[quote Frozentoes2]@Tzimi
I think a bell should only be used on a footpath once a cyclist has stopped or is going so slowly that they could easily stop, and should be used as an alternative to saying excuse me.
So if you are cycling along and you see a family you should slow right down or stop behind them, and then say excuse me or ring your bell if you want to get past. Or even better, you could stop, get off of your bike, push it past them and then get on it again. That would only take a couple of seconds.
Ringing your bell whilst going fast is pressuring people to move out of your way quickly, whether you mean to or not. Because the pedestrians don’t know if you’re a reasonable person who will slow down in time if they don’t move, so have to assume that you won’t and jump out of the way to protect themselves.
Honestly if you have kids it can be really irritating to repeatedly have to quickly move them out of the way for someone on their bike. Toddlers don’t necessarily understand why it’s important to move quickly and there is always that worry some of the cyclists won’t stop in time.
And I don’t know why kids “darting around” enjoying themselves on a country walk ( as they should be!) would be an issue for you!? Because the onus is on you, a faster vehicle approaching from behind, to slow down before you get anywhere near them! The onus is not on the family to quickly move them out of your way, so that you don’t have to stop.
If I see a cyclist when driving I understand I need to slow down or even stop, and then only overtake once it’s safe. If I applied the logic that some cyclist apply to pedestrians on footpaths, I would toot my horn at the cyclists so they know I’m there, then expect them to quickly move onto the pavement (plus any kids cycling next to them), and then maybe shout thanks out the window if feeling generous![/quote]
I think you've somehow go the wrong idea! As a cyclist, I don't ring my bell at people demanding that they should immediately get out of the way, I do it to make them aware that I'm approaching! So they can gather up their children, dogs, drunken members of their party etc who hopefully will desist from zig-zagging across in front of me for a few seconds while I pass. After I've gone past, they can zip to & fro across the entire width of the path at high speed to their heart's content. Regarding coming up behind cyclists as a motorist, I have noticed that some of them do wobble around alarmingly, so letting them know that there is a vehicle nearby wanting to pass allows them to try & concentrate on going in a straight line for a few minutes.
I DO appreciate cyclists letting me know they are coming when they are behind me, because I also like to avoid treading on dog s*, cow pats, lumps of mud, potholes, big puddles etc. If I don't know that someone is directly behind me, I might move suddenly to one side to avoid these things, at the very moment a cyclist is right behind! As a cyclist, I would much rather risk annoying a pedestrian by ringing my bell, than risk injuring someone. Same thing as a motorist, and the same applies when coming to a sharp turn where you can't see what's around the bend.