Pedestrian called 999 to report me cycling on a cycle path...
- Thread starter OneArmedBandit
- Start date
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- Tags
- cycle path
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Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
winjim
Smash the cistern
If there were good, safe, shared paths taking us where we need to go, my wife would buy an e-bike and a trailer and we'd cycle our daughter all over, to the childminder and nursery etc. But there aren't, so she won't, and we can't, so we take the car instead.
So even if you don't mind cycling on roads, and as a relatively fit and confident cyclist I enjoy it, decent cycle paths would mean less motor traffic to share them with and would benefit everybody.
Ditto.
On Friday I was cycling along the Avon & Kennet Canal tow path, nice and slow as there were plenty of pedestrians and cyclists (on the outskirts of Bath). As I passed anyone I called out "Hi, I'm cycling on your left/right [which ever was applicable}" A lady obviously heard me say this two or three times but did not acknowledge me when I said it to her. As I drew level she turned and said "you ought to have a bell!" I simply replied "I prefer to talk to people, it's much nicer" she didn't have an answer to that!
On Friday I was cycling along the Avon & Kennet Canal tow path, nice and slow as there were plenty of pedestrians and cyclists (on the outskirts of Bath). As I passed anyone I called out "Hi, I'm cycling on your left/right [which ever was applicable}" A lady obviously heard me say this two or three times but did not acknowledge me when I said it to her. As I drew level she turned and said "you ought to have a bell!" I simply replied "I prefer to talk to people, it's much nicer" she didn't have an answer to that!
BrumJim
Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
- Location
- Selly Oak, Birmingham
I often find myself walking along a cycle part of a shared path, forgetting I don't have my bike with me.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
It's all well and good until you're driving, can't use a cycleway that you often do and it takes a while to figure out how to get there...
I think all riders should have a bell fitted for towpath (& similar) cycling, whether your bike comes not fitted with one, or if the are uncool etc .99p is no big deal, everybody has to be reasonable using a shared space.
But I have found the same as you, bell or talking, neither is good enough for some tossers.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Why a bell, when I have a perfectly serviceable voice that is many times louder and maintenance free?
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
99p bells are usually made of cheese. Expect to spendabout £5 for a decent one unless you get lucky.
Why a bell when you've got a voice? Because shouting at people is usually rude.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
And many people complain that being pinged at by a bell is also rude. You can't please all the people, so best to concentrate on what works rather than worry about what offends.
What people think is an irrelevance - what functions as a suitable warning is the matter at hand.
What people think is an irrelevance - what functions as a suitable warning is the matter at hand.
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FishFright
More wheels than sense
Shared paths rarely present me with a problem as I tend to ride them very slowly , double walking pace ish. At that speed it feels more like a shared space rather a bike lane with moving chicanes.
Having a bell gives you the moral high ground and removes their opportunity for dumb "bell-less" comments.
My .99p Wilko bell did break recently on the towpath, it gets a lot of action, but I think it was 5 years or so old............
