Originally Posted by
philbob57
What bothers me now are questions like:
- What other craziness am I unprepared for?
- How can I prepare for the totally unexpected?
- What's the proper time for announcing myself?
-Etc., etc., etc.
From back in my motorcycling days I carried two thoughts in mind:
- I am invisible
- Everyone else is trying to kill me
In practice, this means you assume nobody knows you're there until they show you otherwise. You also consider what others might do that'd mess up your day. Then adjust your speed/distance/etc to allow you time to react and avoid (or minimize) any potential encounter or collision.
Kid on a bike might swerve unexpectedly. Dog might see a Squirrel!!! and bolts across your path before their owner can react to shorten the leash. Another cyclist might slow and pull to the side before suddenly pull a u-turn without looking. Runner coming up on a puddle or mud patch might dodge to the left to avoid it. Walker or runner doesn't look before crossing to take a trail junction to the left - and never heard you announce yourself because of their music/earbuds. ... and so on and so forth
While it'd be nice if everyone sharing the roads or pathways would always be alert to the others around them, the reality is they frequently are oblivious and we have to allow for whatever they might do.