Attention Cyclists

Monday, July 7, 2014
I live in Parker, Colorado. We have a lot of open space in our community, and much of it has paved trails for residents to enjoy. I've used these trails for years - first to walk Boogie the Giant Schnauzer, then to run or walk on my own, now to walk young Jackson. I share the trail with a variety of other residents - walking, running, or cycling.

And I have a bone to pick with the cyclists.

Cyclists, I don't think that it's too much to ask for you to announce yourself when you're about to pass a pedestrian. A simple "on your left" is sufficient to let me know you're coming upon me and my dog at speed. When you speak, I'm able to shorten Jackson's leash and put her on my right side to ensure she doesn't get in your way as you pass me.

When you don't announce yourself, I often have no idea you're behind me until you actually try to pass. This means that my dog, who is still young and quite reactive, is startled by the speeding object on her left, and acts as most dogs do - she lunges and tries to follow. Even Boogie the Giant Schnauzer engaged in this behavior before he hit old age. A speeding "target," especially for a sight hound, is an invitation to chase.

What I'm afraid of is that you'll try to pass me without speaking and she'll successfully knock into your bike as you pass, resulting in a wipe out. I really don't want the cyclists who use our paths to get hurt, which is why announcing yourself is not only the courteous thing to do, but the safest thing to do. I don't expect people to get out of my way when I walk Jax. The Smart Man and I are training her daily to ensure her manners improve every week. We take our responsibilities as pet owners seriously, and work to ensure our dog doesn't scare anyone or approach them without our permission. When you buzz past on your bike without observing the common courtesy of speaking, then you put all of us in danger, in spite of my family's best efforts.

And may I also remind you - there is a standard right-of-way on trails in Colorado:


Everyone yields to horses. And cyclists yield to pedestrians. So basically, you are supposed to yield to everyone else. Speaking before you pass ensures everyone stays safe.

So don't be surprised if when you fail to announce yourself when passing me and my dog, My reaction is not only to control my dog, but to shout as you pass, "ON YOUR RIGHT." Dipshits.
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ETA: An interesting conversation between pedestrians and cyclists over on Facebook leads me to make the following recommendation: Use a bell. It cannot be mistaken for extraneous conversation, and "most" people are culturally conditioned to associate a bell with a bicycle in this context. There still might be some confusion on which side the cyclist will pass, but applying standard driving rules (pass on the left, slower traffic on the right) will manage some of that. Thanks for the suggestion, Brother Seth!

1 comments:

Random Michelle K said...

I totally have a bell on my bicycle, because I don't want to startle anyone by coming up behind them, and it sounds so much nicer than "BEHIND YOU" or "ON YOUR LEFT" which startle me, which make me swerve.

And often, I can't hear what people behind me are saying. Michael has a mirror on his bike, and will try to warn me, but usually I only hear his voice, and not his words which, again, leads to swerving behavior.

Plus, it's a pleasant way to say "hi" to small kids.

Though part of me really wants one of those honky horns like clowns have.