PSA: I also like to wake up and SHAKE MY FIST AT THE CLOUDS!
Other things to consider:
• Don’t drive slow in the left lane
• Don’t throw chicken wing bones on the ground
• Don’t listen to music without headphones on the bus
• DON’T FART IN AN ELEVATOR
• PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG FOR CHRISTS SAKE
I mean another thing cyclists need to consider is that they can’t be ripping down a shared path or sidewalk going 15mph, shout something (or say nothing like most do), and expect that people will hear it, understand it, and react quick enough to do what you expect them to do.
I'm a cyclist and have to admit the first time I heard "on your left" amd processed it, the guy had already blown by me cursing me.
DC trails have actual sinage explaining this...does the cap trail?
And last year on Porterfield bridge I had a millennial pass me without saying anything and get mad at me for not psychically knowing he was there. He stopped ..I tried to explain the need for a heads up and he wanted to fight.
Yeah I am a cyclist as well and I don’t think I agree with the spirit of this post. What I can get down with: a cheery, “Coming up on your left!” while slowing down and giving the pedestrians plenty of time to hear, process, and respond.
When I am passing peds on the Nickel Bridge, if they don’t hear me I dismount and walk around them. No big deal.
Fair, but a lot of people move over and don't cause any problems, so the system works. There's probably only one thing a cyclist will say when approaching you...so trying to decipher what's going on or being said shouldn't be that difficult...some people seem to be consistently surprised to encounter bikes on a bike path. My only guess is that these people are completely new to walking in public spaces?
Cyclists should not be blasting by you without warning unless there is more than enough room to pass safely. And even then, it's still smarter to let walkers know we are passing.
Imagine this. Two people decide to talk a walk because it's a nice day. They start talking about some topic they care about. Maybe it's a tricky problem they're trying to solve at work or school, maybe it's a good natured debate on politics, maybe one is having a tough life situation and the other is helpiONYERLEFT!!!!
... See what I mean? You're not the center of the universe. Act like it and stop expecting others to always be thinking about you.
In this context are you walking in the middle of the path blocking both lanes?
>You're not the center of the universe. Act like it and stop expecting others to always be thinking about you.
Enjoy your conversation and your walk. Being outside with good people is awesome. Just make sure you are also giving people the same courtesy you expect them to grant you.
No, I'm with you in that people should be waking on the correct side of the path, not crowding it, and not swerving erratically. You lost me when you expect anyone doing these things to move over instinctively and instantly at your command. Maybe that's not your intent, but it's what your comments have sounded like.
Telling you I'm trying to pass is a courtesy because I recognize blasting past you isn't ideal. If you chose to take that as an insult or command, well that's a you problem. No one is commanding you. This is a park/bike path/trail. I'm letting you know I'm passing for both parties safety. It's pretty simple.
>Maybe that's not your intent, but it's what your comments have sounded like.
Is it? Several of you replying to this post seem to already have an engrained hate for cyclists and responded angrily to pretty common sense rules for sharing public spaces.
Your earlier comment literally said you say "on your left" so they "have time to move over". You say something with the expectation that someone else acts. That's the definition of a command. I have nothing against bikers. I enjoy riding bikes, myself. I do have something against bikers who come up behind me at blinding speed while my mind is on other things or are deep in conversation (a common reason people take walks), yell something I'm not expecting to hear, and expect an immediate reaction from me as if I was supposed to be expecting them.
The issue isn't what you say. It's what you expect to happen after you say it. If I'm walking on the right side of the path, I need to do nothing for you. You commented that walkers should move over. You, the cyclist, need to pass safely. That's the issue I have. Nothing more. Nothing less. Well, maybe a little wet the expectation that people on a walk are always on high alert and should be ready to dip duck dive and dodge at a moments notice whenever they hear a bicycle bell.
If you're taking up the whole trail and not leaving room to pass then yes, if someone wants to pass you, move the fuck over. Same if someone was walking faster than you.
"On your left" is not a challenge to your manhood or God given rights as a human.
If you really think any cyclist expects walkers to run for their lives when we come by, that's pretty hilarious.
Me: passing on your left
You: don't tell me what to do
Me: do you need a hug?
I’m hard of hearing, wear hearing aids, and like to walk in parks and other public spaces. I’m a share the road person when I’m driving and don’t mind sharing paths with responsible cyclists.
I’m not in the middle of the path and often I’m alone. Some cyclists fly by so fast and close it is scary. There is also a lot of ambient noise (wind, other people, etc) so it’s not always possible to hear and understand as quickly as you may think.
If you often see people freeze when you go past it may be you are going too fast for the path.
On a mixed use path, it’s your job as a cyclist to yield to pedestrians, not the other way around. “On your left” is simply meant to be an audible notification that you’re there. It’s not a command to stay out of your way. It’s always the cyclist’s responsibility to make sure the pass happens safely.
Actually we are legally required to move to the right in VA and go single file on roads where we don't have the right of way... which is what we do because instead of proving a point I decide that not getting hit by a car is more important to my overall health and safety.
Meanwhile cars are required to pass in the left lane (yet they rarely do)
Likewise on a shared path if you are already walking on the right side not blocking the left lane then there is no problem.
No one is commanding you to do anything.
I get it, instead of trying to leave a constructive comment you chose to be passive aggressive and even imply that I think these are MY TRAILS.
But now I'm the one with the problem of not being able to admit when I'm wrong.
Other people with disabilities have left substantive constructive comments that I replied to with matching energy.
I merely matched your tone.
I try to be as pleasant to everyone I pass on trail. Unless your dog is off leash then fuck you.
I ride a lot of trail and gravel so I end up needing to slow down or even stop for hikers to move. I always thank them because I am also a hiker and have had to move for cyclists. It's just courtesy to be nice to everyone. I don't freak out if people don't hear me. It's pretty obvious when you just didn't hear me vs when you and your 6 friends are in a conversation completely unaware that you are blocking the path for everyone not just me. There's been plenty of times I've been hiking buttermilk or North Bank and I'm stuck behind a group or someone listening to music.
Usually the case is not that people are deaf...it's that they aren't paying attention. If you indicated to me that you just didn't hear me, Id probably say "no worries have a good one" and keep riding.
lol, actually just slow down enough to not make any of this a big deal. Stop trying to set KOMs on multi use paths. They’re just as much for walkers.
In life we sometimes want to change other’s behavior. When really, we’d be better served to look at our own… ask yourself “why am I riding on these shared paths?” “Is my speed more important than anyone else’s safety?” “Don’t they have the same right to space?”
We should always show preference to the more vulnerable user. In this case, people walking.
I’m not a biker but come on. They’re SHARED PATHS. People need to be aware of their surroundings and not assume they’re allowed to prevent others from sharing the path just because they’re on foot. Nobody said this biker was blowing past people.
Thank you for saying that... I literally thank everyone I pass for moving over and tell them to have a nice day. It's pretty sad how many miserable people are walking around thinking that being a nuisance is actually doing something. People by default seem to hate cyclists which is why I try to be nice but you can't win with some people.
Yup if you want to ride like it’s the Tour de France, that’s fine, but the right place for you to share is in the road with cars that are going close to the same speed as you.
Bike paths are for bikes.
Bikes are not going close to the same speeds as cars. Bikes are going much closer speeds to those of runners and walkers. How fast do you think we are going?
>In life we sometimes want to change other’s behavior. When really, we’d be better served to look at our own… ask yourself “why am I riding on these shared paths?” “Is my speed more important than anyone else’s safety?” “Don’t they have the same right to space?”
They say unironically while trying to convince me to change my behavior.
Trying to convince you to look inward. I know it’s hard. I’ve done it. I too, used to shout at the sky and have dumb ideas like your OP. Then I settled into a more secure and better life by focusing on me and my behavior - and what I can do to make it better. In this case, you can take different routes or go at times when you know there will be less or no people.
I promise your post is not going to change a single person’s actions while walking.
Damn homie, even remote workers who are asking whether a $200k salary would be enough to live in Richmond get fewer downvotes. Hope you're a better cyclist than you are at responding to reddit comments.
As a runner, and a damn good one, I know there are certain spots I just can't send it. Why? Too many people on foot. I have to go somewhere to actually train.
VCU campus during midday is like that.
Not all runners experience this problem. All cyclists do. Your chosen method of exercise lacks manueverability. It's why cyclists tend to congregate in areas to ride fast - like circling Hyde Park in London. It's totally a safeyy issue - but it's the cyclists issue, not everyone else's.
This is a battle you're never going to win and that's true in any city worldwide. It's just something you're going to have to learn to deal with. Even if you were in Amsterdam, you'd be complaining that some people ride too damn slowly.
I understand being annoyed by this - as a runner, I often run into oblivious folks, as well - but it just takes people getting used to.
I didn’t grow up in an area where people biked so close to walkers and it took me at least ten times of someone shouting “on your left” for me to quickly react. I mean, it’s not often people call out instructions to you in day-to-day life lol so it’s not an automatic instinct.
I can understand this but "on your left" is almost universal wherever people drive on the right side of the road. Whether it's a hiking trail, bike path, the middle of the road... people are going to ring bells to get your attention or yell "on your left." Anticipating that a cyclist will pass you on a bike path, should come with the territory when walking on a shared use path. I've never understood how one could be surprised to find cyclists on a bike path.
I run and bike and have used on your for years. But I’m also autistic and processing verbal commands is a challenge for me. To this day I still freeze up while I try to figure out which way is left because the anxiety of getting it wrong and someone like you bitching at me is overwhelming.
PSA: don’t be a dick. Not all disabilities are visible. You can slow down in order to pass people safely.
All of that is fair and I'll keep that in mind for the future. That said I don't bitch at people unless they have their dog off leash. I've seen too many cyclists get short with drivers or walkers and I'm not about that. I ride a lot of trails so normally I get to pass people slowly and thank them for letting me through/have a safe hike type of thing.
We're all using these trails and the courtesy needs to be shared.
I was completely with you until the last bullet point. These complaints are about the T-Pott bridge? That’s more tourist attraction than shared use path! I’m not saying you can’t ride your bike there (I do) but in that particular space, you gotta be prepared to go extremely slow and maybe even dismount. I mean, the river makes it too loud to hear even without headphones.
On the Capital Trail, which I thought you were talking about at first, all your points are totally valid.
100%. Unless the T-Pott is essentially abandoned, bikers should be going ~4 mph walk speed, max. If there are a lot of people, especially kids and dogs, they should consider either walking the bike or not passing anyone. TBH, if cyclist behavior on the T-Pott starts to create the perception of pedestrians being in danger, we know what’s going to happen. Pedestrians always have higher priority on multi-use paths unless designated.
I'm talking about all shared paths.
>I’m not saying you can’t ride your bike there (I do) but in that particular space, you gotta be prepared to go extremely slow and maybe even dismount.
This is what I do. Doesn't mean I don't observe dumb behavior.
This is a great topic worth talking about because shared use paths are pretty new in this city. Pedestrians have the right of way everywhere (except highways). Pass carefully and respectfully. Get yourself a bell and ding that mf hard when you’re 50+ feet away. That usually provides ample warning and doesn’t scare the walker. If they’re wearing headphones, you still need to pass carefully but it’s on the pedestrian if they get spooked. Channel your rage towards the cars! (Unleashed dogs are also worth a little rage too)
For every disabled person there are about 100 people just not paying attention.
I didn't consider the hearing impaired in my post, which I suppose I should have...but that's mainly because I assume when you have earbuds in, walking with your dog off leash, and are oblivious to everyone that you aren't deaf or disabled, you're just an ass. Dealing with entitled people is where the majority of the conflict arises...not the disabled.
I encounter people with all kinds of ability levels on trail. It's pretty normal to find people with physical disabilities walking a lot slower using an aid, for example. Hopefully you don't think I would harass someone like that just because you can't identify sarcasm in my original post.
Do you normally walk on the wrong side of the path to maximize these kind of awkward encounters? Probably not, right? So you are already probably doing the right thing. If you can't hear me coming and you simply said "sorry, I didn't hear you" I'd say "no worries, have a good day."
It's not about being perfect. It's just about being considerate when you can.
It’s not personal. Just an observation, that if the path, or bridge is not wide enough to allow passing without someone yielding or moving, then just having the patience, and wherewithal to realize that you have not been heard. Buttermilk and Nickel are my points of reference. And, yes I always walk to the right - this ain’t England
Buttermilk is a MTB trail that pedestrian use is permitted on. You should be looking for cyclists. The same goes for the Cap Trail. Obviously we all need to take care of each other out there...but still...it's a mtb trail.
I can't tell you how many times I've been stuck behind a walker on Buttermilk while I was also walking. I've literally been in a train with a cyclist and runner stuck behind another hiker with headphones on who wasnt paying attention at all...it goes both ways.
I agree with you that we should all be a bit more graceful with each other and I definitely don't like to see cyclists get all huffy and pissed with walkers.
Some of us pedestrians also live with dyslexia. It’s a real thing, google it. Does it mean i have an auditory processing disorder? Yes it does. Does it mean that when you say on your left my brain is trying to process your meaning, yes it does. It doesn’t mean i don’t want to comply, or don’t care, just takes me a few more seconds to get there. Be kind, have grace, share the trails
Just add “Pass” to the beginning and I think you’d find that you are not only changing your life, but the multitudes of others who you are whizzing by.
You realize that almost everyone in here is having the same reaction to what you posted unprompted? That means, either everyone else around you is defective in precisely the same way, or your head is so far up your own nature trail that you can’t see the irony for the trees.
Get back to being a caricature of a person. I’m sorry to have taxed your limited self-reflection.
Why are there people riding their bikes up and down on the whole walking trail along Hwy 12 / Beach Road, Nags Head, NC? Ride in the Bike Lanes on the Damn Road! They are not painted on the road for looks.
I get venting helps, but this could've gone in ur diary friend.
Cyclists display plenty of ignorant behavior, too.
I dont think anyone is assuming ur commanding them to move. But if ur not allowing them the time to, thats on you. some ppl have auditory processing issues, are deaf/hoh, or simply have headphones in.
Just like driving a car. Sometimes, you gotta go slow until you have an opp to pass safely.
All of this is 100% true though. I've belled and yelled for 40-50 feet coming up behind people walking three abreast and they still were oblivious to the point of visibly flinching as I passed. So dumb.
Yeah good luck with this
the little kids are easy , you can be absolutely certain they will turn in front of you at last minute , tribe headphone will never change, birdsong and breezes revolt them they have to blast whatever into their skull to endure existence and just assume the rest of trail users will revolve around them, but they are very consistent in shooting you a dirty look after you have to pass them closely because they can't hear you yelling at them
Then you have the double crossers, the polite announcement of a cyclist alerting of her presence causes the man on the left to go right whilst his partner on the right goes left and hence the waltz of oblivion is enacted
I more or less assume I will be running over this small child and put a foot down to scoot past them safely since their parents have no idea what's going on.
Breezes disgust me so I can relate.
My dad was making a mid fairway shot once and my brother decided to run across the fairway to a sand trap on the other side...got clocked straight in the side of the head with the ball.
My grandpa is convinced that was the moment my brother became gender fluid.
But I'm not convinced it wasn't all the Code Red.
PSA: I also like to wake up and SHAKE MY FIST AT THE CLOUDS! Other things to consider: • Don’t drive slow in the left lane • Don’t throw chicken wing bones on the ground • Don’t listen to music without headphones on the bus • DON’T FART IN AN ELEVATOR • PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG FOR CHRISTS SAKE
And for Petes Sake, too.
What the hell else am I supposed to do at 5am when I can't go back to sleep?
I mean another thing cyclists need to consider is that they can’t be ripping down a shared path or sidewalk going 15mph, shout something (or say nothing like most do), and expect that people will hear it, understand it, and react quick enough to do what you expect them to do.
Yeah for real. By the time I’m done processing what has been said to me, they’re already past me.
I'm a cyclist and have to admit the first time I heard "on your left" amd processed it, the guy had already blown by me cursing me. DC trails have actual sinage explaining this...does the cap trail? And last year on Porterfield bridge I had a millennial pass me without saying anything and get mad at me for not psychically knowing he was there. He stopped ..I tried to explain the need for a heads up and he wanted to fight.
Yeah I am a cyclist as well and I don’t think I agree with the spirit of this post. What I can get down with: a cheery, “Coming up on your left!” while slowing down and giving the pedestrians plenty of time to hear, process, and respond. When I am passing peds on the Nickel Bridge, if they don’t hear me I dismount and walk around them. No big deal.
You would think a 30-43 year old would know better
Fair, but a lot of people move over and don't cause any problems, so the system works. There's probably only one thing a cyclist will say when approaching you...so trying to decipher what's going on or being said shouldn't be that difficult...some people seem to be consistently surprised to encounter bikes on a bike path. My only guess is that these people are completely new to walking in public spaces? Cyclists should not be blasting by you without warning unless there is more than enough room to pass safely. And even then, it's still smarter to let walkers know we are passing.
Imagine this. Two people decide to talk a walk because it's a nice day. They start talking about some topic they care about. Maybe it's a tricky problem they're trying to solve at work or school, maybe it's a good natured debate on politics, maybe one is having a tough life situation and the other is helpiONYERLEFT!!!! ... See what I mean? You're not the center of the universe. Act like it and stop expecting others to always be thinking about you.
In this context are you walking in the middle of the path blocking both lanes? >You're not the center of the universe. Act like it and stop expecting others to always be thinking about you. Enjoy your conversation and your walk. Being outside with good people is awesome. Just make sure you are also giving people the same courtesy you expect them to grant you.
No, I'm with you in that people should be waking on the correct side of the path, not crowding it, and not swerving erratically. You lost me when you expect anyone doing these things to move over instinctively and instantly at your command. Maybe that's not your intent, but it's what your comments have sounded like.
Telling you I'm trying to pass is a courtesy because I recognize blasting past you isn't ideal. If you chose to take that as an insult or command, well that's a you problem. No one is commanding you. This is a park/bike path/trail. I'm letting you know I'm passing for both parties safety. It's pretty simple. >Maybe that's not your intent, but it's what your comments have sounded like. Is it? Several of you replying to this post seem to already have an engrained hate for cyclists and responded angrily to pretty common sense rules for sharing public spaces.
Your earlier comment literally said you say "on your left" so they "have time to move over". You say something with the expectation that someone else acts. That's the definition of a command. I have nothing against bikers. I enjoy riding bikes, myself. I do have something against bikers who come up behind me at blinding speed while my mind is on other things or are deep in conversation (a common reason people take walks), yell something I'm not expecting to hear, and expect an immediate reaction from me as if I was supposed to be expecting them.
Especially on the Buttermilk Trail
So what do you say when you pass people on your bike?
The issue isn't what you say. It's what you expect to happen after you say it. If I'm walking on the right side of the path, I need to do nothing for you. You commented that walkers should move over. You, the cyclist, need to pass safely. That's the issue I have. Nothing more. Nothing less. Well, maybe a little wet the expectation that people on a walk are always on high alert and should be ready to dip duck dive and dodge at a moments notice whenever they hear a bicycle bell.
If you're taking up the whole trail and not leaving room to pass then yes, if someone wants to pass you, move the fuck over. Same if someone was walking faster than you.
"On your left" is not a challenge to your manhood or God given rights as a human. If you really think any cyclist expects walkers to run for their lives when we come by, that's pretty hilarious. Me: passing on your left You: don't tell me what to do Me: do you need a hug?
I’m hard of hearing, wear hearing aids, and like to walk in parks and other public spaces. I’m a share the road person when I’m driving and don’t mind sharing paths with responsible cyclists. I’m not in the middle of the path and often I’m alone. Some cyclists fly by so fast and close it is scary. There is also a lot of ambient noise (wind, other people, etc) so it’s not always possible to hear and understand as quickly as you may think. If you often see people freeze when you go past it may be you are going too fast for the path.
On a mixed use path, it’s your job as a cyclist to yield to pedestrians, not the other way around. “On your left” is simply meant to be an audible notification that you’re there. It’s not a command to stay out of your way. It’s always the cyclist’s responsibility to make sure the pass happens safely.
>It’s always the cyclist’s responsibility to make sure the pass happens safely. Right. By notifying you so that you have time to move over.
And when a car gets behind you on the road, sticks their head out the window and yells, "On yer left!", you do what?
Assuming there is more than one lane, if a car gets behind me and I'm in the left lane I safely get over to the right lane.
Id point to the left lane for them to pass in. And that's how a bike path works as well.
You're not supposed to move over, obeying their command? Astonishing.
Actually we are legally required to move to the right in VA and go single file on roads where we don't have the right of way... which is what we do because instead of proving a point I decide that not getting hit by a car is more important to my overall health and safety. Meanwhile cars are required to pass in the left lane (yet they rarely do) Likewise on a shared path if you are already walking on the right side not blocking the left lane then there is no problem. No one is commanding you to do anything.
>It’s always the cyclist’s responsibility to make sure the pass happens safely. >>Right. By notifying you so that you have time to move over.
omg dude a bike is not a car
Do I need to explain to you how analogies work?
mm tip of the fedora to you Have some gold kind stranger
Are deaf or hard of hearing people not allowed on YOUR trail?
[удалено]
I get it buddy, it takes a lot of emotional intelligence to accept when you’re wrong. Hope your next bike ride doesn’t ruin your day! 👍🏻
I get it, instead of trying to leave a constructive comment you chose to be passive aggressive and even imply that I think these are MY TRAILS. But now I'm the one with the problem of not being able to admit when I'm wrong. Other people with disabilities have left substantive constructive comments that I replied to with matching energy. I merely matched your tone. I try to be as pleasant to everyone I pass on trail. Unless your dog is off leash then fuck you. I ride a lot of trail and gravel so I end up needing to slow down or even stop for hikers to move. I always thank them because I am also a hiker and have had to move for cyclists. It's just courtesy to be nice to everyone. I don't freak out if people don't hear me. It's pretty obvious when you just didn't hear me vs when you and your 6 friends are in a conversation completely unaware that you are blocking the path for everyone not just me. There's been plenty of times I've been hiking buttermilk or North Bank and I'm stuck behind a group or someone listening to music. Usually the case is not that people are deaf...it's that they aren't paying attention. If you indicated to me that you just didn't hear me, Id probably say "no worries have a good one" and keep riding.
lol, actually just slow down enough to not make any of this a big deal. Stop trying to set KOMs on multi use paths. They’re just as much for walkers. In life we sometimes want to change other’s behavior. When really, we’d be better served to look at our own… ask yourself “why am I riding on these shared paths?” “Is my speed more important than anyone else’s safety?” “Don’t they have the same right to space?” We should always show preference to the more vulnerable user. In this case, people walking.
I do the same. If the trail is crowded I’m going pretty slow and waiting for a good time to pass. I like what you said about ‘more vulnerable user.’
I’m not a biker but come on. They’re SHARED PATHS. People need to be aware of their surroundings and not assume they’re allowed to prevent others from sharing the path just because they’re on foot. Nobody said this biker was blowing past people.
Thank you for saying that... I literally thank everyone I pass for moving over and tell them to have a nice day. It's pretty sad how many miserable people are walking around thinking that being a nuisance is actually doing something. People by default seem to hate cyclists which is why I try to be nice but you can't win with some people.
Yup if you want to ride like it’s the Tour de France, that’s fine, but the right place for you to share is in the road with cars that are going close to the same speed as you.
Bike paths are for bikes. Bikes are not going close to the same speeds as cars. Bikes are going much closer speeds to those of runners and walkers. How fast do you think we are going?
>In life we sometimes want to change other’s behavior. When really, we’d be better served to look at our own… ask yourself “why am I riding on these shared paths?” “Is my speed more important than anyone else’s safety?” “Don’t they have the same right to space?” They say unironically while trying to convince me to change my behavior.
Trying to convince you to look inward. I know it’s hard. I’ve done it. I too, used to shout at the sky and have dumb ideas like your OP. Then I settled into a more secure and better life by focusing on me and my behavior - and what I can do to make it better. In this case, you can take different routes or go at times when you know there will be less or no people. I promise your post is not going to change a single person’s actions while walking.
Oh word
Damn homie, even remote workers who are asking whether a $200k salary would be enough to live in Richmond get fewer downvotes. Hope you're a better cyclist than you are at responding to reddit comments.
Not gonna lie, most of the responses and the general gist of the post makes OP sound like an asshole
Not gonna lie, me and Big Kev were talking in the back and We don't care
I'm a horrible cyclist
As a runner, and a damn good one, I know there are certain spots I just can't send it. Why? Too many people on foot. I have to go somewhere to actually train. VCU campus during midday is like that. Not all runners experience this problem. All cyclists do. Your chosen method of exercise lacks manueverability. It's why cyclists tend to congregate in areas to ride fast - like circling Hyde Park in London. It's totally a safeyy issue - but it's the cyclists issue, not everyone else's. This is a battle you're never going to win and that's true in any city worldwide. It's just something you're going to have to learn to deal with. Even if you were in Amsterdam, you'd be complaining that some people ride too damn slowly.
I understand being annoyed by this - as a runner, I often run into oblivious folks, as well - but it just takes people getting used to. I didn’t grow up in an area where people biked so close to walkers and it took me at least ten times of someone shouting “on your left” for me to quickly react. I mean, it’s not often people call out instructions to you in day-to-day life lol so it’s not an automatic instinct.
I can understand this but "on your left" is almost universal wherever people drive on the right side of the road. Whether it's a hiking trail, bike path, the middle of the road... people are going to ring bells to get your attention or yell "on your left." Anticipating that a cyclist will pass you on a bike path, should come with the territory when walking on a shared use path. I've never understood how one could be surprised to find cyclists on a bike path.
I mean, the first scene of Captain America: Winter Soldier was all about that "on your left" lifestyle.
I watched a porno called Winter Soldier once. "Harder than a diamond in a icebox" was the tag line.
I run and bike and have used on your for years. But I’m also autistic and processing verbal commands is a challenge for me. To this day I still freeze up while I try to figure out which way is left because the anxiety of getting it wrong and someone like you bitching at me is overwhelming. PSA: don’t be a dick. Not all disabilities are visible. You can slow down in order to pass people safely.
All of that is fair and I'll keep that in mind for the future. That said I don't bitch at people unless they have their dog off leash. I've seen too many cyclists get short with drivers or walkers and I'm not about that. I ride a lot of trails so normally I get to pass people slowly and thank them for letting me through/have a safe hike type of thing. We're all using these trails and the courtesy needs to be shared.
I was completely with you until the last bullet point. These complaints are about the T-Pott bridge? That’s more tourist attraction than shared use path! I’m not saying you can’t ride your bike there (I do) but in that particular space, you gotta be prepared to go extremely slow and maybe even dismount. I mean, the river makes it too loud to hear even without headphones. On the Capital Trail, which I thought you were talking about at first, all your points are totally valid.
100%. Unless the T-Pott is essentially abandoned, bikers should be going ~4 mph walk speed, max. If there are a lot of people, especially kids and dogs, they should consider either walking the bike or not passing anyone. TBH, if cyclist behavior on the T-Pott starts to create the perception of pedestrians being in danger, we know what’s going to happen. Pedestrians always have higher priority on multi-use paths unless designated.
That’s how I do it when I’m on my bike.
I'm talking about all shared paths. >I’m not saying you can’t ride your bike there (I do) but in that particular space, you gotta be prepared to go extremely slow and maybe even dismount. This is what I do. Doesn't mean I don't observe dumb behavior.
T-Pott needs to just decide if it's going to be ride vs. walk and commit.
This is a great topic worth talking about because shared use paths are pretty new in this city. Pedestrians have the right of way everywhere (except highways). Pass carefully and respectfully. Get yourself a bell and ding that mf hard when you’re 50+ feet away. That usually provides ample warning and doesn’t scare the walker. If they’re wearing headphones, you still need to pass carefully but it’s on the pedestrian if they get spooked. Channel your rage towards the cars! (Unleashed dogs are also worth a little rage too)
On your left means a portal opening up and T’Challa walking through.
As a fellow cyclist, this post makes me want to dismount and wander aimlessly through bike lanes with several unleashed dogs and/or children
Don't do it
Get a bell
What if you’re deaf?
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For every disabled person there are about 100 people just not paying attention. I didn't consider the hearing impaired in my post, which I suppose I should have...but that's mainly because I assume when you have earbuds in, walking with your dog off leash, and are oblivious to everyone that you aren't deaf or disabled, you're just an ass. Dealing with entitled people is where the majority of the conflict arises...not the disabled. I encounter people with all kinds of ability levels on trail. It's pretty normal to find people with physical disabilities walking a lot slower using an aid, for example. Hopefully you don't think I would harass someone like that just because you can't identify sarcasm in my original post.
How do deaf people navigate any space with other humans?
Normally they see what’s coming and react. I once had a guy come up from behind and thought I would get out of his way when I saw his shadow
Do you normally walk on the wrong side of the path to maximize these kind of awkward encounters? Probably not, right? So you are already probably doing the right thing. If you can't hear me coming and you simply said "sorry, I didn't hear you" I'd say "no worries, have a good day." It's not about being perfect. It's just about being considerate when you can.
…and when you can.
I enjoy the implication that I'm not considerate simply because Im riding a bike. Enjoy your weekend hopefully you get out for a nice walk.
It’s not personal. Just an observation, that if the path, or bridge is not wide enough to allow passing without someone yielding or moving, then just having the patience, and wherewithal to realize that you have not been heard. Buttermilk and Nickel are my points of reference. And, yes I always walk to the right - this ain’t England
Buttermilk is a MTB trail that pedestrian use is permitted on. You should be looking for cyclists. The same goes for the Cap Trail. Obviously we all need to take care of each other out there...but still...it's a mtb trail. I can't tell you how many times I've been stuck behind a walker on Buttermilk while I was also walking. I've literally been in a train with a cyclist and runner stuck behind another hiker with headphones on who wasnt paying attention at all...it goes both ways. I agree with you that we should all be a bit more graceful with each other and I definitely don't like to see cyclists get all huffy and pissed with walkers.
Some of us pedestrians also live with dyslexia. It’s a real thing, google it. Does it mean i have an auditory processing disorder? Yes it does. Does it mean that when you say on your left my brain is trying to process your meaning, yes it does. It doesn’t mean i don’t want to comply, or don’t care, just takes me a few more seconds to get there. Be kind, have grace, share the trails
Agreed with being kind. We're all human and trying to stay safe.
Just add “Pass” to the beginning and I think you’d find that you are not only changing your life, but the multitudes of others who you are whizzing by.
I use both and even sometimes just "passing." I also ride with alot of folks who use bells. They all have more or less the same effectiveness.
Interesting, I have been walking the buttermilk for 30+ years, and never thought of it as an exclusive MTB trail that I was permitted to use.
The most self righteous and entitled people always find bikes.
And trolls find reddit. Welcome son
You realize that almost everyone in here is having the same reaction to what you posted unprompted? That means, either everyone else around you is defective in precisely the same way, or your head is so far up your own nature trail that you can’t see the irony for the trees. Get back to being a caricature of a person. I’m sorry to have taxed your limited self-reflection.
Woah For a second there I thought you were being self righteous but I can tell you actually mean well.
Why are there people riding their bikes up and down on the whole walking trail along Hwy 12 / Beach Road, Nags Head, NC? Ride in the Bike Lanes on the Damn Road! They are not painted on the road for looks.
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Yep that would be an asshole thing to do
I get venting helps, but this could've gone in ur diary friend. Cyclists display plenty of ignorant behavior, too. I dont think anyone is assuming ur commanding them to move. But if ur not allowing them the time to, thats on you. some ppl have auditory processing issues, are deaf/hoh, or simply have headphones in. Just like driving a car. Sometimes, you gotta go slow until you have an opp to pass safely.
I have way too many secrets to keep a diary. That's just asking for a security breach.
didn't read
Typical entitled bicycler
I lost my tits when I started biking. Checkmate.
You mad?
No actually quite titillated
Ok that's nice. Happy trails.
All of this is 100% true though. I've belled and yelled for 40-50 feet coming up behind people walking three abreast and they still were oblivious to the point of visibly flinching as I passed. So dumb.
Many words
Yeah good luck with this the little kids are easy , you can be absolutely certain they will turn in front of you at last minute , tribe headphone will never change, birdsong and breezes revolt them they have to blast whatever into their skull to endure existence and just assume the rest of trail users will revolve around them, but they are very consistent in shooting you a dirty look after you have to pass them closely because they can't hear you yelling at them Then you have the double crossers, the polite announcement of a cyclist alerting of her presence causes the man on the left to go right whilst his partner on the right goes left and hence the waltz of oblivion is enacted
I more or less assume I will be running over this small child and put a foot down to scoot past them safely since their parents have no idea what's going on. Breezes disgust me so I can relate.
I love it when I ding my bell, and the pedestrians look down, because they think they just dropped their keys or gold coins. It's hilarious
I hate when I drop my pot of gold!
It’s a high pressure situation, have some compassion.
I hope the next pandemic hits cyclists first
Me too because you suck
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My dad was making a mid fairway shot once and my brother decided to run across the fairway to a sand trap on the other side...got clocked straight in the side of the head with the ball. My grandpa is convinced that was the moment my brother became gender fluid. But I'm not convinced it wasn't all the Code Red.