I learned that one should never expect people to do the right thing in any situation and to be prepared for them to do the wrong thing. If I have to come to a complete stop to avoid a collision then that is what I do. I want to avoid a collision or a fall at any cost. More of a problem in the distant past when I would be strapped into the toe clips and I had to make a sudden stop.

We have a great bike path near our house but we avoid it on weekends or if going on a Saturday or a Sunday we do so early in the morning before the mothers with their strollers and chat group get there. On bike paths that are poorly designed and provide insufficient forward viewing of the pathway I will be riding at less than 10 mph with my hands on the brake levers so when I encounter people who are tuned out and walking abreast I have a good chance of being able to avoid a collision.

Bike pathway etiquite is not something that is taught and so it is a lawless environment one uses at their own risk. In the event of a serious collision it does not matter who is at fault and attorneys are very expensive.