over-compensating pedestrians

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Abitrary

New Member
The ones that you're about to knock down on a cycle path, or even on a pavement during emergency conditions...

And when they see you they move and do all the histrionics and high pitched voices, as if you're cycling has just killed a chinese kitten, in the year of the cat. And all that comes out is a high pitched 'soreeeee!'

I feel like dismounting, and explaining that not only do i come from a poor immigrant background, and had to work to get to where I was cycling to, or whatever, but I just don't appreciate the tone of their voice very much.

Whenever I cycle I notice differences in tone and attitude. Middle class work parks they ignore you, because they have a BMW, but are good at recognising potential deficiencies in oncoming cyclists skills.

ASDA jackasses, they have no such fabric of character, and the minute you say 'exsweeeze me' in a high pitched voice, as you part their posse, they shield their children and in a high pitched voice 'oh, so sowweeeee'.

Like I was the village vicar and they'd just pissed in my tea or something
 

Clive Atton

Über Member
Explain 'emergency conditions...'
 
It's called the Moro Reflex - that characteristic jerk back, head up, arms back startled move that babies do as well.

When I was young and foolish, I would scream at the top of my voice if peds stepped out in front of me, particularly going through the City of London. Used to work but it wasn't very courteous.
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
I hate the way, if I ring my bell or say "'scuse me!" some families feel the need to gather themselves into a huddle and stand still as I pass. All I need is for them to move over ever so slightly, and not step back in front of me just as I pass. I can overtake moving people without ploughing into them. The way some of them react, I must seem like a Chieftain tank driven by a drunkard...
 

PrettyboyTim

New Member
Location
Brighton
To honest Arch, if they have young children, I think it's more likely that they want to be sure that they dont suddenly run out in front of you. Certainly that'd be my concern with my youngest - not that an oncoming cyclist might swerve into the child, but more that the child might run out and either collide with the cyclist or cause the cyclist to swerve and have and accident.

As for the way pedestrians react - bikes are fairly unique in that they're the only big fast things that make very little noise. Pretty much everything else big and fast is also noisy, and the quiet things are either slow (other peds) or vey small (cats, birds etc). As a result I'm quite happy to give pedestrians a lot of leeway. I always slow down if I can see a potential surprised pedestrian ahead, and when they see you and you're already slowing down, I think it reduces the shock. They tend to give me a courteous 'Sorry!' and I give them a big grin and a 'Thank You!'
 

bonj2

Guest
What really pisses me off is when they can't decide whether to go left or right. The worst one that really took the biscuit was this jogger bloke i encountered in a park, he carried on running on the spot for a bit and I did a semi-trackstand while he to- and fro-ed left and right, completely confused as to which. After about 1 and a half seconds, he chunnered under his breath "(make your mind up!)" :evil: :blush: :biggrin:

Or when there's a load of them and, some go left and some go right, but some stay in the middle - usually the kids. They're trying to be helpful, but they've just inadvertently done the exact worst thing they could possibly have done.
 
Yes, that's why the little pingy bell is more useful than it looks - it can cut through traffic noise, and if I've rung it half-a-dozen times and they're still not paying attention, I feel quite happy in shouting "OI!!" in their ear.
 

bonj2

Guest
I do too recognise the overcompensation that abitrary observes - I once passed a woman (jogger, again :evil:) who had took to what can only be described as visibly cowering next to a bush with her arms literally shaking back and forth for no apparent reason other than that she felt the need to do an impression of someone who was about to be slowly eaten to death by a giant yeti. I shouted 'sorry!' as I went past although I'm not sure what she was so scared of, I wasn't going particularly fast.
 
When they realise there is a potential conflict they seem to do their best to throw themselves under your wheels.

The best thing I have bought recently is two motorcycle horns although they sound similar to a car horns and they work great with peds.

Probably not as harsh as an airzound and they always work.
 

BentMikey

Rider of Seolferwulf
Location
South London
My airzound always works lately. Must be that 2 litre coke bottle I use as a reservoir. :evil: Haven't made a pedestrian do the funky chicken for a while now. (j/k)

Pedestrian Terminator!
 
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Peds BentMikey.

Im happy with my car type horn thingy but my workmates dont think much of it.I think they think it's a bit eccentric or hippyish.Who gives a flying one really.As much as I dislike peds I dont particulary want to run another one
over.They are 100 db.(especially when I hit them)
 
I like to think that I can spot peds who cycle regularly as they are the ones who do the most helpful thing to a cyclist - just don't move.

I mean the kind of peds who see you coming and don't do any of the leaping around stuff, even if you are approaching quite fast, and just pause. The cyclists doesn't have to do any guesswork and can plot a safe path, and the ped doesn't have to do much more than puase for half a step.

Obviously there are exception like a gaggle of people in the middle of the path etc.

I think it really shows just how few people cycle if they are scared of cyclists on cycle paths, I bet most of those same people would be fairly happy to jay walk over a road for example.
 

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
bonj said:
What really pisses me off is when they can't decide whether to go left or right.

I've had that from time to time - I usually say "Pick a side mate" in a jocular fashion, and then go wherever they don't.

I've said before that I find ping bells utterly useless - I mostly encounter pedestrians coming through Whitworth Park (Manchester), and they either don't know what the bell sound means, or are ignoring it. "Excuse me" seems to work (although you need to slow down so they can register who's saying it, and I've only had to shout once so far (a young lady crossing the cycle path without looking, and wearing an iPOD, hence a yelled "Watch out!")

iPOD wearers, texters, and people too bloody ignorant to respond to someone politely asking them to move are the biggest pains (two girls completely ignored my "Excuse me ladies" this morning, until I went around them (which I did slowly, given that they weren't aware of me), at which point they exhibited the shock reaction outlined by arbitrary).
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
PrettyboyTim said:
To honest Arch, if they have young children, I think it's more likely that they want to be sure that they dont suddenly run out in front of you. Certainly that'd be my concern with my youngest - not that an oncoming cyclist might swerve into the child, but more that the child might run out and either collide with the cyclist or cause the cyclist to swerve and have and accident.

You have a good point about the young children, but sometimes it's quite old children, and sometimes, just two adults. When my sister and I were little, if my Mum wanted us under control she just held our hands, she never felt the need to gather us up to her in a huddle... Reins. More small children should be on reins. Proper harness ones, preferably with a cutsey 1950's squirrel painting on the chestpiece....:evil:

I do give pedestrians plenty of leeway, if I choose to use a shared path then that's the price I pay - slowing down, covering the brakes etc.

Actually what's more annoying is oncoming other cyclists who don't understand about keeping left...
 
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