Pedestrian Plonker

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downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
Woman in her 30s with what seemed like a teenage daughter just 30 minutes back... All I did was tut when she decided to look at me, wait until I was within 1 foot of her with my front wheel and step out into the road dragging her kid behind. I brake and move around her and kind of tut and sigh and shake me head, as you would. I didnt swear, I didnt get mouthy yet she decided to shout a load of sweary abuse at me (thankfully most of it incomprehensible).

I rarely get problems with pedestrians, however upon changing my route a month or so back due to road works I now have to head through the city centre. Hanover Buildings, and all the little side roads like Castle Way (I think they're called) are horrible for people on foot just wandering into the road.

The first thing into your head is: "Would they do that to a bus?" Sadly yes. I've been on one and thrown out of my seat because some plonker there wanders into road, playing with their iPod, or not even looking where they're going.

Just two days ago I went through on a green light on Hanover Buildings and some plonker starts muttering "****ing cyclist wait at red" or something. B) For some reason the shops there and the market turn people into mindless zombies

Some one is going to get hurt there imo. The little cyclelanes around there, too, are always filled with pedestrians. Gonna start looking for another route home after this.
 

dondare

Über Member
Location
London
Some people are like that. It's a mixed bag, the human race.
 

BigSteev

Senior Member
dondare said:
Some people are like that. It's a mixed bag, the human race.

It is, but I feel that most of the nice soft centres are gone and the remainder seem to mainly be nuts :smile:
 

the reluctant cyclist

Über Member
Location
Birmingham
I'm always getting moaned at for not ringing my bell on the towpath to get around people.

I don't understand why they get so arsey - I am more than happy to wait for them and say a polite thank you when they do see and let me past.

I too have had abuse for saying "watch it" to pedestrians about to walk into me - how dare I!!!
 

iacula

Senior Member
Location
Southampton
What you say is true, but I think it is far from clear where, or even if the pedestian precinct has ended in that part of Southampton. I tend to give peds the right of way whether they have it or not.
 

dondare

Über Member
Location
London
the reluctant cyclist said:
I'm always getting moaned at for not ringing my bell on the towpath to get around people.

I don't understand why they get so arsey - I am more than happy to wait for them and say a polite thank you when they do see and let me past.

I too have had abuse for saying "watch it" to pedestrians about to walk into me - how dare I!!!

Some years ago I bought some maps from Sustrans and they sent me a free bell. !! So I fitted it and then went for a leasurely tour along the Kennet & Avon canal. I gave the walkers a polite ting when I came up behind them and not one of them, not any at all, gave any indication that they associated the sound of a bicycle bell with the proximity of a bicycle.
 
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OP
downfader

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
iacula said:
What you say is true, but I think it is far from clear where, or even if the pedestian precinct has ended in that part of Southampton. I tend to give peds the right of way whether they have it or not.

Well I've had chats with bus drivers when as a passenger on them and they seem to agree its a bit of a silly road layout. TBH I must have given way to about 30 of them before this plonker, it was just the timing. Perhaps she wanted a confrontation, I dont know.
 
dondare said:
.... not one of them, not any at all, gave any indication that they associated the sound of a bicycle bell with the proximity of a bicycle.

THey probably did, and got stubborn.

I blame the use of car horns. The car horn is rarely (in proportion to the amount of times it is sounded) used correctly, it is associated too deeply with berating other road users.

I think this contributes to a perception that any warning device including the humble bicycle bell, is interpreted as a rudely given order to "get out of my way, schnell, schnell!" and thus the reaction (given that many either don't know that they are on a shared use facility or don't care) is one of "I'm not moving for you, who the hell do you think you are, you can bloody well wait"
 
the reluctant cyclist said:
I'm always getting moaned at for not ringing my bell on the towpath to get around people.

I don't understand why they get so arsey - I am more than happy to wait for them and say a polite thank you when they do see and let me past.

I too have had abuse for saying "watch it" to pedestrians about to walk into me - how dare I!!!

dondare said:
Some years ago I bought some maps from Sustrans and they sent me a free bell. !! So I fitted it and then went for a leasurely tour along the Kennet & Avon canal. I gave the walkers a polite ting when I came up behind them and not one of them, not any at all, gave any indication that they associated the sound of a bicycle bell with the proximity of a bicycle.
IME some folk are very appreciative of the bell and others are not and actually get angered by it. I find the noisy Freehub on my campaq Kashims better as IMO folk read into that what they want as its a more gradual sound approaching them. Its a b*gger when you meet peds up a steep hill though :smile:
 

Molecule Man

Well-Known Member
Location
London
I dislike bells on bikes when I'm on foot. Most of the time in my experience they do seem to be used as a shorthand for 'get out of my way!'
On my bike I'm quite happy to slow down and ask to get past, it seems much more polite to me. However, I once got an earful of abuse from a middle-aged guy on a shared-use track in Devon after I politely asked to pass, but he was angry that I hadn't used a bell.
 
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downfader

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
I have mixed feelings about bells. I have one, a traditional "bring bring" sound, the damn thing tends to rattle like crazy when ride and annoys me but I wouldnt remove it. I think I've rung it twice in total. The old bell was a simple hammer bell and attracted a couple of negative responses when rung.

The thing is my rear wheel has a Hope Pro3 hub and thats way noisier than a bell. It says "bike" well before the bell ever could, no way I could sneak up on people like that.
 

brokenbetty

Über Member
Location
London
If a see a ped looking like they might chance stepping out I automatically check over my shoulder in case I have to swerve.

9 times out of 10 breaking eye contact like this is enough to stop them stepping out as they can't count on me seeing them in time to avoid them
 
Sheffield_Tiger said:
They probably did, and got stubborn.

I blame the use of car horns. The car horn is rarely (in proportion to the amount of times it is sounded) used correctly, it is associated too deeply with berating other road users.

:blush:
 

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