To think bicycles should have bells

[soggydigestive]

That is all. AIBU. I was nearly banged into by a family cycling on the pavement today and none had a bell. When did ringing a bell stop being a thing?

Oh and @whileStatement Bikeability 2 is normally delivered to P6 and P7. So probably a reason it's "over simplified" don't you think? I really hope I don't know you IRL.

SciFiFan2015

Good grief. Your post was almost like mansplaining!

Just FYI, women can mansplain to, even the woman that made up the sexist term agrees that this is the case.

Shared bike and pedestrian pavements next to one another here and the walkers just wander around aimlessly between both the paths looking offended at a bike being near them. But yes, I have a bell but given the number of pissy posts on MN were people are bitching about cyclists dinging the bell, I never know if to ding it or not.

I honestly wasn't using the term based on the sex of the poster. It's the right word to describe the way the explanation came across. Man, woman, guinea pig or alien! So I think thanks are in order @BoneyBackJefferson !

@Elementtree I always use my bell and then say a very grateful thanks to any pedestrian as I go past. Hopefully the thanks will assuage the feelings of pedestrians who don't like the bell!
My kids always use bell and say thanks too, they are copying me. We normally get lots of smiles from pedestrians.

"I really hope I don't know you IRL."

I have a feeling it's unlikely we'd cross paths.

"I'm going to follow my training and teach Bikeability 2 the way I've been taught to."

I know that critical thinking is important. You clearly don't.

I think P6-7 children need to understand that there are many occasions when they should cycle on pavements and that the police understand and support this.

I would love you to pass on my criticism.

[email protected]

I think you can work out my first and second names.

What other details would you like?

Yep, bicycles should have bells.

And bellends shouldn't have bicycles, but a lot of them do.

SciFiFan2015

You are quite welcome

Yes, I am visually impaired and terrified of bicycles that don't make enough sound for me to hear them coming. Cambridge is my idea of hell.

What else helps @hellokittymania ? I'm also teaching all the children I work with to slow down to go round pedestrians.

Often helpful anyway because some/many pedestrians are listening to music or have other reasons to be less aware of their surroundings/distracted (dogs/kids/phone etc etc)

Just for clarity for all, as I made clear in my post with reference to Transport Scotland I'm obviously talking about the situation in Scotland where it is illegal to cycle on pavements and Police Officers will issue a fixed penalty notice. This is rare but does happen. The guidance from the ACPO is, obviously, only relevant in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
If cyclists on pavements are a hazard near you I suggest you get in touch with your local Sustrans or cycling organisation for advice and to raise awareness of the problem. I don't like cyclists being bad role models!

"I'm also teaching all the children I work with to slow down to go round pedestrians."

Pedestrians in the road?

Why would you be teaching them this when it's so against your handbook?

I didn't mind them being on the pavement tbh as they had dcs. And they seemed a nice family and weren't going massively fast, it was just the quietness so that they were suddenly upon me with no notice.(It was quite a narrow pavement too) I think if bells were used more then people would get used to it. I'm surprised at those being offended by bell ringers tbh, but I guess it depends if its done very aggressively, much the same as car horns.

I cycle to work sometimes, I have a bell on my bike and will ring it. A lot of the time people are walking along oblivious - on their phone or listening to music. So I ring it again. Then again. And then shout "excuse me".

Eventually they notice me, apologise, and let me pass. But it does worry me just how oblivious some people are to what's going on around them.

I fucking hate adult pavement cyclists and I am a cyclist. At least if there was a collision, the idiot pavement cyclist would come off worse.
The people who think ringing a bell is rude? Get a fucking grip though.

I don’t mind bells on bikes - if they are used properly. Was walking along a wide shared footpath a few weeks ago. For once all the pedestrians were in the correct half and there was a kid on a bike in the bike half ringing his bell every few seconds for the hell of it (and then he swerved into the pedestrian half and ran into a woman and her dog)

"fucking hate adult pavement cyclists and I am a cyclist"

That's internalised cyclisdrogyny.

@whileStatement really? You don't know when a cyclist would have to be careful around pedestrians? Shared spaces obviously.

I was nearly banged into by a family cycling on the pavement today and none had a bell.

bell is not required by law but cyclists should not cycle in the pavement. But the issue is really neither but the utterly cycle hostile facilities in the UK and the general cyclist hating attitude of the general (usually motorised) public. Cycle facilities are shit or non existent. Drivers see the enenmy in anybody on 2 wheels.

It is really a shame that a family cannotcycle savely in this country on the roads and feels forced to use the pavement as they feel much saver there (where they should not be).

How is one going to go for a bike ride with the younger DC when the roads are not save and the pavement isn't the place to ride the bike either?

I'll be honest, I think you sound like someone who is confused when their rule book doesn't explicitly answer a question so I don't think there's much to be gained from this discussion.

Please do pass on my criticism to whom it may concern.

@HotSauceCommittee there is one spot where I go on the pavement but that's just to use a zebra crossing to get across what is to me a scarily busy road that is have to turn on to then turn off again within a couple of meters. It's only busy at school start and finish times which are not the times I'm there, but I always go slowly and carefully.

The other place I sometimes go on the pavement I actually get off and push as it's busy. It's a one way road, I think everyone else just cycles the wrong way on it so I get some odd looks.

@whileStatement I suspect our differences of opinion stem from the colloquial use of the word "pavement".

I know the difference between footway, footpath, and core path. I know that shared spaces exist. I know what I need to teach my cyclists so that they can be safe and, importantly, keep others safe. I also teach them to be considerate of all road users too.

In any event it seems clear you are a GF - I wonder what you are achieving from trying to undermine another person? Have a nice day!

Recent MN thread where someone was insisting that ringing a bike bell was a highpoint of rudeness. Absolutely under no circumstances should a bicycle bell be used EXCEPT in emergency to avoid immediate collision. In which case a bell was essential & why all cyclists should have one. The poster had minimal challenge on these points.

Which goes to prove I can't rely on MN for any sort of useful advice.

" I suspect our differences of opinion stem from the colloquial use of the word "pavement"."

I don't.

I'm quite flabbergasted lljkk that people think bell ringing is rude, I think on the contrary that it is polite.