Originally Posted by
Brian Ratliff
This was originally a reply from the thread listed in
post 47 above. I didn't realize the thread was a year old, so I repost it here:
Perhaps we can all start a movement where overtaking people say "stay" or "stick" like the guys on the track do. It is an order, rather than a description: "on your left" is a
description of your imminent actions; "stay" or "stick" is an
order to hold your line. People respond intuitively to orders. One has to decipher a description. This is why people tend to move left when you say "on your left". Their mind is interpreting this subconsciously as an order to action, and it hears "left". Fill in the blanks (which your mind also does subconsciously) and you arrive at an order to move left.
It's like the movement toward the flashing yellow arrow for unprotected left turns that is going on in Oregon now. Even for people who know what it means, the solid green dot does not intuitively mean "unprotected left turn"; it's a symbol describing what should be done, rather than a symbol ordering you to do something. There's not much learning to do to determine that a flashing yellow arrow is an order to "yield to traffic during the left turn".
Perhaps if the passer had called out "stay" before passing, our OP wouldn't have his panties up in such a tight wad.
Interesting . And thank you for contributing something constructive, so refreshing.
I am just sharing my opinion on the semantics and psychology of the word "stay", bear with me a bit.
IMO, most people don't race and may be somewhat confused by that command, initially. But you may be correct, maybe studies have shown that this word causes less "drift effect", so I'm cool with that.
(I definitely did not "drift left" , no time to, and again, no warning of "on your left" was given. And another thing, let's all be aware that sometimes the guy in front of us may be allegedly "swerving/drifting" to avoid that broken bottle, etc.
Sidenote: chances are that rider in front of you will not be looking in his mirror. Maybe he is navigating through six broken bottles, so this activity may last twenty excruciatingly long seconds... Do not immediately assume he is in trouble, and be all "Jim Dandy to the rescue"...
I think the word "stay" would have been just fine, shouted out from within earshot from behind. Sure. Okay.
Being a higher frequency, it may carry better than "on your left". I think people will drift left as they are looking left, as you noted.
I was always taught to pratice being able to make eye contact with a rider or driver behind me without changing my line.
But I gotta tell ya, the police whistle rocks. That Oriental girl I posted about previously heard me from an impressive distance, and it was on the same noisy road!!!
You just give a referee-quick "tweet-tweet", and people snap right up. Don't give a long blast on the thing. A lot of people in town smile and wave in appreciation, as this is kinda different, as is my custom designed rechargeable, inexpensive, but way powerful helmet lamp, which is lit even in daylight.
The cops have been using captain's whistles for ages, because it carries better, uses less energy than hollering, and since it sounds like a chickadee's happy call, it tends to not antagonize pedestrians, motorists, and bike riders.
In town here we have mountain bike cops BTW, pretty cool bunch they are. Always up for a friendly chat, and some give me old bike parts.