italktocats

even idiots are allowed to ride a bike

howsteepisit

Not in Latvia, apparently

kickstart

One must take into consideration that those vehicles are not capable of instantaneous and dramatic changes in direction like cyclists and pedestrians, and they typically operate in a far more predictable way on roads than cyclists and pedestrians do, and when on MUTs there is even less order and formality which requires more cooperative interaction.

kickstart

There has been hyperbole displayed by both sides of the issue. Those who choose to believe the use of earphones will cause the sky to fall, and those who choose to believe wearing earphones only causes busybodies and old hens distress. In reality the truth falls between the two, and its having the awareness of the potential issues that matters, not what one chooses to belive.

wphamilton

Sure, I'd add "simply misguided" and "prone to snap judgments" in with that group.

You don't even know that the guy with earbuds has anything turned on. You don't know the volume level if he does. You don't know that he even has hearing; perhaps he's deaf and has earbuds so that you don't try to talk to him. You don't know that he doesn't have full awareness with any volume of music. People assume that there's automatically a problem, and that really is a case of choosing to believe something.

I've said it a couple of times, I judge someone's potential distraction and skills by observing them as I approach. Earbuds, helmet, clothes, type of bike, none of these common sources of judgment enter into it - just their positioning and movements in context with what's going on around them. I don't choose to believe anything at all about their headphones.

kickstart

But you are aware of the potential right? If you're approaching a couple of joggers from behind on a MUT, one with earphones one without, do you really not watch the one with earphones any closer?

I rode about 60 miles yesterday and passed many cyclists and pedestrians wearing earphones without issue, but there was one jogger who wearing them who didn't respond to my bell and decided to cross from the right hand side of the trail to the gravel track on the left hand side of the trail just as I was passing her. I had to brake, swerve, and ring my bell repeatedly to avoid her, fortunately I was going a little Under 10 mph because of prior experiences.

It was my awareness of the potential issues, and my extra caution for those who wear earphones that prevented a collision.

wphamilton

I am aware of the potential, but no I don't watch the one with earphones more closely. I watch the jogger more closely who shows no awareness. Who shows no response to my alert, overt nor with body language. I get the u-turn joggers, one of the biggest hazards in my opinion, but I see no correlation with earphones. Looking at their watch, or some other device, slowing down, changing posture and losing their line, those are my tip-offs and I've seen it with or without earphones. Plus being near a landmark or mile marker (after around 2,000 trips on the commute I know where they're more likely to turn around, but that's another subject).