"ON YOUR LEFT" we say

[Tuckervill]

Remember in the movie, "Spanglish",...Tea Leonie is always running up her street hollering "left! left!...LEFT!!" because she's so competitive she can't bear to see anyone ahead of her.

It's hilarious. I guess everybody on that street knows what it means.

Karen

[aicabsolut]

On the multiuse trails here, it seems there are enough bikers that people understand "on your left." But I've had to give the occasional "LOOK OUT" or "Heads up!" when in a panicked situation..usually requiring repeating the phrase several times until someone gets a clue or I can run off in the grass. Heads up is a phrase stuck in me from a crowded equestrian warmup area. It was really special when an apparently non-English speaking tourist kept crossing the path to take pictures of his wife by the water. Once I observed another biker yell several phrases at him. And then he did the same thing to me!

I often say thank you, in case I sound too mean. But c'mon, I'm a new biker with less than expert handling skills. I'll also appologize if I do something dumb and get in someone's way.

[Kano]

I think of Spanglish when we're on the bike/walking/jogging path too!

One day, as I passed a family with a cheery "on your left -- Hi there!" young son asked daddy, why does everybody say that? And daddy explained that's so we know that they're passing, son -- learning early!!!

Karen in Boise

[HipGnosis6]

I use a bell. It's cheery and more likely to be heard than me trying to shout something at some poor pedestrian. I could care less if people think it's dorky.

Once in a while you get people who act like they don't realize you're ringing that bell AT THEM or who slow and look around as if they've never heard such a thing before. For the former, I will THEN call out "passing on your left!". For the latter, I just shout "Bicycle!" and smile at them and ring the bell more as I go by.

[DarcyInOregon]

Once in a while you get people who act like they don't realize you're ringing that bell AT THEM or who slow and look around as if they've never heard such a thing before. For the former, I will THEN call out "passing on your left!". For the latter, I just shout "Bicycle!" and smile at them and ring the bell more as I go by.

At least 50% of the time when I ring my bell, the people ahead of me look up into the trees. I guess they can't tell the difference between the sound of a songbird and the sound of a bike bell. I yell out too. I could yell out all the time, but I really like ringing the bell, makes me feel like a kid again.

Darcy

[Mimosa]

I allways yell 'Excuse Me!' and if they move over nicely then I say 'Thank you' otherwise they will get the silent treatment from me (like they will care ).

[Squeaky]

I've started just saying "passing" and so far it seems to be going good as people seem to automatically move right.

Not like the guy who passed me last night. I was on a very wide trail (enough for 3 cyclists if necessary), riding far right and holding my line. Out of nowhere this guy passes me and actually brushes shoulders with me he was so close ! What's with that?? I was caught so off guard that I didn't have time to formulate an "appropriate" response.