Earphones whilst riding - yes or no - ?

[BoldonLad]

no actually it's cyclists who come up behind me & expect me to get out of their way which annoy me, I equate them with the drivers of cars who continue at the same speed or occasionally increase their speed when I cross the road.

Ahh! so, you read the bit I typed in invisible ink, well done.

Where did I say I expected them to get out of my way?

When using a shared path, it is my practice to (gently) sound bell when approaching pedestrians, runners from behind, just to alert them to the fact I am there. I do this, because:

1. when I am walking (I don't run), in similar circumstances, I find it alarming to have a "silent" cyclist whizz past me, unannounced.

2. Mrs Boldonlad has twice been knocked from her bicycle by pedestrians who have stepped suddenly sideways, into her path, for no obvious reason, whilst she was passing them.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Where did I say I expected them to get out of my way?

You didn't but I have come across a few cyclist who believe they have the right of way & seem to think that ringing their bell vigorously means pedestrians should jump out of their way.

 

[Jody]

2. Mrs Boldonlad has twice been knocked from her bicycle by pedestrians who have stepped suddenly sideways, into her path, for no obvious reason, whilst she was passing them.

Maybe she didn't leave sufficient room or anticipate their change in direction? If you ring your bell and get no acknowledgment then you have to be prepared.

 

[Alan O]

Done now. Good bye.

Hmm, how many times have you said that now in this thread?

 

[Jody]

Hmm, how many times have you said that now in this thread?

@Alan O has cast in. Let's see if you get a bite

 

[Alan O]

I don't use earphones when cycling, largely because I'm not very good at mental multi-tasking (and getting worse at it as I get older). If I play music, I find I always end up actually listening to it rather than just having it in the background (and for that same reason I can't play music when I'm working), and I lose focus on my cycling surroundings.

In fact, I get the same thing even if I'm playing music while walking (which I do quite a lot), and I have to consciously switch focus when I'm crossing roads.

I do wear earphones when I'm using my turbo - or I watch the telly. I hate in-ear buds, mind, and I use the kind that clip over the ears like these...

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I don't use earphones when cycling, largely because I'm not very good at mental multi-tasking (and getting worse at it as I get older). If I play music, I find I always end up actually listening to it rather than just having it in the background (and for that same reason I can't play music when I'm working), and I lose focus on my cycling surroundings.

That's interesting as I find it the other way around, I find that the music has stopped as it's got to the end of the album, not realise that it had & no concept of when it had. Whilst working I have Radio4 playing & can often miss virtually a full program if I am engrossed in what I am doing. Maybe this is due to my impaired hearing & I naturally concentrate on the task in hand & blot out insignificant surrounding sound.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Do pedestrians, dog walkers or runners, who are "plugged in" to earphones and cannot hear your bell, as you approach from behind, annoy you?

No, pedestrians are top of my road user hierarchy.

Do they annoy you?

 

[BoldonLad]

No, pedestrians are top of my road user hierarchy.

Do they annoy you?

Not particularly.

Inconsiderate people annoy me, regardless of their mode of transport.

 

[Jody]

Inconsiderate people annoy me, regardless of their mode of transport.

You are inconsiderate because you listen to music whilst out walking?

 

[Deleted member 26715]

You are inconsiderate because you listen to music whilst out walking?

Why is he?

 

[Jody]

Do pedestrians, dog walkers or runners, who are "plugged in" to earphones and cannot hear your bell, as you approach from behind, annoy you?

Inconsiderate people annoy me, regardless of their mode of transport.

I got the impression people who are "plugged in" annoy him as they can't hear his approach.

 

[jefmcg]

One ear would probably destroy your spatial hearing more than both ears.

No, it doesn't.

 

[jefmcg]

2. Mrs Boldonlad has twice been knocked from her bicycle by pedestrians who have stepped suddenly sideways, into her path, for no obvious reason, whilst she was passing them.

Twice? Once is a misfortune, twice starts to look like carelessness. I never pass a pedestrian unless I know they have seen me or I can give them enough space to allow for sudden changes of direction.

 

[BoldonLad]

Twice? Once is a misfortune, twice starts to look like carelessness. I never pass a pedestrian unless I know they have seen me or I can give them enough space to allow for sudden changes of direction.

Well, I suppose one of the occasions does not really count, since, Mrs BoldonLad was riding along the road, and pedestrian, who was walking on footpath as we approached, suddenly lurched to their left and knocked her off her bicycle (this was in Spain, hence, we were riding on the right). For what it is worth, Pedestrian (a teenage girl, was a Brit, and suitably apologetic, however that did not prevent the rest of our day being spoiled as we spent it in a Spanish A&E, instead of the beach).

We clearly need to practice being perfect.