vol

Not crossing 5th avenue. They were crossing 53rd street. I was on 5th avenue turning onto 53rd st. It was red light for the crossing. Still red after the encounter. One even pointed at the red light blaming me.

My point is not so much about the crossing as the pedestrian grabbing my handlebar to stop me and pass before me even after I rang a dozen times. If it's not rude I have no other words.

Bike Rat

I read it as the peds ignored the red light prohibiting them from crossing 53rd, so no, they weren't right to be annoyed since both he and they were in the wrong.

Grabbing your handlebars sounds like a prickish thing to do. I'd need greater context to make a judgement, but I'd very likely be bothered by it too unless I clearly was in error.

Myself, I get really annoyed when strangers invade my personal space by brushing against me, or like the bike...touch my car. Whether inconsideration, inattentiveness, or just too fat to not invade others personal space...people always seem to bump into me with kids being the worst by actually stepping on my shoes. My community is quite obese so maybe they don't see tall, slender people as easily?

When this happens in a checkout line, to clue them in, sometimes I'll say something sarcastic like asking if they want to see my debit card PIN, or I'll loudly tell the cashier that I guess this person is paying.

FBinNY 

I'm still confused as to who had the light and who didn't. But you get what you give. You're trying to nose your bike through a stream of crossing pedestrians. I understand that you're upset that someone held your handlebars as he maneuvered across your front, but he probably felt as violated as you did, and was doing what he felt was reasonable to hold you in check.

NYC is a crowded place, we probably have a level of human contact that rivals major cities in the orient. Not making a value judgment, just telling it like it is. If this kind of thing gets to you, don't go to Tokyo and try to get on a subway at rush hour.

downtube42

https://youtu.be/O_MphtzCOEc

FBinNY 

Where can we get one of those magic bells? Do they work for geese?

steve0257

And their crap is like putting grease on the path.

vol

It's not realistic. The guy almost touched the pedestrians' ears with the bell in his hand, of course they reacted. If the bell was on a bike, at this distance, the pedestrian would have already been hit by the front wheel (or grabbed the handlebar, but that may be a unique NYC phenomenon).

FBinNY 

So you believe the guy stocking the grocery shelves thought a bike was coming?

Bike Rat

Does it work for snakes too?

Had I known Japanese, that video probably wouldn't have been nearly as funny.

While the video is a spoof, it might actually be a good idea for pedestrians to use in places like NYC...ring your bell to pass slower moving or stopped pedestrians. Myself, I now plan to use one while Christmas shopping at the mall.

Heck, this could actually make all my shopping experiences more pleasurable...grocery store, warehouse store, all sorts of places where people are oblivious to others!

vol

Toward the end of the video? I'm not sure what your point is?

I think what the video showed was that the Japanese pedestrians did not have earphones plugged in their head, and that they respected the bell alert and did move away to let a cyclist pass (instead of displaying an attitude that "You could go around to pass us").

Edit:
LOL! Just noticed the first of the top comments posted by a viewer under that video: "im gonna do this in NYC . Wait for my video . i bet nobody respects the bell here"

FBinNY 

I also don't speak Japanese, so have no way of knowing, but I suspect that the entire video is staged and probably produced as an ad for the bell.

vol

Yeah that's what I think, too; part of my point.

wabbit

sometimes people don't respond to 'on your left', so if i'm on the bike path, where there are a lot of rollerbladers and 'civilians' (meaning people who ride bikes but aren't roadies) i say "excuse me!". Usually that works since everyone knows what excuse me means.

Bike Rat

Recently I went on my first group trail run. A guy in the group was doing fartleks, so he was all over the place on a single-track trail...hey guy, do that on your solo runs. Anyway, as he approached me from behind he called out "passing on your right", so I moved to the right, oops. I of course wasn't trying to block him, or went right since I heard right, it's just that when I hear passing (a rare event) I'm conditioned to move right. Who in the heck passes on the right?! Granted, in organized group rides, the paceline generally passes on your right, but I don't group ride...hence my rarely hearing passing.

danmc

My Japanese is not at the level of UN interpreter or anything, but basically what he's saying in the video is, "If you have trouble walking in the city you can use this 'people mover' bell to navigate more smoothly. Watch as people part and move to the side." Then he describes all the different types of people that you can get to move, such as business men, etc. It seems to be some sort of parody and not something that's someone's trying to sell.

Doohickie

People understand that a bell goes on a bike. When they hear a bell, the expect the bike to come through and there is no reason to interact. When you call out with your voice, even when try to be loud and clear, people sometimes don't understand what you've said and look around, perhaps out of politeness. I prefer the bell. It's mechanical and doesn't invite the other person to interaction like a human voice does.

mgb

Bell or voice, it doesn't matter, but please make your presence known. I run sometimes and ride sometimes on a local path. When running I'm plugged in, but I can still hear and I'm aware of bikes. Still, I've been surprised by bicyclists passing me. Some bikes are very quiet. I run to the right and I hold my line (everyone should) but other runners don't. A runner who doesn't know you're there may stop or turn around or switch to the other side. An "on your left" is polite and useful.

bikemig 

I had a flat on today's ride on the local MUP. I was sitting on the side of the road fixing it with my bike lying on the ground and a rider came through saying passing on the left. I just looked at him and said I'm fixing a flat. He had a lot of empty road (the entire MUP) to pass me safely . . . .

I don't think the guy did anything wrong but I know I would have announced myself by asking whether the rider needed any help. He had the entire MUP to himself . . .

Bike Rat

My main bike is exceptionally quiet, when trying to safely pass people or groups who obviously have no consideration for other trail users, for safety I slow to a crawling speed, then when immediately behind them, I either wait to finally be noticed, or say on your left if I'm feeling impatient. My reasoning is if they're that oblivious, in order to pass safely, I need to grab their attention.

I appreciate that you hold your line. In addition to other runners, many cyclists fail to do that, especially by cutting corners.

Bug Shield

I prefer to greet the people I am passing; "Good morning!" etc.

Northwestrider

Their angry if you do , angry if you don't. I announce my self with either ( on your left or simple beep beep ) walkers jump left or right, often startled, or they listen to music, talk to friends while walking down the middle of the MUP with their dog on a lease wandering around. I prefer a bell as it seems most easily received, but on my present rides handle bars, a bell is difficult to fit. Sooo, I tend to avoid MUP's if at all possible.
+1 to doohicke comment.

Pibber

mostly passing on your left. i commute from alexandria, past reagan, up mount vernon trail and up to dupont. if they're wearing earbuds, i give a shout and pass as quickly and safely as possible. fortunately, that ride is vacated at night and i can blast home without a care in the world.

vol

LOL! Exactly! Since when ringing a bell has become an indication of rudeness to some pedestrians (cf. post #106 above)? They take it to be an impolite demand for them to move away to let a bike pass. The bell sound means: there, you have seen me, so you aren't going to hit me, are you? You could go around!

Rootman

I didn't take time to read ALL the posts so apologies if I simply echo someone else's thoughts.

I use both bell and verbal warning depending on what I perceive may be an issue. Is the person well on the right side of the trail, no oncoming traffic and the trail is nice and wide? I ding my incrediBell a few times and pass. If I get an inkling that the person is not aware of what it around them or space is tight or I just get the heeby-jeebies for ANY reason then I also verbally warn before passing. A few times things just don't appear safe at all and I've stopped or slowed to a crawl or even walked my bike around. Combination of people not paying attention, kids running around, traffic (foot, bike, auto) or space just don't make me feel safe.

I posted this before but a few weeks ago I had a pedestrian come my way right in the middle of the trail (7-8 foot wide concrete path) I was sure he was unaware what was going on so I just stopped. sure enogh he sort of wandered further onto the wrong side and practically soiled himself when he realized I was there not 5 feet in front of him. He started so hard I thought he was gong to have a coronary. I had dinged my bell a few times and even shouted "Look out friend!". He was just so wrapped up in his own little world he was oblivious to everything going on around him, wearing a ball cap and staring at his feet. Perhaps he was hearing impaired too. I just waited a moment till he settled down and went on my way. Both he and I could of tangled pretty hard had I just taken my right of way and continued. Sometimes it just is better to STOP and wait.

Northwestrider

+ 1