What ever happened to "on your left"

[Sky King]

Just a short vent and plea for awareness to anyone who rides in an area - path, road, trail, etc that is also frequented by walkers and runners.

I was in Yakima, Wa this weekend and left the bike at home. Found the bike/walking path along the river and enjoyed a nice brisk walk. A bit noisy as large sections are close to the freeway but still better than working out in the hotel weight room.

I came very close to being taken out by a woman on a bike - how ironic would have that been! Anyway I was walking along, stepped to my left to avoid a trial hazard just as this rider (who I couldn't hear approaching) was zipping past me, So close my shirt blew with her wind - so not passing slowly, nor making an effort to move as far to left as she could. Scared the crap out of me!

AS WE ALL KNOW, a simple "on your left" far enough back not to startle me but close enough for me to hear would have been grand. Also I advise moving as far to left as you possibly can when passing a walker,runner or fellow bike rider so that if they should take a drift to the left you are still clear of them. As a walker, I also reminded myself to look over my shoulder. I guess I could wear my helmet and attach my mirror.

Very happy to not have experienced a collision and much reminded to practice what I preach.

Happy & Safe Riding to all

[Biciclista]

Hi Sky King

Everyone is not on the same page! A lot of us are very careful and try to let people know we are there, but if you pass 100 people, you might forget 3 or 4 times. Also, as a cyclist, i find that more and more people on foot have earbuds on so it gets very frustrating when no one will move because they can't hear me!

from what you are saying i am guessing you had both of your ears working for you, so back to the rider. Might be a clueless person, might be a distracted person. Hard to say but i am glad you are ok..

[Savra]

I had someone ride up behind me and say "coming up on your side." Freaked me out I didn't know WHAT side. I got the impression she may have been a relative newbie though once she passed. Maybe the person who passed you didn't know any better. Would love to find a nice way to teach people such things.

[Roadtrip]

"like"

Glad your were not hurt. I always give a little alert before passing and get over as far as I can while making the pass... I always slow down if I feel I can't pass safely. I've had close calls in the past. A little courtesy goes a LONG way!!!

Shannon

[Tri Girl]

I gave up saying "on your left" at the lake where I most often ride. I'm not a jerk, it just got old saying it dozens of times only to never be heard because they're listening to an ipod. I just go as far around as is safe for me and call it good. I did have a runner turn around without looking on the path about 4 feet in front of me as I was barreling towards him. Scared the diddly-doo out of both of us!
glad you're OK!

[Sky King]

Oh so right on the ipod, etc. My sister was with me and she was running (my knees don't run) and she was all wired in. I tend to like to hear what is going on around me so don't wear one.

There probably isn't an answer, I know even a bell gets old and you get sore thumbs if in a highly congested area.

I certainly learned a lesson as a walker though to never assume no one is behind you when making a move to the right or the left!

[luv2climb]

This is debated often on BikeForums. People have said that sometimes the person you are overtaking only hears the word "left" and swerves right in to your path. For that reason I always use my bell. Works just fine if the person actually hears it.

[Cataboo]

Half the time when I say on your left, the pedestrian wanders to the left.

I just avoid multiuse trails, I find them a pain in the neck. But I did one last month with 4 other cyclists. The other 3 cyclists had bells, I was saying on your left till my throat was store. I was *****ed at by one walker for not letting him I know I was there - there were 6-8 walkers in a cluster on the right half of the trail, it was a short steep hill & tight turn, so we had 4 cyclists ringing bells and saying on your left and shifting gears quickly before getting up to the couple walking/jogging up front who yelled at me for not telling him I was there when I was passing. I know the 2 bikes in front of me rang their bells, I know I said on your left a couple of times as I approached the cluster. I know the guy behind me was rang his bell, and I know we all made clunky gear shifting noises.

Sometimes pedestrians just have to listen to what is going on around them as well.

[luv2climb]

Sometimes pedestrians just have to listen to what is going on around them as well.

+1000! I get sick and tired of oblivious pedestrians. They make me wish I had a big-rig horn like the one in "Pee Wee's Big Adventure".

[Reesha]

Bike bell, bike bell! I have an 'I love my bike' bell on my mountain bike because hikers share the trails around here Too bad I don't ride it all that much.

I was riding with one of my students saturday and he was really dorky about saying "slowing!" "stopping!" "hole!" and doing the hand signals etc etc and I was so proud!

[TsPoet]

As a common user of a MUT in the tricities (very near Yakima), I have learned to NEVER say "on your left". Even the cyclists using the multi use path don't know what that means. I just say "good morning/afternoon/evening". That works fairly well. I also slow down and watch.
So, I fully agree, something should have been said, but "on your left" is dangerous in that crowd, they just don't know what it means.
I was riding home from work with 3 guys that work on my floor just last week, and I told what I thought was a funny story about the final time I used "On your left" and these 3 guys, who have been commuting on this trail for the last 3 years - not one of them knew what "on your left" meant! I told them it was common cycling courtesy and all 3 of them - pure commuters - thought I was nuts.

[goldfinch]

I can't hear bike bells. Old hearing? Too much rock and roll? I read that instead of saying "on your left" to say "passing" as it may be less likely to cause the pedestrian to move the left.

[Owlie]

As polite as this city tends to be, I've had a number of close calls from the guys on tri bikes.
For pedestrians, I move left and yell "behind you!" Of course, I don't always yell, especially if I can a) pass them safely in the other lane of the trail and b) they appear to be plugged in to an iPod.* If I can't pass safely, I just slow down or stop and let the other lane clear out before I do anything. My ride today was full of dodging little kids on and off bikes, so I did a lot of that today.

If I'm not totally breathless, I whistle while riding, especially around trail access points. Gives me a non-iPod soundtrack, and lets other people know I'm there.

*I don't care if you run or walk with an iPod. I do it myself. Just turn it down so you can hear both the music and what's going on around you!

[Velocivixen]

Glad to hear that you're alright. I have a region MUP right behind my house that I often use. As a new cyclist trying to do the correct thing I would call out, "On your left" and folks tend to move to the left. After reading a post on here regarding this topic, I either ring my loud bell or say, "Hello" or "I'm behind you" and I slow down. Our parks actually have a bike speed limit, but nobody is aware of it.

[Bethany1]

It's hard when someone has headphones in. The couple of times I have had to go by a pedestrian I slow down and very cheerfully say, "I'm coming up behind you on my bike and I just didn't want to scare you". Once by, I say "Thanks!" and keep going.

I wasn't sure how to handle the guy with the iPod though.