Kat12

That could open a completely-different can of worms... and unfortunately not a humorous one.

Chuckles1

I slow down and say "heads up" when I'm far enough away to give them time to react, gain control of their dog, and move to one side. Works for equestrians as well. Of course, 90% of my pedestrian passes are on a gravel road skirting a lovely lake. For city riding I'd likely be more curt; maybe YO!

GhenghisKahn

Ive got these on all my utility or MUP bikes. They come in copper, chrome, black anodized and brass. The brass ones are unbelievably loud. People scowl, but they move. lol

Mark Stone

I don't say "On your left" any longer - I say "Did that hurt?"

All seriousness aside, I speak in complete sentences to MUP-dwellers -- I say "I'm a cyclist passing you on your left" That seems to work. But passing a pedestrian on a single speed Schwinn Meridian upright Trike (the "Schwinster") usually takes upwards of a half-hour.

Lambkin55

I just read though the whole thread. Nobody has brought up the issue people on the path with ear buds, headphones, ear buds and or cell phone to their ears.
I find those people get into their own little world and are oblivious to the rest of us on the path.

I-Like-To-Bike

There is no "issue" as long as those people are walking, running or riding where they are supposed to on the path without swerving or making sudden deviations in their course. It is the overtaking cyclist's obligation to pass safely and that does not require for others to get out of the way of impatient cycling hotshots.

Riveting

The idea of "Stay on your side of the center line.", and "Hold your line, especially when being passed." should be on signposts on every MUP trailhead, and it's one of the first things I mention to newbies when they ask about unwritten trail etiquette, either as walkers or as cyclists.

genec

I rode a path for a while that was super divided... pavement for cyclists, with a white line in the middle... short split rail fence and then a path with shavings or mulch for walkers. Well from time to time I would encounter one of two "immovable objects..." one was the "three wide group" of folks chatting, often loudly... and blocking the entire bike lane. The other was "the listener." (remember there was a walking path too...) Both groups were oblivious to anyone else on the path... and the lone "listener" could easily have been in the walking section... but no... smack dab in the middle of the RH bike lane.

Personally I wanted to ride up, slowly and then hit my AirZOUNDs . But no... I did not do that... I would ride up, slow down, try the voice announcement... click brake handles (can you do that with "brifters?") and if none of that worked... I would slowly ride at the edge of the path to the point of passing in the dirt while loudly exclaiming "Excuse Me." Then I would slowly ride by.

There is no "fixing" folks like that. They feel entitled, don't bother with rules, won't even walk in their designated areas... So it is up to you to just get on by.... maybe squeek out a fart just a bike length ahead... leave a cloud.

livedarklions

I don't know why this works, but if all else has failed with the small convention, a loud "HELLO??!!" always clears the path. For some reason, it seems to be just the right amount of confrontational.

genec

Probably works as well as my "EXCUSE ME."

livedarklions

Oddly, when I've used " hello" is after "excuse me" hasn't worked. There's a hint of sarcasm in hello that seems to embarrass people.

Kat12

They do this to fellow pedestrians, too. The number of times I have walked directly into someone who thought I was going to go off the sidewalk to pass them (or squeeze past in 6" of space) so they could walk 2-4 abreast with their friends and not have to drop into single file for a fraction of a second... yeah, no. I get half. I kind of want to ask them why they think I should have to walk off the sidewalk for them (sometimes even into mud or slush), and stand there and insist they answer.

There's always this guy-- yeah, I think this has been posted on BF before, is probably where I first saw it:

genec

Yup, a hero... and all those oblivious people, totally ignoring signs on the ground and even on the poles, that clearly designate bike and walk areas.

Of course, New Years Day... the one day that those folks live up to their "resolution" to "get more exercise."

mr_bill

-mr. bill

Kat12

Why so narrow?? A bike lane in NYC that forces people to ride single file? Sounds like a recipe for disaster... (as in, actual disaster, when one slow person gums up the works and eventually gets jumped by everyone behind them. Not like there's even a place where a slower person can pull over and let others pass.)

(I'm guessing, though, that they repurposed a car lane rather than this actually being a planned part of the bridge? Which also sounds like a recipe for disaster for car traffic.)

genec

Remember, in the US of A bike lanes are an afterthought, usually defined by paint, and not meant to provide and level of safety or cycling convenience... They are to get cyclists out of the way of the motor cars.

After all, "bikes are toys, and cars rule."*

* or so I've heard.

mr_bill

The “critique” of the new Brooklyn Bridge is it is too narrow.

It’s too narrow because of the Jersey barriers on both sides.

It’s too narrow because it is two way.

Whatever else it is, it is not “just paint.”

And whatever it is, it does not suck compared to singing bike lane to the tune of Star Wars.

-mr. bill

Korina

And yet... it's very crowded, and this guy rides on into the crowd rather than getting off and walking or finding another route to ride.

livedarklions

Obviously, the right solution would have been to replace the Brooklyn Bridge. So if we're taking down monuments, the bike lane in the Statue of Liberty also leaves a lot to be desired.

livedarklions

This is a bike lane, not a bunch of people trying to push their way into a soccer stadium. Get serious, that's an absurd "recipe for disaster".

Kat12

What if there isn't another route to ride that takes him where he wants to go? I imagine it's very crowded everywhere; it's NYC-- so where is he supposed to find an uncrowded place? Why should he have to get off and walk-- and possibly be late to where he's going-- because people can't walk where they're supposed to? They're actually crowding the bike lane more than they're in the pedestrian lane in some spots. It's not like it's a hardship to them to move over, just as they would for other pedestrians.


Actually, no, it's not. You've never been driving and seen the people getting angry behind the slow driver (or the cyclist), or getting angry behind other slower pedestrians, etc.? I have seen it many, many times. People are impatient and can get quite angry at those slowing them down.

livedarklions

You ever seen the pedestrians trample or attack the slow pedestrian? People sometimes honk at the slow driver. No one gets "jumped" in either of those scenarios.

Seriously, there's no "recipe for disaster" here. People are just going to get over not having a good Strava time on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Really, you sound like you've never ridden on a crowded bike path or lane before. It's nothing like road rage, it's way too close and personal to get away with behavior like pushing and shoving in the crowd. Also, I've never actually tried it, but I don't think assaulting people while you're on a bike is terribly practical.

Kat12

Haven't seen it (yet?), no, but I've seen them getting annoyed, and I suspect some altercations may not happen because the second person is too cool-headed or afraid of getting hurt/arrested and chooses to ignore what the first person says/does. A. I don't live where it's super-crowded, B. luckily, people aren't as volatile here as they are in some places (including places where it's more crowded), and C. people are utterly insane these days and kill or assault other people over minor things-- including in my area.

("Assaulting people while you're on a bike" + practicality: did you miss the picture of the woman with the sword? )

livedarklions

So your definition of "recipe for disaster" is anything that could lead to a bad thing no one has ever actually witnessed, but you could imagine might happen somewhere? If people are going to act out in an insane and violent way, there's no design that's going to prevent that. It's the Brooklyn Bridge for crying out loud, a really wide bike lane isn't going to fit.

fooferdoggie 

We were on our tandem with our granddaughter in her burley trailer with a blinky on it. just turned right and in maybe 200 feet is a bike path on the left. this silly goose in a yellow jersey "about all I could notice" yells on your right passes us then turns right in front of us to the left. no clue why he did not pass on the left it was open with no cars.