CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Try as you might to be polite...

(19 posts)
  • Started 8 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from neddie

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  1. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Heading alongside the tramline, couple ahead (I shall be as unkind to label them as neds) walking a big dog in the same direction as me, veering off the path and back on. People walking the other way, I stop pedalling and slow weeeeeellll before reaching them, down to walking pace a good ten yards back to let the people coming the other way pass. I then take a wiiiiiiiide sweep past them, and only once clear start to accelerate properly again. At which point I hear a shout of, "Whit's wrang wi' usin' yer bell like?"

    I declined to engage in pointless conversation.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. Rob
    Member

    I do what you did, slow and wait for a gap. What would ringing the bell in that situation achieve? They'd have to stop and move off the path just so I can get by a little sooner (maybe)?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    I do think bells have a place (and I've changed my position on that post-argument-threads-passim), but don't have one on this bike yet, and in this particular circumstance it just didn't seem necessary in the slightest.

    As you say, ringing my bell would have actually inconvenienced them more!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. jdanielp
    Member

    I had a vaguely similar situation on the canal towpath the other evening when, upon spotting a dog on a long lead emerging from one of the Wester Hailes bridges, I slowed down and gave the dog and its owner a wide berth as I proceeded under the bridge. Shortly after passing the owner I heard something complainy along the lines of that I should have rung my bell... However, the primary difference in this case was that I had rung my bell as I was slowing down on approach to the bridge so I replied to point this out as I exited the bridge on the far side.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. Rob
    Member

    There's an element of society which believes the slow must always make way for the fast, and not just the ones leaning on the horn and punishment passing cyclists. I know I certainly believed this when I first started bike commuting in Edinburgh. When you have this mentality, you'd rather leap into the bushes (or ride between the yellow lines and the kerb) than inconvenience someone else.

    I think they're assuming you believe the same, projecting anger/frustration onto you then denying any fault for causing the non-existent anger/frustration.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. Nelly
    Member

    @WC, nice to catch up earlier.

    On this subject, you cant win.

    I do have a bell on my commuter bike but have had abuse hurled my way when I use it along the lines of "you scared the $%*t out of me with that bell".

    If I time it wrongly going up toward Edinburgh Park station and The Great 5 pm Exodus from RBS and BoS is taking place, I sometimes amuse myself by filtering between the bodies sans bell - and in this entirely unscientific survey I have found minimal levels of pedestrian whine.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. nobrakes
    Member

    Bells are useless when the canal towpath is populated with an ever increasing horde of people listening to their IPods at full volume. I nearly had a head on collision with one this morning under a bridge. I always ring my bell at least 3 times on approach to each brdige and slow right down, still nearly came a cropper as the guy was determined to run straight into me.

    I would like to see legislation for prosecuting pedestrians who cause accidents through their complete lack of awareness due to immersion in ifacebookagram

    Posted 8 years ago #

  8. PS
    Member

    Having been subjected to more "don't you ring your bell at me" comments than I care to remember (there are a lot of down trodden unhappy prickly people out there), I tend to deploy the bell in limited circumstances (blind corners, at a distance, for laughs).

    Posted 8 years ago #

  9. jdanielp
    Member

    @nobrakes you'll need to add Pokémon Go to that list... I saw my first phone-equipped hunting party embarking from the Student Union at Heriot-Watt earlier this afternoon.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  10. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Bells work. Sometimes.
    Bells don't work. Sometimes.
    Some people get annoyed if you ring a bell. Others don't.
    Some people don't get annoyed if you don't ring a bell. Other's do.

    Regardless, it will always be you the cyclist that's at fault. Always.

    Don't get me started on those stretchy dog leashes.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  11. SRD
    Moderator

    i was on a led ride some months ago and nearly died of mortification because the leader kept using their bell shrilly everytime they approached a pedestrian.

    moderation in everything is the only rule of life...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  12. Klaxon
    Member

    I tend to treat my bell as if it were a car horn and to be used sparingly as it usually indicates I've made a mistake or expect someone to unreasonably give way.

    Exceptions being at blind corners, passing from behind on narrow paths, or any dog walker.

    'I am here'

    Posted 8 years ago #

  13. nobrakes
    Member

    Anybody seen that Jackass sketch when they go out to the golf course with a gas powered air horn?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  14. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    I saw my first phone-equipped hunting party

    My daughter and her friends are off to hunt Pokemon on Arthur's Seat this afternoon. It's good to see her getting out the house.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  15. jdanielp
    Member

    @Cyclingmollie that is certainly a positive aspect of the new craze although there is also a definite potential for accidents due to inattentive Pokémon 'trainers' wandering around - I have been looking at the hashtag on Twitter on and off and there are various people exclaiming about how they have spent X hours walking around using the app, but have yet to spot any references to related accidents yet!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  16. amir
    Member

    It would make a lot more sense if they were hunting virtual cake. But real cake would be even better

    Posted 8 years ago #

  17. kaputnik
    Moderator

    There was a girl on the news in the US who found a dead body in a river while looking for Pokeymen. The body was unrelated to Pokemon, just a coincidence.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  18. gembo
    Member

    Recently been thanked many times for ringing my bell. Somedays you eat the bar and some days the bar eats you

    Posted 8 years ago #

  19. neddie
    Member

    Ring your bell from miles back - it's the only answer.

    Then they think you're ringing someone else, but still become aware of you.

    If they don't hear and shout "where's your bell", just ring it again after you pass...

    Posted 8 years ago #

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