Crazy PEDESTRIAN!

[CorsairMac]

Now I'm gonna feel all "smartypants" all week long. Thanks, Trek! I needed that after I busted my seatpost bolt tightening it this morning.

Funny: smartypants wasn't what came to mind when I read you had broken your seatpost tightening the bolt....I was thinking more along the lines of Herculisa!!

[nuthatch]

Funny: smartypants wasn't what came to mind when I read you had broken your seatpost tightening the bolt....I was thinking more along the lines of Herculisa!!

It was astonishingly easy to do. I had to order a new one from REI and the mechanic said the bolt might be a bit large for the frame, causing me to tighten beyond its ability to flex. No, I haven't started my upper body workouts yet! I'm so paranoid about my steel frame getting rusted that I took everything off and hung it upside-down after it got wet on my bike carrier one day. Oh, well, it was a learning experience.

[DirtDiva]

Some stupid git stepped right in front of me today. I really, really thought that "look before you cross the road" was one of those things that was drilled into you all but in utero! There was just nowhere to go but shoulder-barging straight into him. Luckily, some combination of muscle-memory and reflexes had me well enough clear of the bike by the time I hit the ground and I got off lightly with three bruises and no damage to my dear Tass. The pedestrian was fine, but I kinda wish my foot had connected with some tender parts or other as I unclipped...

[Trekhawk]

[QUOTE=tlkiwi]Some stupid git stepped right in front of me today.

Glad to hear you are ok. Some people must be short a few brain cells I think. I bet he doesn't do that again in the near future.

[doctorfrau]

I know that the Rail Trails are "multi-use" and are open to everyone, but I seem to find a higher than average concentration of twits-on-two-feet using them.

I really think they should paint a broken line down the middle to divide it into "lanes" - because the number of people walking four abreast is astounding. Then when I am riding toward them, few even make an attempt to move over to their "own" side of the path - and they're looking right AT me coming toward them - hello??!! I have been forced at times to slow down and go off onto the grass/berm in order to get around them.

Then there are the ones that I approach from behind with the parents, the stroller, the pre-schooler on a bike and the dog on a leash. This is like trying to pass the travelling circus! I slow and announce "on your left" at least 20 yards out - no response. I slow to nearly stopping as the dog and bike are still stretched across to the other side of the trail - "On your LEFT!" I announce. Someone finally realizes that I am addressing THEM as a head whips around. Chaos then ensues as various members of the circus troupe stumble around in various directions trying to decide which side of the trail they should retreat to. The pre-schooler on the bike is still oblivious - as pre-schoolers are wont to do. At this point even though it irritates me, all I can do is smile and laugh at the whole thing as I creep slowly by, still keeping an eye on the pre-schooler-on-wheels.

The "capper" was the other weekend when I approached two female college-age joggers from behind. "On your left, ladies" --- jogger #1 looks over her shoulder and moves over, jogger #2 continues blithely on in my lane. "On your LEFT!" as I slow and come up behind her.... "ON YOUR LEFT!!!"..... no response... am about 10 feet behind her by now " HELLO??..... HEEELLLLOOOOOO????!!!!!" no response. Jogger #1 tells me to just pass her (jogger #2) on the right. I finally do that reluctantly as I am afraid that she will step into me at the last second. As I pass her, I see that she has the MP3 player jammed into her ears and apparently turned up so loud that she is rendered completely oblivious to her surroundings.

Sometimes I think people are no better than cattle.

[DirtDiva]

If there's not room to get past I usually just call out "excuse me" and ride through whatever gap gets created. It seems to work most of the time.

I really think they should paint a broken line down the middle to divide it into "lanes" - because the number of people walking four abreast is astounding. Then when I am riding toward them, few even make an attempt to move over to their "own" side of the path - and they're looking right AT me coming toward them - hello??!! I have been forced at times to slow down and go off onto the grass/berm in order to get around them.

YES!! This drives me mad! There have been times when I've been *walking* my bike as close to one edge of the path possible and they still don't move! Do they think I'm going to jump over the edge into the river or simply vanish before they get to me? Once or twice I've even had dirty looks for being in their way! WTF?!?

[doctorfrau]

If there's not room to get past I usually just call out "excuse me" and ride through whatever gap gets created. It seems to work most of the time.

YES!! This drives me mad! There have been times when I've been *walking* my bike as close to one edge of the path possible and they still don't move! Do they think I'm going to jump over the edge into the river or simply vanish before they get to me? Once or twice I've even had dirty looks for being in their way! WTF?!?

Well, I'm glad it's not just an "American pedestrians are idiots thing" Sounds like it's universal.

I did have one "travelling circus" actually ASK me which side they should go to and I told them with a smile that it was just like the highway - You stay right and pass left. (at least in the U.S) Of course some can't figure it out on the highway either!

[Hillandale]

I live on a Rail Trail, and when I want to take a mindless and relaxing ride, I hit the trail and avoid the traffic on the road.

I have learned to take my patience and my sense of humor with me, especially on gorgeous Sunday afternoons such as today. We get entire church outing groups on the trail, often walking in gaggles of 4-8 people, or biking rather randomly along with the walkers.

I sometimes use my bike bell, because the crisp "ting!!" it emits seems to get people to pay attention better than my voice does.

Either way I get a kick out of the people who seem to forget to read the trail etiquette signs, and have no concept of keeping right. When I ring my bell or say "on your left" these folks all startle, look around behind them, and whoever is on the right moves left while whoever is on the left moves right!

And of course as you mention, adding in a preschooler on or off of a bike, and a dog, on or off the leash can really make it interesting.

But all of that said, as a Rail Trail neighbor and Rail Trail Board member, it makes me very happy to see all the people who come out to enjoy the trail that I have helped to develop! I feel better about the state and federal tax dollars spent to develop the trail when I see it very busy!

[HipGnosis6]

Rollerbladers. Dogs on long leashes. Children tooling around on little bikes with training wheels (cute, but unpredictable!). IPod wearin' stroller pushin' jogger mommies. Elite jerks riding too fast. Little old ladies who don't know that there really is an actual separate path for bikes. These are a few of the hazards we must all endure on mixed use trails.

Elitist roadies laugh at the bell on my bike. But I like it - it's cheery, and I can usually get people's attention much sooner than I could by calling out as I'm right on their ***. Every so often I get someone who acts like they've never heard such a thing before, but they also usually act like they've never seen a bicycle before too. I ring my bell before riding into blind spots, and use it copiously in those few places where I'm forced to ride on the sidewalk.

I've come to really despise people who have headphones on and aren't aware of the world around them.