I love your attitude.

There are a lot of assumptions being made about what was or was not behind the behavior of the others on the MUP. Could be that some of them are correct, or it could be that they are dead wrong. I Wonder what was really going on? My experience has been that in recreational settings when riders are three abreast, they're usually talking up a storm. If they're on a path that rarely gets ten people, I could see where there was little expectation they'd run into other riders. These might be very decent people who care more about others than some of you imagine. Or, they could be thoughtless, I only care about me, people too. Like I said, I wonder what was really going on?

Sounds like you ran into a few outliers, maybe weekend warriors who didn't have sense. I ride MUPS frequently and rarely see discourteous riders although I am usually out on weekdays. Walkers can be a bit more obstructive, particularly pairs of mothers side by side with giant strollers but I really don't expect them to walk single file. Even I wouldn't. Use a bell or shout out to alert them that you are passing.

I know a guy that is a very nice person, very giving. I was out riding with him in a group the other day, and he was always the one way out to the left ignoring his surroundings talking to people. Some people can't talk and ride at the same time, it's easy to get engrossed in what you are talking about and not notice what's up. On a MUP, seems like this would be even easier since your guard is down.

It's like driving while talking on a cell phone... without the cell phone...

On a trail, kids always have the right of way. The choice is: Do you give it to them or do they take it?

I agree: on weekends I run into aggressive riders FAR more often than on weekdays...

I see them flying through narrow passages and trying to squeeze down the middle between walkers going in opposite directions on either side of the trail. They do not slow down for children. It is like they are still at work trying to go as fast as they can and slowing down and waiting is simply not in their game plan. Almost like they think they are driving their car down the 4 lane highway: they can go as fast as they can without concern for other people or other drivers....

True I sometimes see that aggression on weekdays but it is 10 times more prevalent on weekends.

The weekend warriers seem to follow a different set of rules...

I was on a MUP yesterday. It climbs an escarpment about 100m and takes 8km to do it. It's tree-lined on both sides, and I can see smoke in the trees up ahead; sometimes kids have bush parties in the woods, I think. Then I see the source: a couple of mini-motorbikes (the ones that are illegal everywhere except your own property) laying down a veritable carpet of exhaust smoke between the trees as they go up. I accelerate with the intention to pass, and as I go by I get a look at the drivers. "Dad" is 30-something, mullet, and no helmet. "Son" is about 9, also no helmet. That last few metres before I passed were nearly unbearable with the amount of smoke coming out of those things.

Walkers, cyclists, runners, kids on hikes .... I doubt any of us appreciated the smoke. Not that this guy noticed, or even cared. I used to get angry at that kind of selfishness, but no more - I pretty much expect it nowadays, on and off the MUP.

Okay, that was... kind of depressing... It's too true to even be funny, so you just have to cry.

I think what some folks might have missed is we were approaching the groups head on. We were going up hill and they were coming down hill.

With that in mind they could clearly see us coming but were oblivious to the need to make room/share the trail. It boggles my mind that folks can be so oblivious....

Anyhoo I'm over it now. I love some of the posts here! I laughed! Mini bikes? Seriously?! Mullets must rot the brain in some way eh?

The worst case I've ever encountered was 2 boys and 1 girl riding toward us on the Katy trail. Neither boy could back off because that would have ment yielding the girl to the other. Eventually I had to ride off the side of the trail and stop.

What do you think would have happened if I had just held my line and let the boy collide with 400+ lbs of tandem and rider traveling 15 MPH?

It's a MUP, where the tradition of making up your own rules (or ignoring the ones you don't like) gets taken to an art form. If the other users bother you enough, you'll find another venue. If not, you'll figure a way to endure them.

When I was walking a lot I noticed that the joggers were often the worst. They were zoned out in their own little world and did not seem to care or even know that they were on the wrong side.

As a few have pointed out, we don't know what was in their minds (if anything!) But, quite often I have been in the same situation and I know that they saw me coming but still refused to move over: simple pure, selfishness and aggression. When that happens I stick to the middle of my "lane" (which doesn't allow enought room for them the hog the middle of the path and part of my side) and I don't move over until the last minute.

Occassionally I have said something if they get too close or too obnoxious. It's not the obnoxious part I worry about -- it is the danger of being run off the path or having no room to maneuver and getting into an accident because somebody didn't want to put their conversaton on 'pause'.

Basically it seems to be a case of them saying saying: "My conversation is more important than your safety".

Politely announce your presence like they do in NYC – “Hey I’m Riding Hear – A****ole!”

Another option - stop your bike, let them saunter by, and continue your ride. You might even say "Hello!" This also provides you with a bit of interval training. I wouldn't attempt to play "chicken" with them. Any accidents or injuries are your fault, period.

Life is too short.

I remember, growing up, a guy kept doing that on our road. One of the neighbors fixed the problem by throwing a garden rake under the guy's car as he sped past -- and then yelled at him for running over his rake! the guy was less than happy but, with the neighoborhood filled with 20 & 30 year old guys recently returned from WWII there wasn't a lot he could do.

Much more civilized than those obnoxious Air-Zounds!

I was on a trail outside Brevard, NC last week, heading slowly towards town from the campsite, when a young woman on a cruiser bike blew around a curve, headphones firmly crammed into each ear, and oblivious to pretty much everything else on the planet. Her left handgrip caught the top of my left hand on my handlebars, bringing us both to a complete stop in the distance between my index finger and wrist. My hand was completely numb, swelling rapidly, bleeding profusely from the blood thinners I'd taken about 45 minutes prior. She took out the earphones and asked if I was ok,to which i replied No! She kept asking if she could pour some water on it. Gee, thanks a lot! I asked her to get far away from me and watch where she was going. No cussing, no disembowelment. I was kinda proud of myself!
Lots of swelling and bleeding, but I made it to a drug store and washed and patched it up. The bruising under the skin is down to a sickly green now and I can bend my finger ok without pain.
Beautiful ride though. That part of the country is loaded with trails and a wonderful vacation spot. Gotta take the bad with it sometimes.

That's a good point. As much as we complain about overzealous law enforcement, look at how many complaints get posted about the lack of rule enforcement on MUPs.

How's the air quality where you live? Do you think that the auto companies, power plants and industrial pollution sources would have reduced emissions minus any government requirements?

Too many Starbucks.

The worst I ever came across was a young guy who decided that a particularly heavily-used section of trail was the proper place to teach himself to rollerblade...backward.

Another time I came across a guy coming towards me on a mountain bike, riding no-hands, while he strummed a full-size dreadnaught guitar. Potentially dangerous, sure, but a real effective demonstration of the doppler effect.

I want to do a new bike personal time trial on a 44 mile round trip MUP I'm fond of, and I'm planning on doing it wicked early in the morning. I hope I have lite traffic now that the summer is over. I plan to be as courteous as I expect in return.

Start your ride at 03:00 like I did for my morning ride. Doubt you'll meet anyone on the route. I do mine on roads which are, for the most part, well lit. I have a headlight, MagicShine 808e, and a tailight, Radbot 1000--I wouldn't dare ride in the dark without good lights. Heck, I use them in the day too.

The MUP you are referring to is turning into a dangerous circus on the weekends. The Park Rangers have commented on the present crowd using the trail. A few weeks ago there were three EMT requests on one Sunday alone. Today was one of the worst days we have seen for those who take chances and care nothing about the trail rules or the safety of other trail users. During the week, no problems. Weekends are another thing entirely.