ghostgirl

If I call out "bike!" or "on your left" peds ignore me or just kind of look around blankly, or even step to the left! However, when I ring my bell, they thank me as they step out of the way, or apologize. Why is this, do you think? Why does a voice warning have no effect, or generates hostility and a bell creates an instant and usually positive response?

Allen

People generally don't like responding to an order from a stranger.
A bell generates an attention response. We react to bells all the time, the phone, elevators, the chime at the door of a shop, etc.

Leebo

I like " passing left " and ringing bell.

colleen c

They hear a bell going "ding" and turn around thinking it's an Ice Cream cart

I notice bell works much better for those wearing headphone listening to their MP3. I think it is the higher frequency and resonance of the bell that wakes up their ear drum. I for one can hear a bell much better than a voice most of the time. (Don't tell that to my boss, otherwise he will start using a bell at me.)

UberGeek

Because people tend to phase out voices they hear, unless they know it's directed at them. A bell almost demands attention.

alan s 

Peds immediately know, without having to think, that a bike is passing. If you say something, they have to process, look and react, not something many are very good at, apparently.

Also, you can ring a bell much further away and several times if necessary, which is more effective than your voice.

uber_Fred

Also, when you say "on your left" people's brains have to 1) recognize that they are the ones being spoken to 2) process what is being said. People are conditioned to ignore spoken words all the time; otherwise, we'd be unable to function in society.

If you feel like an experiment, try just saying "waaah" instead of "on your left" (at the same volume.) I think you'd find that people react to an inarticulate noise far more quickly than spoken language.

Juha

Around here, verbal warnings are unheard of, and as far as bell goes, it's about 50-50 between positive and negative reactions. For the heck of it, I counted for a while during one summer, and that's about the gist of the result. Personally I think a bell is a nice, neutral warning but apparently many people consider it rude and obnoxious for some reason.

I get absolutely best results by making noise that doesn't sound like I'm deliberately trying to get someone's attention. Clicking brake levers for example. Nobody has yelled at me for that so far, they just seem content their mad hearing skillz have yet again saved them from impending doom. I hope I was kidding.

For a while I didn't bother to toe in my really noisy front brake pads properly. That worked well too, although the reactions were obviously more startled than with a less alarming sound.

--J

ks1g

I've experienced the same thing - a bike bell on a multi-use or bike path is unambiguous (so are screechy brake pads!). "Passing", "On left", "On your left" require parsing and an understanding of English shown to absent in a significant fraction of the local path walking demographic. The high pitch of a bell seems to penetrate ear buds/iPods better than voice in some cases.

sggoodri

This is what I do as well - downshifting, freewheel clicking, brake lever releasing. Usually, all I want is for pedestrians to know that I am there and to not make any sudden moves into my path as I give them wide berth at safe speed. I feel that a bell might be misconstrued as an order to "get out of my way" which isn't what I intend in such situations.

Sometimes pedestrians walking two abreast or with a dog on a long lead don't provide enough room to pass safely, and so I do want them to move over, but usually I just slow to walking speed and do the same thing described above until they notice me and move over. A bell might be more useful in such situations but I don't experience it often enough where/when I ride to bother installing a bell.

Rob_E

Yes, I like the "ride noisy" approach, too, although my drivetrain can be a little too quiet for that unless I've failed to oil it in a while. Fortunately (!) my front fender has a way of coming loose and rattling. One bike has a bell and one has a horn. Peds usually react to the bell, but seldom react to the horn. Dogs, however, always react to the horn as it sounds pretty much like a dog toy.

Monster Pete

I use a bell when I'm still a reasonable distance. A bell instantly shouts 'bike', and I think a pedestrian hearing one, then turning round to see a bike coming towards them, is more likely to interpret this positively (caution, bike approaching) than being shouted at, or equally if you wait until you're right on their heels before ringing the bell (this might be seen as 'get out of my way') Having a slightly squeaky brake also helps alert pedestrians in a fairly neutral way.

sauerwald

I do not believe that bells have much use at all.
I a driver inside his car, with the windows rolled up, is not going to hear my bell, so all it is doing is providing exercise for my thumb. I tend not to drive my bicycle in places where I am sharing with pedestrians - I don't ride on sidewalks, and if I ride on multi-use paths with pedestrians, I ride at a slow enough pace where my voice works perfectly well.

SouthFLpix

They don't work for me around here. I like how it sounds though, so I keep it on my bike.

Bike Gremlin

Absolutely no use from a bell - makes peds jump left, or right, or stop, or jump after a second pause. For me, the best thing is to just go past them, without them hearing me coming.

NoTrail

For dealing with pedestrians, I like the bell and voice option. For dealing with cars, I've been real tempted to install some sort of air-horn.

badrad

in our city, especially along the seawall and more popular pathways, we tend to have a lot of tourists both riding or walking, and so not all of them will immediately understand the english "on your left" or whatever. a bell though is pretty much universal.

Doohickie

My theory, which is mine, is this:

A bell is a mechanical alarm, one that does not require a verbal response, that carries a pretty clear signal. All creatures from squirrels to pedestrians understand its meaning.

A voice, on the other hand, is an invitation to conversation. Many people are automatically conditioned to respond when spoken to, thus the looking around toward the side where the voice came from (and sometimes movement toward that direction). To a lot of people it is impolite to not respond when spoken to.

Thus ends my theory.

LeeG

best bell, Crane

I-Like-To-Bike

What actions are others supposed to actually take when obtuse cyclists yell bicycle slang like "on your left" or "bike" at them?

It seems only dumbells haven't figured out that a bell provides all the recognition signalling required for safe passing of pedestrians and other bicyclists without the obnoxious and/or negative effects of yelling cryptic gibberish at strangers.

ThermionicScott 

This is how I've come to regard shouting signals at pedestrians. Like horses, people can be unpredictable when spooked, so it's often best just to swish past.

Easy Peasy

I find a bell works best for me provided the peds do not have hearing loss or are listening tp loud music, two common issues on my MUP.

BridgeNotTunnel

I ride through Manhattan and being heard can be challenging.

There are two auditory alerts I have found to be effective.

My low level warning is the donald duck sound/voice I taught myself when I was 8.

I don't just quack or try to say something "in duck", I pronounce a "cuh-caw!" with duck sound.

To my delight I found this most often makes people laugh, sometimes they try to make a similar or other bird sound back, and once an Asian woman looked to the sky for the approaching bird.

My urgent, long distance, or high threat level warning is the classic thumb and pointer finger "wolf whistle".

Mine is particularly piercing, and carries quite a long way.

The reaction to this alert is less positive in general, but far more effective for longer distances, or large noisy insular vehicles like semi's or panel trucks. Sometimes people whistle feebly back.

steve0257

One reason a bell may generate less hostility than saying on your left is that it can be difficult to pitch your voice so it can be heard without sounding like you're yelling at the pedestrian.

sci_femme

Barking out "Watch out" works too.