Bell ringing?

roverthehill

Had a feisty encounter with a pedestrian this morning on toe path. The middle-aged gent was out walking his dog. As I went past him he was standing at the right edge watching his dog run about on the grass verge. I went past him on the left thinking nothing of it until I heard some yelling. I stopped the bike and asked him if he was okay. he informed me that I need to purchase a bell. I informed the man that I had a bell but he was nowhere near me when I went past. He then starts to yell that I need to warn folk of me coming. At this point, I start to get annoyed as I was nowhere near him, hence, there was no need to ring. He continues to argue so I end up telling him to wind his neck in and he's talking a load of rubbish. This continued for a while lol.....

Just wondering what the MTB etiquette is out there? Would you guys ring in this situation. I typically reserve the bell for when I've coming up behind someone or if they look as if there's going to walk into my path. However, I don't like to ring like some nutter as I know this annoys the hell out of me when I'm walking!!!

cooldad

Say have a nice day and ride on.
Or dlock the cnut.
Depends whether I've taken my medication.

The Rookie

Bell - WTH I guess he used to ride a bike in the late 18th century.....

Bell - what bell.....I usually do what you did, slow right down to just over there walking pace and pootle past with as much room as possible.

chez_m356

The Beginner wrote:

Bell - WTH I guess he used to ride a bike in the late 18th century.....

Bell - what bell.....I usually do what you did, slow right down to just over there walking pace and pootle past with as much room as possible.

this exactly, plus excuse me's and thank you's are free

failing that, i'd suggest getting something like this

and learn to bunny hop, incase they have a coronary and keel over in front of you when you use it

jimothy78

I think you're maybe being a little unfair - he obviously didn't hear you coming and you gave him a shock. I think most people would have reacted angrily in this situation.

I also think it's worth bearing in mind that people and animals do odd things sometimes - being oblivious to you, he may well have taken a step backwards into your path, or bent down to tie his laces, at a crucial moment when you couldn't have done anything to avoid him.

I may be horrendously uncool, but i do have a bell mounted on my bars and use it whenever I'm approaching pedestrians from behind, unless it's already clear that they've heard/seen me coming. I find that the majority happily step off the path, call their dogs in to heel and give a cheery nod/smile. Surely this is preferable to a collision, however slight you judge the chances to be. It also can't hurt the public image of cycling to demonstrate that we have the interests of other path users in mind.

cooldad

People, kids (not actually people yet) horses etc take priority on paths so like it or not slow to their speed and stop if necessary.
Very simple really. Saves all round aggro and shows peds what lovely people we all are so we don't get hounded out of the forests.

Greer_

Do many people here actually use bells? I always found them rather rude and preferred to slow down and say excuse me, and thanks.

chez_m356

Greer_ wrote:

Do many people here actually use bells?

does this guy count ?

Greer_

Not after I found a hatred towards whiskey when I woke up last weekend!

Alibran

I'd get myself an AirZound, just in case I met him again.

benpinnick

jimothy78 wrote:

I think you're maybe being a little unfair - he obviously didn't hear you coming and you gave him a shock. I think most people would have reacted angrily in this situation.

I don't. I'm often out walking and get caught unaware by cyclists, more often than not illegally on the path. I've never felt the need to react angrily, or even make a point of it. The guys an arse.

The Rookie

benpinnick wrote:

I'm often out walking and get caught unaware by cyclists, more often than not illegally on the path.

It's very rare for a cyclist to be illegaly on a path, it's only illegal if it's a pavement bordering a highway or if there is a byelaw in place, it may be trespass but that isn't illegal - just to clarify!

Stuuu

I guess if the guy was in full health, then it all sounds a bit odd.

If he has bad hearing and a heart problem, then perhaps he would be less startled if you had used a bell. And then again, maybe not.

roverthehill

sometime you can't win. Personally I hate mad bell-ringers, then if you do ring your bell you still get grief. Next time, I'll just cycle on and not make a big deal of it but as far as I was concerned I was being pretty courteous.

JB69

I used to slow down and say excuse me when passing on bridleways/towpaths which isn't always easy if people are walking away maybe with ear phones in. I got a new bike last weekend and it came with a bell fitted which I was planning to remove along with the reflectors and so on (I never cycle in anything other than daylight) as soon as I got home. However, I found that one of my regular routes (the old railway line between Kenilworth and Balsall Common) people moved aside very happily and grabbed hold of dogs - covered the ground much quicker so I'm going to keep it as it seems to work very well.

too slow to go

I dont have a bell on my bike, if i`m approaching someone i slow down and usually just say "mind your back" then as i pass say thank you.

As pointed out, you dont know if the person has earphones and blaring music or deaf so the bell would be useless anyway

playasyougo

If i cant get past without hitting them i slow and say, "excuse me". If i can get past i say nothing, just as i would as if i was walking past them.

danlightbulb

Pedestrians are a law unto themselves imo. They are unpredictable.

For example, why don't pedestrians walk on the left hand side of the path like we do when we drive? Would make things much easier.

Ive noticed that, when in two's, pedestrians are like expanding foam, they tend to spread out to fill the entire width of the path.

And finally, no matter which direction you are traveling in, pedestrians always seem to have their backs to you traveling the same way.

The Northern Monkey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBwHy9-TcYo

cooldad

danlightbulb wrote:

Pedestrians are a law unto themselves imo. They are unpredictable.

For example, why don't pedestrians walk on the left hand side of the path like we do when we drive? Would make things much easier.

Ive noticed that, when in two's, pedestrians are like expanding foam, they tend to spread out to fill the entire width of the path.

And finally, no matter which direction you are traveling in, pedestrians always seem to have their backs to you traveling the same way.

Because they're out for a stroll, you mong, not marching.

Chunkers1980

That is funny.

chez_m356

danlightbulb wrote:

For example, why don't pedestrians walk on the left hand side of the path like we do when we drive? Would make things much easier.

been driving on the path, have we sir ?

danlightbulb

cooldad wrote:

Because they're out for a stroll, you mong, not marching.

Blimey cooldad for a guy that excels at sarcasm usually im surprised you took my post so seriously.

chez_m356 wrote:

been driving on the path, have we sir ?

yeah I just mow em down. crazy drunk pedestrians.

cooldad

danlightbulb wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Because they're out for a stroll, you mong, not marching.

Blimey cooldad for a guy that excels at sarcasm usually im surprised you took my post so seriously.

Yeah, sorry, I'm just so used to you posting drivel - easy mistake to make.

concorde

If you've got a bell you might as well ring it just in case, I don't have a bell and never will, fuck em!

newbie_biker

chez_m356 wrote:

this exactly, plus excuse me's and thank you's are free

failing that, i'd suggest getting something like this

and learn to bunny hop, incase they have a coronary and keel over in front of you when you use it

LOL! :shock:

Now I know what kind of bell I want to get.

Rucks

Get some hope hubs like me,
everybody hears you coming and adds mahosive re-sale value

querhoch

I like to get as close as I can, shout 'GET OUT OF MY FAKKING WAY!' as loud as possible, then give them the V's when I pass.

S-M

Ever bunny hopped a dog ?

Now that pisses them off!

Love the expanding foam thing, just got in from a blast around the coast, and i saw a group of them 6 fooking wide! on the sea front :shock:

The Rookie

We're all out to enjoy the countryside, live and let live for goodness sakes, I slow down for peds, to just above walking pace, a polite excuse me/good morning as appropraite and then go past.....

The other day I thanked a dog walker as he got his dog under control as soon as he knew I was there, he thanked me profusely for not just charging past.....

Sharker69

I'm the same always grateful for when people and their pets get out the way. However I also have a bell and being honest feel a right arse using it, so normally dab on the brakes enough to hear me...