When cyclists ding you, does it kill a little bit of you inside?

[energywavering]

Because it does me!!

And I tell you what I could probably handle the ding if a "thank you" came along after you move for them..

It's basically saying "ding ding I have right of way over you so MOVE"

I don’t get it, do you mean cycling on the pavement and ringing their bell? That sounds annoying but I can’t say it’d make me die inside 🤷‍♀️🤣

I do get stuck, almost daily, behind huge groups of leisure cyclists who comenout of London to play on our local village roads, sometimes cycling st 2mph in a 60 zone, I dislike them intensely and wish they’d get a proper hobby, preferably one that doesn’t cause problems for others, but… If I got worked up about every moron I meet I’d be a very tense person.

The highway code helpfully has added details in this exact situation.
Cyclists should give way to pedestrians in shared paths (this doesn't mean they aren't allowed to overtake). They should take care, pass slowly and warn with a bell. Pedestrians should be aware of surroundings and not obstruct or endanger cyclists.

So a bit of consideration on both sides, basically.

@Haus1234

No, it doesn’t, I appreciate them not hitting me tbh.

This

Yes, I often have headphones in when walking/running and find a bell noise cuts through better than an “Excuse me!” or a “Hello!” It’s also a clear signal of ‘bike approaching’, in a way that hearing somebody vaguely calling ‘excuse me’ somewhere behind me isn’t - I don’t know whether someone is calling to me, to someone else, whether they’re even on the same path as me, etc.

@Thewindwhispers

I don’t get it, do you mean cycling on the pavement and ringing their bell? That sounds annoying but I can’t say it’d make me die inside 🤷‍♀️🤣

I do get stuck, almost daily, behind huge groups of leisure cyclists who comenout of London to play on our local village roads, sometimes cycling st 2mph in a 60 zone, I dislike them intensely and wish they’d get a proper hobby, preferably one that doesn’t cause problems for others, but… If I got worked up about every moron I meet I’d be a very tense person.

Such exaggeration. You would fall off at 2mph

Don’t mind the bell. Do mind the lack of acknowledgement.

If I'm on a shared pavement that's split for both, it helps as in General people tend to walk in both lanes, same with the local park, paths marked yet pedestrians walk on the cycle path. (I know cyclists are no angels, too)

No cyclist should be ringing their bell on a standard pavement because they shouldn’t be on it in the first place.

That said, there are some shared use paths near me that are just hopeless because there’s no clear mark on the pavement saying so, so pedestrians are constantly annoyed by cyclists ‘on the pavement’ because they didn’t spot the little blue circles on the lamppost.

@GoldenOmber

No cyclist should be ringing their bell on a standard pavement because they shouldn’t be on it in the first place.

That said, there are some shared use paths near me that are just hopeless because there’s no clear mark on the pavement saying so, so pedestrians are constantly annoyed by cyclists ‘on the pavement’ because they didn’t spot the little blue circles on the lamppost.

Thats a good point or when its very narrow, Im very nervous on the bike and wobbly so narrowness where I imagine Im going to fall into the road is quite scary

Also the ones where the bit for cycles has a lot of street furniture, nightmare!

I’m thankful that they are alerting me especially if I’m with my dog who’s got a habit of being an idiot if he’s surprised. Using their bell or calling out means I can hold the dog safely back.

Do you feel the same way about car horns?

@GoldenOmber

Er, no I'm not. I have said that the highway code is clear that pedestrians get priority. It is.

Yes. This means that pedestrians, as the most vulnerable path used, get priority. It does not mean that
A) cyclists must get off their bike and walk when around pedestrians
B) you are justified in pushing cyclists off their bike if they are within arm’s reach of you.

If it is a shared path, then you have to share it.

If someone passes at speed that close it's instinct to push them away. Why do you think it's ok to get that close? Cars have to leave a car's width in overtaking, bikes should behave similarly.

If someone passes at speed that close it's instinct to push them away. Why do you think it's ok to get that close?

If you are walking on a shared use path, sometimes people will come that close to you. People jogging on a canal towpath in the other direction often have to or they’d be in the canal. Or children often aren’t looking where they’re going. I manage to cope without regularly pushing people - most of us do?

Cars have to leave a car's width in overtaking, bikes should behave similarly.

See, this is sounding a lot less like “I want people to cater for my unusual instinctive reaction to push anyone who gets close” and a lot more like “haHA now you know what it’s like for drivers.”

If you genuinely suffer from a condition that makes you push anyone coming too close, then you surely would be welcoming things like bells which alert you to the presence of other people?

@Adapornis - I don’t walk on cycle paths.

If you are walking on a shared use path, sometimes people will come that close to you. People jogging on a canal towpath in the other direction often have to or they’d be in the canal. Or children often aren’t looking where they’re going. I manage to cope without regularly pushing people - most of us do?

And I have years of walking in such places and never has a cyclist been stupid enough to get that close. Like I said, they must have better manners in these parts. As do runners, who are careful to give a wide berth.

I have had mobility issues for some years and am now a wheelchair user. If I think someone is making me unsafe I will push them away.

What is the alternative? Charge into you?

And I have years of walking in such places and never has a cyclist been stupid enough to get that close.

So that’s all right then? You’re happy with the current setup and do not in fact expect that people should have to get off their bikes and push?

So that’s all right then? You’re happy with the current setup and do not in fact expect that people should have to get off their bikes and push?

Around here that is exactly what they do. If it's narrow they do the decent thing and dismount and push. I read here that this isn't always the case. It should be, don't you think? Cyclists shouldn't risk bumping into people on narrow paths. Decent ones don't.

I think it there's a sign up saying 'Cyclists Dismount' there's a very good reason for it, for the safety of all concerned, especially if it's next to open water. So why the cyclists don't I have no idea. I find that really odd.

Not at all. When I'm riding the horse it's a very welcome warning rather than just whizzing by. I always say thank you.

Why would you push someone off their bike? Would you push another pedestrian if they walked too close? Bizarre!

Yes the most irritating people in the world. So I joined them and I love singing that bell now..... but I do say thanks

@AndAsIfByMagic

So that’s all right then? You’re happy with the current setup and do not in fact expect that people should have to get off their bikes and push?

Around here that is exactly what they do. If it's narrow they do the decent thing and dismount and push. I read here that this isn't always the case. It should be, don't you think? Cyclists shouldn't risk bumping into people on narrow paths. Decent ones don't.

If it’s narrow enough that they can’t cycle past without bumping into you, surely it’s not too narrow for them to get off their bike and push? Because then they have the width of the bike and the person pushing it and you, all abreast on the narrow path.

In general if it’s a shared use path, no cyclists should not have to get off and push because pedestrians don’t like cyclists near them. ‘Shared’ means we all have to share it.

‘surely it’s TOO narrow’, that should say.

There’s a shared use path along a canal near me, and it’s mostly fine but there’s a few narrow pinch points over/under bridges where pedestrians and cyclists can’t safely pass each other. In those places cyclists should let the pedestrians go and not attempt to pass until they’re past the pinch point and it’s safe to do so.

I can’t think of any places where it’s so narrow it’s unsafe to pass on the bike, but becomes safe if you jump off the bike and walk past pushing it?

Yes it does exactly do that to me but that doesn’t mean I think they’re wrong to. It’s just that in the moment, I’m probably in a silent reverie which is punctured by someone else inserting them self into my mind.