I'm curious if this happens in other areas? These morons will get right behind you and ring their bell, I'm certain it's a game to them to annoy people. Fair enough if you ring your bell with distance between you and pedestrian, but doing it right behind people is both pointless and frustrating..
Cyclists Using Walkways and Ringing Bell Right behind Pedestrians
ipiok on 01/08/2018 - 07:50
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I feel like carrying a bell when walking through the Sydney CBD and ringing it at dawdling pedestrians who are doing a fine imitation of Brownian motion while engrossed in their phones. Also would be useful on escalators when people stand two abreast and block anyone walking on one side.
That was hilarious
haha, this is funny but useful. I walk fast and sometimes I get stuck behind either 2 people taking up the whole path while walking or 2 people that are just looking at their phone while unknowingly taking out the all the space to pass.
Funny… But the clip really should end with him ringing that bell behind a boxer… The boxer's ring instincts kick in, and he turns and KO's the prankster :)
I've seen a person walk into a bollard while on their phone… painful to watch, but really.
I think the same of pedestrians or motorists who have earphones/headphones on - how can you hear what's happening around you? Is this a form of natural selection at play?
It depends on the situation and the purpose of the bell. If the pedestrian/s are actually blocking the path of the bike, or potentially going to, and cyclist is asking them to adjust their course or get out of the way, the bell should be rung as far back as possible to give them time. However there's also the case where the pedestrian is already on the left of the path and there is ample room for the bike to pass. The cyclist is just ringing the bell out of courtesy and the pedestrian doesn't actually need to do anything (other than not step out to the right). In this case there is no problem with ringing the bell quite close behind the walker.
Pedestrians also have a lot to learn here. If you are walking on a path and you hear a bell behind you, don't stop and turn around to have a look. There is no need to think about it. All you have to do is step to the left, or if you are already on the left, just don't step to the right.
OP doesn't understand that the cyclists are being courteous by ringing the bell. My local shared pathway has large signs explaining the etiquette for both pedestrians and cyclists.
If the pedestrian/s are actually blocking the path of the bike
By cyclist logic, no such thing right? Can you imagine the outrage if a car beeped a cyclist to get out of the way on the road?
agreed, this was my thought as well,
lets say there are 2 or more cyclists riding abreast blocking the road, a car does a friendly toot toot, not a blasting hooonk,
I wonder how that would be taken??, may be as road rage by some.What I don't understand is that where I live there is roadside that is marked for bikes, so they at least half a meter of road sometimes more, but they still ride right on the white line or on the road with the cars.
Why not ride in the middle of the roadside that's marked as a bike lane or to the left as far as safety allows, not right in the white line next to vehicles.
To me its a bit of self preservation, don't put yourself into a situation with a 800k to 2000k or more vehicle…
Also USE your lights, Always, especially the rear blinking one even in the day light, guess what that's what I teach my kids…
Keep left, wear appropriate colours and make sure your lights are on, Visibility is Key.And yes ring your bell when passing pedestrians, that's great, but not when you are right next to them, try a few meters back is good.
Sometimes putting yourself into the 'safe' bike lane puts you in more danger. Some are so close to parked cars there is a real danger of being doored. Some stop and start so often it is not practical to enter, then give way to all traffic when the lane ends.
Yes. fair point,
When motor vehicles sweep the road of debris it ends up in the bike lane. The cleanest part of the lane is the RHS.
cyclist is asking them to adjust their course or get out of the way
I'm using cyclist-on-the-road logic (and really just stirring) when I say this, but why should pedestrians have to get out of the way of a bicycle? Why doesn't the cyclist slow down and carefully go around the pedestrians? If anything, the bell is there to warn the pedestrians that there's a moving bicycle around - not the expectation that they "get out of the way".
If you are walking on a path and you hear a bell behind you, don't stop and turn around to have a look. There is no need to think about it. All you have to do is step to the left, or if you are already on the left, just don't step to the right.
You've got to be kidding! You're making a very dangerous and "blind" assumption that every cyclist will overtake on the right.
The cyclist should have to keep 1m away from pedestrians at all times. Pedestrians are allowed to walk two or three abreast
There's a stop sign for pedestrians to give way to cyclists. Yet they constantly just walk through! How can I shame them? Pedestrian society? Society of walkers?
MSPaint in 3 hours.
You believe the customer is always right, don't you. I'm not a cyclist but I have been going for left for as long as I can remember, without looking. Make your movements purposefully and the cyclist/s will go to your right. You can share the pathway. They dont wanna hit you, just as much you dont wanna get hit.
Maybe the cyclist was in a hurry to get a bargain that they saw on Ozbargain.
I'm a cyclist.
When on a shared path I ring my bell to warn pedestrians that I am passing typically when :
- Its a bend coming up and the pedestrian may do a shortcut and potential cut me off.
- There is path coming up allowing them to turn, this is to alert them that if they are turning there is a bike coming.
- They have children or dogs.
- They are walking in the middle of the path or erratically.
Cyclists I know ring the bell for reasons of safety. Very few would ring the bell for Sh!ts and Gigs.
Cyclists I know ring the bell for reasons of safety.
You have the right intention and use the bell as it was intended. Unfortunately, some people don't. Similar to hearing a car horn, I think people often take it as a "F U", more than simple a warning for everyone's safety.
I think people are getting off topic to what I originally wrote… I don't have a problem with them ringing the bell, it's the people that do it directly behind you that annoy me… it serves no purpose to either of our safety as there is no time to react, they are clearly doing it to piss people off.
They aren't doing it to piss people off. Cyclists only want to warn pedestrians so they don't get hit or shocked by the bike flying by. It would be much easier to not ring the bell and keep riding.
I would wager they're doing it directly behind you to tell you that they're directly behind you and signal that if you don't move they are going to crash into you…
@billybob1978:
Why are the bikes flying by in the first place? They should slow down to go around pedestrians.@Omitsukasa: bikes go a lot faster than a person walking, so to the person walking, if you do not ring your bell, the bike is flying past.
completely agree,
its too late when they are too close, ive nearly jumped out of my skin when a cyclist has zoomed past on a footpath or shared path without ringing., ring a few meters back or more to begin with. And its human nature to turn to have a look when you hear a noise.
when people move??
It’s the other way around in nsw. Cyclists are required to move for pedestrians.
http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/bicycle-r…When riding on a footpath or shared path, riders must keep left and give way to pedestrians.
I was on my skateboard the other day when it slipped out from under me anyway it shot off down the park lane towards a cyclists who swerved to miss it slamming into a group of 5 walkers.
One walkers arm looked pretty bad and another was complaining about her hip while the others were calling Ambo's and the cops I thought to myself gee's I'm glad I got of my board when I did otherwise I could have hurt someone and got sued.Deciding when to use a bell isn’t easy.
I cycle regularly to work on a share path, also use the path on weekends. Sometimes I ring the bell and the pedestrians jump out of the way as if it’s a Mack truck coming up behind them. Sometimes they have earbuds in and can’t hear the bell and do nothing. Most of the time it’s ib between. Some times I ring the bell far enough back and the pedestrians don’t respond and by the time I’ve realised that it is more important to steer and brake than ring the bell again. Sometimes I ring the bell before a group of pedestrians and the front of the group haven’t heard it so I need to ring again right behind or beside pedestrians further back.
In the end I make a judgement call on the space around the pedestrians, wether they look like the are going to keep left or wander, or have earbuds and use the bell accordingly. Sometimes I get it wrong, but I know that I need to give way to pedestrians and ride accordingly and pass at an appropriate speed.
Regular cyclist and pedestrian here.
There is no law requiring a bell before overtaking, but it is a long practise in Victoria and part of the code of conduct endorsed by police.
Riding on footpaths is not OK, but a lot of pedestrians equally don't know what a share path or bike-only path is. A huge issue exacerbated by headphone use is that people don't seem to hear bell rings from greater distances these days.
I've been yelled at (when when using my voice) for not using a bell when passing, and (when using a bell) for not using my voice. With some you can't win - especially where you have rang but they didn't hear through headphones, but interestingly joggers are usually good.
I've replaced my bell with a less-aggressive sounding one (older Knog Oi), on the grounds that only a full lung of air will get through a car cabin anyway. I usually give a ring about 5-10m away. If they've got headphones in/are veering into my path/have a dog I will occasionally give a second range-finding ding.
Riding on footpaths is acceptable in some states.
Yeah and for most of the year I clung to:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-30/what-can-and-cant-cycl…
But revisiting that article today it seems that's just Queensland's laws.
In the ACT cyclists can use footpaths. Ibelieve this may not be the case in other jurisdictions.
I've personally never had an issue either as a pedestrian or a cyclist.
As a cyclist I tend not to use my bell that often. It only confuses people and makes them unpredictable.
Lake Burley Griffin is a bit of a time bomb..
people walking with dogs or their kids, or parents with prams or young kids riding bikes, all going either way around the lake and then there are the cyclists out for how fast can I get around the lake and zoom in and around every one without really slowing or being cautious.
To them they probably feel they are being attentive etc, and that's fair enough, but to the regular user a fast moving bike amongst the chaos of the shared pathway around the lake area just seems dangerous. Disclaimer - most seem to be pretty good, but there are plenty that are not..
There is a shared foot path running along the Monash freeway in Melbourne where there are signs advising cyclists to ring their bells when coming up behind pedestrians. So this seems to be an established practice.
Agree that is confronting but if it is a shared pathway, you should hear them coming…most cyclists don't use lube so their chains are annoyingly loud.
most cyclists don't use lube
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Last night in Brisbane CBD, at peak hour (530pm) a cyclist was going pretty fast along the sidewalk and just dinging people. I wouldn't be surprised if they hurt someone at some point on their trip.
They seemed to be a food courier.The shared paths in Brisbane are signposted along the lines of "Pedestrians keep left, cyclists ring your bell".
My observations as a regular commuting cyclist -
- Half the pedestrians take offence to the bell like it is a car beeping their horn, the other half get pissed if you don't ring the bell and overtake silently
- Some people know what the intent is and move to the left if they can or wave thanks
- Some people panic and stop and turn around, or actually move right into the overtaking path
- Dogs can panic and become completely unpredictable in which way they will move (don't get me started on morons that let their dogs run free in non off-leash areas)My technique is if it is safe to silently fly past I will do so, otherwise a light ring further back increasing to louder rings then finally yell - usually only needed if they have both earphones in.
My technique exactly, although I admit I do hate pedestrians infiltrating bike paths (especially along the river from the Thornton ferry stop).
One other thing I used to do was stop pedalling so the ratcheting of the pawl could be heard. Mine was quite loud.
But the bell is really to say, hey I’m approaching. Not “get out of the goddam way”. If you don’t move out of the way I’d just slow down
How loud are these bells that you're getting personally offended by? If I wanted to be obnoxious I'd get a horn, not a pissy little bell that is there for 1) a legal requirement, and 2) a safety measure for pedestrians.
The amount of threads about utterly minor cyclist 'issues' on this website, it's genuinely hilarious.
I walk my dogs every day and I ride my bike on some of the same paths later in the day. When walking, I like bike riders to ring their bell at a distance to give me time to move over (but not when they’re right behind me, as OP says). When riding my bike, it feels ignorant to ring my bell as I approach someone; but I think it’s the right thing to do. But I always say thank you as I pass them, too.
I never ring my bell while riding. In fact, I don't have a bell on my bike at all now (I know its illegal in some states but no ones policing it). Bells are completely useless - no one hears it and if they do they move, they scatter in all directions. They probably cause more accidents then they avoid. I personally think they should be banned because of this. I've had times where some one behind me has dinged their bell causing pedestrians to move into my path… if they didn't ring their damn bell I wouldn't have almost crashed!
If there are people on the path in front of me while riding I either go around them wide enough that they won't walk into my path or I slow down, ask the person to move to the side politely (you know, with my voice that is a hell of a lot louder than the pathetic "ding" from a bike bell) and go around when safe to do so. I have never found myself in a situation where I thought "A bell would be handy right now".
(I know its illegal in some states but no ones policing it)
There have been police operations where bells are one of the cyclist 'problems' targeted, especially in central Sydney.
Agreed.
Commuter cyclist in Perth here, never had anyone yell at me for using my bell. Have had people yell out a thank you for using my bell and also yell at me for not using it.
I think pedestrians with headphones are a bigger problem personally.This. I call them deaf, blind and dumb … headphones in, music blasting, lurking on Instagram and weaving all over the place.
http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roads/bicycles/safety-rules/road-r…
Riding on a footpath
Generally, bicycle riders must not ride on a footpath. However, children under the age of 16 years can ride on the footpath unless there is a NO BICYCLES sign.
Bicycle riders aged 16 years or older must not ride on a footpath unless:
The rider is an adult accompanying and supervising a child who is under 16 years old.
The rider is aged 16-17 years, and is cycling under the supervision of an adult accompanying a child under 16 years old.You realise there are shared pathways right?
Was op walking on a shared footpath?
As mentioned above, headphones often mean people don't hear bells from a distance. As a cyclist you can't really tell. I ring twice, about 10 metres out, and about 5 metres out. If it's a high traffic portion of shared path (like coming up to a road crossing tends to collect people), I tend to just speak instead.
It can be cultural as well: when I lived in the USA, it was expected to always ring your bell when overtaking a pedestrian.
I guess next time the cyclist can just ride straight into you….or come past you and freak you the (profanity) out?….its more for awareness than a "GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!"
As a cyclist if i ring my bell and the pedestrian react to it i say thank you or give a thumb up as I pass them. Just so that they won't think my bell is impolite.
Same, I usually thank them and wish them a good day
I'm surprised they were actually on the path. I would have thought they would be on the road riding three abreast and discussing the latest saga relating to the plastic bag ban.
I have been guilty of not using the bell frequently enough and once slightly hit a pedestrian that unpredictably turned. It's better to be safe. Don't take it personally.
While we are complaining about cyclists - I hate it when they use major roads, like Paramatta Rd in Sydney, clogging up the bus lane.
"I'm cycling to save the environment, while I cause full busses to idle along at 10kmph."
While it's not illegal, wtf are they actually thinking? Use a side street.
Thanks for reading.
If it’s a shared pathway, they’re meant to ring their bell. If it’s a walkway they probably shouldn’t be on it.
Only in NSW and VIC. In every other state it's allowed to ride on footpaths.
I only have problems with the delivery people who use the electric bikes on the footpath, there were a few times that I almost got hit because they didn't ring the bell.
A quick warning ring from an appropriate distance is fair enough, but for constant/close range ringing I find a simple, "Mate, ring that f'ing bell again and I'll wring your f'ing neck!" surprisingly effective.
Wow, so aggressive…
this guys lifts
If pedestrians just kept to the left on shared bike/walk paths we wouldn't even need bells unless in some emergency. Being a rider it blows my mind how many people cant just walk on the left. That and their dogs on leashes spilling over on the right..
When you are driving do you have to honk your horn at upcoming traffic? no. Why because others are in their lane!
Now this sounds like vehicles being in the right lane when they should be in the left lane…
Keep left dammit… lol
Can we change the terminology to 'some' cyclist, 'some' pedestrians and 'some' drivers…. except 'all' bus drivers from Hills Bus Service.. They are all pigs.
Honestly in every single encounter with a pedestrian I make a judgement on how I signal them. Some have headphones on and can't hear me at all, i wait until I get to them and then ask them if I can get by. They jump through the roof!. Some elderly people I ring consistently from about 20m away until they eventually hear and respond. Couples holding hands usually take a while to realise I am there too. Other than that I give two quick rings and that is usually enough. That said we are not supposed to ride past pedestrians at speed anyway.
I get worse from people who decide that I should not be on the road because there is a shared pedestrian cycle pathway near by… I never ride on shared pathways. I can travel up to 50kmh. People are getting off buses wandering left right and centre, walking out of buildings while 'some' drivers don't even bother to look when they cross the shared pathways… any how, I've gone off topic
Cycling should be licensed and tested. To weed out the idiots from the people who care enough to do it properly
Doesn't seem to work too well for motorists?
https://amp.theage.com.au/national/340-000-without-a-licence…What age do you propose licensing and testing should begin?
Is it legal for cyclist to ride on pedestrian walk path?
Yes, in every state except VIC and NSW. In those states there are exemptions for children/teenagers, or adults riding with them.
I think it's fair.
There are some near-deaf kids these days who won't move unless you make a loud noise behind them.
most cyclists are guys disqualified form driving.shouldn't be on the road
Wow amazing, I didn't know that. Umm just wondering, where did you get than nonsense ?
I just made it up so I can support my own argument
Ringing a bike bells means "F you" so if you bring a cow bell and ring it back when they ring you it means "NO YOU!"
Happens all the time.
I am pretty sure the pedestrian footpaths are not for cyclists - so what they are doing is illegal.
However, cyclists get away with many things, so much so it is now normal.
Kinda like the game " We Happy Few "
Don't question, don't do nothing, everything is just peachy………….
I'm a cyclist and a motorist and a pedestrian. I hate cyclists using footpaths, when I am a pedestrian I feel intimidated when somebody on a bike tries to squeeze past me. i am normally mentally preparing for htem to pass thinking (if this moron hits me with his bike I am going to be very angry). Doesnt mean I blame all cyclists for everything that's wrong with the world, just that the idiots on the footpath should get onto the road.
…its those damn pesky cyclists again!
Answer is simple fellow cyclists, ride on the roads and leave the paths for the walkers, problem solved!
in an ideal world, maybe…but its not so straight forward though is it?
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/driver-accused-o…Tragic, Scum should be charged with Murder but he will get off light because it was only a cyclist he killed.
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