apricissimus 

I do not intend to sound like that.

I can remember one specific incident on the Minuteman Bike path north of Boston last summer. It was a beautiful day so the bikepath was mobbed with all sorts of users. There were two joggers, no iPods or anything like that, running two abreast. I was third cyclist in line behind them, and there were other cyclists behind me as well (don't know how many). There was no opportunity to pass for literally about a half mile because of the traffic in the oncoming lane, and although the cyclist at the front of the queue was madly ringing his bell, the joggers did not make room and just chatted as they ran. They could have ran single file for all of 30 seconds while the queue passed... or better yet stay in single file rather than hog the whole lane when there were so many other people wanting to use the path.

If I'm on the road on a bike, I don't stay in the middle of the lane while while motor traffic piles up behind me if I don't have to. I think it's common sense to let faster traffic pass if it's safe to do so, don't you? That's all I'm saying.

JinbaIttai

It's the owner's fault for letting the jogger run wild without a leash. Whether or not pepper spray is mean or necessary, I'll save for another thread.

I-Like-To-Bike

But you DO sound like that. And plenty of motorists sound just like you when they justify blowing their horns at a bicyclist anywhere on the road because common sense tells them that a bicyclist shouldn't be there. MAybe you should read back to yourself what you type before getting all snippy at other posters who respond to what you wrote not what you think you meant.

apricissimus 

Okay, perhaps I didn't express myself well. For the record, I have no problems with joggers on the MUP. In fact, when I lived two blocks from the Minuteman bikepath I used to jog on it all the time. My only issue is with people who are oblivious of their surroundings, whether they be on foot, on bike, or in a car.

Six jours

In answer to the OP's question, yes, I get annoyed by joggers with iPods. I also get annoyed by cyclists with iPods, car drivers putting on makeup, and just about everyone else who positions themselves in a dynamic and potentially hazardous environment and then intentionally tunes out.

There is, of course, no terribly good answer to the problem. Sad to note how strongly it is defended, though, even by people on a cycling bulletin board. Oh well...

Allister

That's fairly evident.

xerocoma

They're called ROAD bikes for a reason....

JoeyBike

I was driving a car (yes, I drive sometimes) through a local park totally behaving myself, yielding to everything even the squirrels, when halfway through the park on the main road near the museum a dude wearing earbuds just strolls out into the street without so much as a glance in my direction and starts angling to the other curb. This keeps him in my path for a long time. I just slowed down and followed him at a good distance as he walked down my lane with his back to me. Suddenly he senses my presence and sort of jumps startled-like, looks back at me, waves, and gets out of the road quickly.

Like I said, this happened in a park where traffic should be slow, but dang. Not even a glance up the street before lurching off the curb while wearing buds?

bhikkhu

Actually I was commuting on a MOUNTAIN bike, on what everyone in town calls "the bike path". ??

apricissimus 

Then clearly you need to be riding on mountains, right? (Don't dare try to take that bike on hills, mounds or knolls.)

Six jours

And especially Australians.

Phrenetis

I think way too many people took the airzound thing the wrong way. Why does everyone always take **** so seriously?

This is something that was recommended in a humorous way, but is also a legitimate solution. We all know that there are *******s who probably would roll up from behind and get really close before using it, and most of us know that it is not a good idea to do so.
That does not mean that it is a bad thing to use as a safety device as long as it is used the right way.

Way too many people assume the most extreme bull**** just so they can make an argument.

nelson249

None of this would be an issue if people would just stay to the right and be reasonable. MUPs are just that.... multi-use.