

c

[Brandy]

Your post made me LOL crazycanuck!

[Geonz]

If I"m on a path it's 'cause I"m willing to go a lot slower; I assume even a cyclist on a path may not know from "on your left" so it's "coming up behind you" or "good morning" ... or sometimes I'll be singing...
... if it's a dorkus oblivious, I'm afraid I do tend to assess their predictable path and don't mind startling them.
... it's that older lady who clung to the man's hand as I went by, trying so hard not to look scared, that really made me feel justified using the road if I'm going more than 10 mph. (I've seen 'em twice since but we were going opposite directions... and he waves and smiles... so I musta done okay... and I had imagined her saying "See! That's why I won't go out there!" but oviously she still is... )

Oh, and I have a bear bell on my tube that I knock about with my thighs that people often hear; on the Racer I have beer cans that rattle in the baskets. I'm afraid I generally wax cacophonous... somebody has to be dorky enough to make up for Canucks!!!

[colby]

I think all parks with bike/walking trails should have signs posted that explain such things as "On your left!" and proper etiquette. Most people just don't know the rules, and don't know the safety issues involved.

That's a really good idea. Some of the parks have bulletin boards where you could post signs, maybe even as a "concerned citizen" we could start posting information.

If trails were made wider, maybe it would be less of an issue... heck, we have 6 lane freeways, why not trailways?

[kjay]

Glad to hear someone else doesn't have a whole lot of patience when it comes to people not paying attention. I always slow down when approaching walkers, etc, but one day, a tiny tot was ambling out into the bike path and I rang my bell, called out, yelled out, hollering "on your left." The mom made no move to rein in the kid, so I yelled at her and she said, "Well, he's too young to know his left side," to which I responded, "if he's too young, he should be on a leash." Nasty but it really irked me.

Now, I have an air horn, and people move "right quick."

[Selkie]

I know why they do it, but when they're taking up both sides of the path and there's no room to pass them, it's rude and disrespectful to all of the other people who are out there using it. On the beach path where I ride, cyclists, rollerbladers and runners are very common, so it's not like they would be surprised to see us there.

Editing to say that when the path is wide in certain parts, it is not as big of an issue. There are certain sections that narrow and that's where it is frustrating.

Brandy, I agree with you. I don't think that anyone has the right to create unsafe conditions on a multiuse trail. Walking/jogging/cycling three abreast usually makes it unsafe and/or difficult to pass. It's rude, selfish, and it shows lack of courtesy. There are signs all over the trail that say "keep to your right" and "be courteous." Also, I've encountered two women with doublewide baby carriages who always insists on walking next to each other, leaving a very very narrow space to pass (even if you're coming the opposite way, they won't budge). It's always an unpleasant thrill to encounter them on down curves. I've politely let them know that when they walk like that, it's hard to get around them. They looked at me---completely blank expressions on their faces---and ignored me. I expect that one day, they will make one of the men, flying at top speed and not warning that he's passing, wipe out.
I've found politeness goes a long way---warning and then thanking people every time I pass has earned me "respect" with the other regulars on the trail. I think that a lot of the dorkuses simply mean no harm so I try to remind myself that. There are those who are a##es and I've had to open a can of verbal WA on a few people when they were rude to me and/or deliberately ignored my warning, creating an unsafe condition.

[RoadRaven]

Some of you say quite a lot and I can only assume you are travelling at a slowish speed.

Mostly when I have used cycling paths they have been relatively clear of others, and of course being smooth concrete they are a very fast surface. So without trying it is easy to cruise along at 30kph or more.

The time between getting within hearing distance and actually passing walkers is not enough for several words... which is why I rely on "bike behind"... then at the very least "bike" gets out.

Even when cycling with my mother, and us travelling along at 15-18kph, we are upon walkers mighty quickly.

It also has harder consonants then starting a phrase with something like "on your..." and in my opinion/experience, the more explosive nature of the word "bike" helps the sound/warning to carry more effectively...

[Tuckervill]

The two women with double wide baby strollers would soon encounter me tieing my shoes with my bike crossways in the path, listening blithely to my own thoughts while they pushed their limos in the dirt to get around me. I might even take a rest across the path, laying my bike ever so gently across to close off any gaps. If I was feeling particularly confrontational, I might do this at the edge of a bridge. Then I would wait patiently for them protest.

No, I'm not vindictive. I just like getting my point across.

There are two ladies who let their two little ****zy dogs off leash when they walk the ballpark loop. After the third time of narrowly avoiding the little sausages, I called animal control. I hope they got tickets. They shouldn't treat their dogs that way. I wouldn't want to hurt the dogs, but it would be hard to avoid them if they wandered into my path.

Karen

[salsabike]

I have a bell on my road bike and we also have one on the tandem. We usually try that first.

If it's another cyclist, I will say "On your left." If it's a walker, I will say, "Passing on your left" and then "thank you". If it's a kid, I am very careful and say something like, "Hi there. I am going to pass you on your left, so just stay right where you are; you're doing great." On the parts of the trail where there are lots of families with kids, I go slower. Kids are just learning these rules and I sure don't expect them to understand "On your left." I do expect users to understand they need to stay on their side/half of the trail and don't mind telling them that when necessary. But I try to be polite.

Many walkers and families on the Burke-Gilman and Sammamish River Trails here complain about rude cyclists. That bothers me. They are multi-use trails. They need to feel safe there too. It shouldn't be much trouble for us to be polite to them.

[Lise]

After the third time of narrowly avoiding the little sausages, I called animal control. Karen

SNAUSAGES? Not dachshunds?!? They should get tickets for dachshund endangerment! Ahem. I mean cyclist endangerment, of course.

I call "on your left", or sometimes, "I am PASSING on your LEFT!" When they don't move over, sometimes I'll yell it again, followed by, "Please move over to your right!" Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. When they do, I say "thank you". If it's another cyclist whom I'm passing, but doesn't need to move over, I just say, "on your left", and pass. It's just not worth riding on the busy path most of the time.

The moms with their double wide strollers have an awful lot of confidence in the strollers' ability to protect their children. I could see an awful accident with bikers and babies hurt.

[Brandy]

I call "on your left", or sometimes, "I am PASSING on your LEFT!" When they don't move over, sometimes I'll yell it again, followed by, "Please move over to your right!" Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. .

Your statement above just made me realize that people never move over when I call out. I usually wait until the other side of the trail is clear and call out before I go around them, just so that I don't startle them as I pass. Hmmm...do folks usually move out of the way when you call out to them?

[Pascale]

Your statement above just made me realize that people never move over when I call out. I usually wait until the other side of the trail is clear and call out before I go around them, just so that I don't startle them as I pass. Hmmm...do folks usually move out of the way when you call out to them?

Ok, I'm far from experienced here, but I slow down and call out simply so they don't wander into the lane I'm passing them in - I don't expect them to move over, I just don't want them to take up both lanes. But that's just me

[Lise]

Your statement above just made me realize that people never move over when I call out. I usually wait until the other side of the trail is clear and call out before I go around them, just so that I don't startle them as I pass. Hmmm...do folks usually move out of the way when you call out to them?

Some do. As I say, sometimes it's just informational, so I don't startle another cyclist. But sometimes, I need them to move over. So I slow down, start with "On your left", and if they don't move, I escalate to "I'm passing..." and "Please move over..."
Again, all good reasons to avoid these crowded trails. The place where I swim (where triathletes generally train) in Lake Michigan is right downtown (Ohio St. beach, for those in the know...) There's no way to entirely avoid the most crowded part of the path. Yesterday I just surrendered and didn't try to pass anybody. I just wanted to get there and swim, with a minimum of hassle.

[tulip]

"if he's too young, he should be on a leash."

Awesome! I'll remember that one (mind if I use it?)

[Jenerator]

When I tire of 'Onyerleft' I'll adopt a Jack Sparrow voice and announce "passing off your port side matey"

Usually just as effective as anything else and doesn't result in the usual move to the left when someone hears 'left' By the time they figure out port from starboard, I'm already well past.