Rant #1: Cyclists who don’t give a heads up when passing
I originally felt I should reserve my first rant for evil drivers who engage in various forms of dumbfuckery, but having sat with it for several days, I am forced to inveigh against discourteousness by my fellow two-wheelers.
Being the relative slowpoke that I am, I am at times passed by other cyclists faster than myself.
In my informal estimation, I’d venture that fewer than 15%, and probably fewer than 10%, of said passing cyclists give me any form of heads-up or warning that they intend to pass.
No “on your left.” No “passing.” No delightful “ting a ling” of a bicycle bell, just full on throttle past me. Now, I try to stay to the right of the path, and am not weaving back and forth, but I still feel that common cyclist courtesy warrants a warning.
How do others feel? Do other cyclists owe you a heads-up in all instances of passing? Only when the cyclist you’re passing is not hewing closely to the right of the path? Only when the slower cyclist seems not to be paying attention? When?
And don’t get me started on clueless runners who insist on wearing headphones turned up so loud they don’t hear ME when I warn them that I’m passing — that’s Rant #2, for another day.
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June 4th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
For pedestrians, I usually say “on your left” if I expect to be close enough that we could reach out and touch arms. I’m more cautious around people with dogs or strollers or who look like they’re goofing around. I think I cut a little closer to cyclists without a warning because they’re less likely to do a U-turn or stick out an arm. It does still depend a bit on how far to the right they are, how straight they’re driving, whether there are left turns ahead, whether off the path is grass or a railing, etc.
And I agree that most of the joggers can’t hear you, but it is gratifying to get a “thank you” from one.
June 6th, 2010 at 10:52 am
I always give a heads up unless I’m going to be able to take the whole lane and pass widely (I only ride on the streets; no bike paths on my way to work)—and if I’m able to do this the person is riding slowly enough that it’s not really a problem—I’m not exactly going rocket speed as I pass. I think it’s astronomically rude when people blow by you within an inch of your handle bar without so much as a courtesy noise.
I was in the process of throwing my arm up to signal a right turn when some asshole did this, and it was all both of us could do not to end up in a heap on the street. So that’s a lesson to people who pass closely and silently, I guess.