Peds on Pods

[top-tube]

On shared user cycle/pedestrian paths, I do try and alert pedestrians to my approach by a polite tinkle of the bell 10 yards back, just to avoid them jumping out of their skin when I do pass. However, there seems to be an increasing trend of pedestrians wearing earphones, listening to music, rendering futile my attempts to be polite.

Schools are back up here in Scotland: the worst kind of pedpod this morning was the teenage ped, who in addition to being earphoned and oblivious to approaching noises, also struggles to maintain a clear line of direction. Unless they are interpreting the blue sign on the cycle path, and think that bikes will fly over the top of them?

If you block out one sense, surely the natural reaction is to heighten the other senses to compensate, but no evidence of it as far as I can see. Should I get one of those Airzound things? What's the answer?

 

[Origamist]

If you block out one sense, surely the natural reaction is to heighten the other senses to compensate, but no evidence of it as far as I can see. Should I get one of those Airzound things? What's the answer?

Politeness and patience?

 

[Bman]

I know exactly what you mean.

I can live with the fact they are endangering themselves by being oblivious to whats going on around them, thats their problem. But it does annoy me a little the way they weave left to right cross the path, making it very difficult to politely and safely pass the podped

They do this weaving thing even on paths wider than 6 foot!

 

[Trevrev]

I can live with the fact they are endangering themselves by being oblivious to whats going on around them, thats their problem.

They're just being kids, enjoying being kids. Why should they worry about a cyclist on a shared path?
Getting past them is your problem not theirs.
I have the same problem when the schools are back, but they do me no harm wandering around listening to their sounds.
Infact i wish i could be back in their world.
Bloodyhell, it was along time ago when i was wandering to school with my sony walkman, playing some crappy stretched C90 tape!!

 

[John the Monkey]

The Crane Bell Suzu has a nice, sonorous and penetrating tone.

That, coupled with courteous and careful riding should see you right.

 

[gaz]

I very rarely use my airzound towards peds. It's rearly not designed for that. And on a shared cycle / footpath you should always give way to peds and slow down when passing them. I'm sure it can't be that hard to go around them?

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Bloodyhell, it was along time ago when i was wandering to school with my sony walkman, playing some crappy stretched C90 tape!!

Then lobbing it over telegraph wires when the tape had broken?

 

[crumpetman]

I agree that it can be a pain trying to negotiate pedestrians but you have to remember that on the shared use path they have right of way and are more vulnerable than cyclists. Just go slower, give them plenty of room and be prepared for them to change direction without looking. In fact, this is the same sort of advice I would give to a motorist in how to handle cyclists in the road.

 

[top-tube]

User3143 - I'm not confident enough to use road on this section of my commute - up hill and too many HGV's doing 50mph, but i do take the road on return leg when the gradient is with me.

Crumpet man/Gaz - agree I need to give them as much room as poss, and go round them, but not easy on restricted width cycle lane, with teenage pedpod taking weaving centre line. 25 mile e/w commute (only once or twice a week) so time of the essence - not much time to dawdle.

Trevrev - I think you're right, I was a teenager once, so I need to chill my beans a bit.

I wonder if a partial solution might be for all shared user paths to have a white line designating bikes and peds, as some lanes already do? Might at least encourage peds (and cyclists) to stick to one side, or at least to increase awareness by both parties.

 

[DrSquirrel]

If you're worried about that road section *and* pedestrians on the pavement - how about looking for an alternative route? yes, a bit longer - but what is another half mile etc when you're already moving

I know exactly what you mean.

I can live with the fact they are endangering themselves by being oblivious to whats going on around them, thats their problem. But it does annoy me a little the way they weave left to right cross the path, making it very difficult to politely and safely pass the podped

They do this weaving thing even on paths wider than 6 foot!

They aren't endangering themselves walking on the pavement listing to music.

 

[John the Monkey]

25 mile e/w commute (only once or twice a week) so time of the essence - not much time to dawdle.

Maybe it's worth timing a couple of runs - one where you slow down & chillax around them, and one where you ride as you do now.

IME, it doesn't make a vast amount of difference (imo) because you're going to be stopped at lights/traffic later anyhoo.

The roads are already full of people not caring about anything other than "making progress", don't bring that to shared paths, it's unnecessary.

 

[Bman]

If you're worried about that road section *and* pedestrians on the pavement - how about looking for an alternative route? yes, a bit longer - but what is another half mile etc when you're already moving



They aren't endangering themselves walking on the pavement listing to music.

Im not endangering them, I slow down enough for them (although, obviously I would prefer not to). But they are putting themselves at more risk, simply by their actions. They cannot hear other users approaching and their meandering could take someone by surprise.

The particular section I am referring to is used by mopeds and council (diesel) buggies as well as pedestrians and cyclists.

 

[velocipede2288]

On shared user cycle/pedestrian paths, I do try and alert pedestrians to my approach by a polite tinkle of the bell 10 yards back, just to avoid them jumping out of their skin when I do pass. However, there seems to be an increasing trend of pedestrians wearing earphones, listening to music, rendering futile my attempts to be polite.

Schools are back up here in Scotland: the worst kind of pedpod this morning was the teenage ped, who in addition to being earphoned and oblivious to approaching noises, also struggles to maintain a clear line of direction. Unless they are interpreting the blue sign on the cycle path, and think that bikes will fly over the top of them?

If you block out one sense, surely the natural reaction is to heighten the other senses to compensate, but no evidence of it as far as I can see. Should I get one of those Airzound things? What's the answer?

I tend to avoid paths these days. I am constantly having to stop because of pedestrians with dogs roaming free, they never seem to hear the bell,and don't keep the dogs on a short lead.
And on top of these problems there are barriers.Which I then have to dismount to get around.
why don't the road builders just bring the edge of the road in a metre from the white line? Roads like this are a pleasure to ride on. You feel comparitivley safely
There is just one road like this around here, and it is used a lot by cyclists, the other roads have a wide grass verge, which could be taken in a couple of feet easily.
But I don't see the government releasing money to do this,even if they had the wisdom to do it.

 

[EssexRider]

Want to see annoying pedestrians... try riding along southend sea front towards westcliffe.. (long way from you i know)


it has a path for pedestrians ONLY
and next to that a curb with a normal road size for cyclists going in both directions ONLY
then after that an island before the main road...

I've hit a few people from them just walking straight into the cycle path without looking to see whats coming and then they wait on the island and look for cars?
If they dont do this they just walk down the cycle path and expect you to move for them.

 

[marzjennings]

However, there seems to be an increasing trend of pedestrians wearing earphones, listening to music, rendering futile my attempts to be polite.
What's the answer?

It's only been an increasing trend over the last 30 years, have you missed it.

Answer is, learn how to give way and go around people.