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RANT: silent bicyclists in Lincoln Park

Started 3 years ago by Anonymous
Latest reply from Anonymous

Anonymous
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\"On your right!\"
\"On your left!\"

Please LEARN those two little phrases and USE THEM.

Your speeding bike *could* injure a person, you know?

Posted 3 years ago #
vincent
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I actually hit someone last week, because when I yelled \"on your left\" they jumped left right in front of me.

They were walking three across talking in the bike lane on the waterfront downtown.

your opinion is cute, but ultimately useless.

Posted 3 years ago #
beachdrivegirl
Member Profile

I was one of those nearly hit people becuase I got confused a few years ago when I first moved to SEattle and I heard \"on your left\" from behind me... I was so confused and started to spin around but unfort. the wrong way...lucky for me I didnt get hurt and the bicyclist was friendly enough when in all actuality he should have been pissed.

Posted 3 years ago #
Bonnie
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I kind of get freaked out when I hear someone yell \'on your left!\' to me but that\'s just my problem because I need to be aware of my surroundings. I\'d like people to let me know when they are coming. If they hit me, it\'s my fault.

Posted 3 years ago #
flipjack
Member Profile

Any considerate biker will just sloooow down when they are around walkers.
Those commands are really meant for a biker to pass another biker. Most pedestrians don\'t get it and they can\'t move fast enough or they do things like above and get confused.
When your on a bike YOU have to take responsibility for running into a ped, just like other moving vehicles would.
And I\'m talking from a bikers point of view.
The only time this doesn\'t matter is when someone is not paying attention and walking and talking or texting messages into their cell phone...in that case go ahead and side swipe.

Posted 3 years ago #
JayDee
Member Profile

When I visited Vancouver B.C. the law required bikers to have a bell on their bike. Since that visit I use a bell to announce I am coming (on dedicated paths open to bikes and peds). As I get closer, I ring more.
Generally, the conscious un-iPoded peds figure it out, look behind and see me coming. At that point they choose a side of the path and I pass on the other. This avoids the left/right confusion.

Generally, if I see a pink Barbie bicycle I nearly always stop because random motions usually affect them regardless of the bell or the parent telling them what to do.

Posted 3 years ago #
CMP
Member Profile

LOL...I was at Lincoln Park around that time speeding off to the pool but I don\'t think I came close to hitting any pedestrians. I had to slow down b/c they were all in my way and I like to think I proceded with caution. I even have a bell on my bike but rarely use it since it will startle people worse than yelling out \"on your left\".

Posted 3 years ago #
flipjack
Member Profile

You might try mounting one of those little compressed air horns that boaters use on your bike.
That\'d shake some booty.

Posted 3 years ago #
beachdrivegirl
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Flipjack, you just cracked me up. i literally almost fell out of chair laughing w/the idea of a boat blow horn! I love it!!!

Posted 3 years ago #
longtimelurker
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The first time I heard on your LEFT I moved the wrong way ... oops, not pretty! I thank the biker who slowed down for the klutz that I am. ;-) I\'ve been fine ever since.

Posted 3 years ago #
thriftwaygirl
Member Profile

I think most (okay maybe not most, but a lot of us walkers) have moved to the left when they hear \"On your left!\" Especially the first time we hear it.

It is truely a strange phenomenon.

I like the blow horn idea, heck, I don\'t even use a bicycle and I am going to purchase one tomorrow.

\"On your left! HONK!!!\"

Posted 3 years ago #
guidosmom
Member Profile

Yes... my dog (on a short leash) has almost been run over many times by bikes in Lincoln Park who fail to yell \"on your right/left\". We have always respected joggers and people on bikes, but if you are going to sneak up behind us please make your presence known.

Posted 3 years ago #
RainyDay1235
Member Profile

Bikers need to slow down when passing pedestrians, just as cars have to slow down when passing bicyclists. Technically it\'s not the law and can be very annoying, but doing anything else is just asking for trouble.

Posted 3 years ago #
Bernicki
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I\'m one of the people who only hears \"...left!\" and then moves in that direction. I prefer hearing a bike bell.

Posted 3 years ago #
charlabob
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Good g-d is that what that means ??? How about, \"I\'m going to slow down and try not to hit you or scare you to death?\"

I\'m a little cranky with cyclists, since one made a left turn in front of me on California last Sunday and then gave me the finger. I guess I was supposed to stop going straight through a green light so he could make an illegal left turn? Or does \"yield\" not apply to fat guys in spandex? Who knew?

Posted 3 years ago #
Anonymous
Member Profile

Amen charlabob.

Posted 3 years ago #
barb
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charlabob I agree 100 percent, but if you ask a lot of the bicyclists they are totally in the right for doing whatever they want to do because they are not driving cars. At least that is what a few people have implied

Posted 3 years ago #
guidosmom
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I am curious, do bikes have the same speed limit as cars? I\'ve seen so many bikes fly past me going down hills, but have never seen them get pulled over.

Posted 3 years ago #
JanS
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guidosmom...sometimes I wonder, when they\'re going 10 mph in a 30 mph zone...lol, so it works both ways :)

Posted 3 years ago #
glocson
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Geez, it\'s like Harley-Davidson riders have become \"fun\" and the Harleys themselves have become \"pretty\" or \"really neat\" because they have a purple paint job and a stick-on bullet hole cling-on(because a real sticker would hurt the doctors or lawyers paint on his financed motorcycle). And in the meantime the \"bikers\" or cyclists have become the new Hell\'s Angels.
Lighten up folks and use your ears. If I\'m slowly riding my bike and a walker or runner comes up on me does she/he (not a he she)need to say anything? No, because I use my EARS and my EYES!! Sorry to type yell. I\'m grumpy and tired. Oh and bike vs. pedestrian game of \"chicken\" tonight. The fun starts at 8:30 at 61st and Alki.

Posted 3 years ago #
JanS
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glocson...bicyclists aren\'t usually coming up slowly behind us when we\'re walking. I have a condition that sometimes makes me weave a bit when walking, and if you go sailing by without a warning of some sort, it might be disaster for both of us. I think what most people are saying here is...common COURTESY, which you seem to be lacking, should happen on both sides. Give us peds a break...you may be one sometime..I\'m sure that your bike isn\'t welded onto your arse.

Posted 3 years ago #
ellenater
Member Profile

I too go left when I hear it. That is very weird. I thought I was the only one! I hate bicyclists.

Posted 3 years ago #
Anonymous
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Hey, no need to drag Ellen Degeneres into this. She\'s a big fan of bikes.

http://www.bicyclenewswire.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showrelease&cid=59&id=160

The rest of your rant just plain doesn\'t make sense so I\'m going to assume you have some emotional trauma going on in your life. Hope things get better soon.

Posted 3 years ago #
JanS
Member Profile

glocson....way to welcome a newcomer to West Seattle (ellenator). Seems you\'re bound and determined to get personal and downright nasty on here. I think you really need to take a step back, use your god given gift of reading, and read the rules about comments getting as personal as they did above. Not everyone rides a bike, or as I said above has it welded onto their a**...and in your case, I might use the word \'up\', too.

What makes you so cranky all the time? C\'mon...you must have a teeny lovable side.....right? let us in on it.

Yes, you can damned well go around...you are no more important than other people on the paths at Lincoln Park...ya need to get over yourself :)

Posted 3 years ago #
JanS
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JT...maybe we should let her know that he\'s taking her name in vain...mebbe she\'d come up here and ride circles around him :D

Posted 3 years ago #
glocson
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I know I get a little mean sometimes. But watch and listen to your surroundings you guys. Watch out for yourselves. I just think you should know more of what\'s going on around you. You should really be careful in some of these parks in this day and age.

Posted 3 years ago #
glocson
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Jans:You say I\'m mean or \"nasty\" and a sentence later you talk about a seatpost up my @$$. You are a real trip!

Posted 3 years ago #
angelescrest
Member Profile

Ellenater,
When you say, \"I hate bicyclists\", I am scared. Gosh, I love to get around w/out the car...and sometimes my daughters ride w/me (and/or their father). And, you hate us? Are you going to purposely get too close or what? (Been there.) I don\'t know what all the glocson vitriole is about, but bicyclist-hating seems dangerous to me. And, I walk across ped-x, just like I was taught a million moons ago.

Posted 3 years ago #
JanS
Member Profile

glocson...but I said it all with a smile. As angelescrest said, she wonders about your \"vitriole\". I even suggested that you must have a loveable side (starting to wonder - lol)

I am all for everyone (bicyclists included)to always be aware of their suroundings. But sometimes you can\'t hear a bicyclist until they\'re right on top of you...I know, it\'s happened to me. I also agree with you that no one group (including bicyclists) has exclusive rights over any path at Lincoln Park.

Lastly, you need to lighten up in your comments (something we all need to do at times). You left your rant at Alki, and just transferred it to this thread. We all get your point..it\'s been made and taken. None of us is perfect, and none of us deserves the comments that you made to ellenator - that truly was spewing nastiness about someone you don\'t know. Whatever you want to think to yourself is just fine, but it looks like we all (including bicyclists) sometimes need to think, reread, etc. before we \"type talk\".

Posted 3 years ago #
austin
Member Profile

ellenater, \"I hate bicyclists\"..

How do you cope with this hatred? How do you justify it? I can\'t even comprehend that kind of moral position. I can only hope you don\'t choose to exact your hatred on some innocent biker while you\'re driving home some day.

Posted 3 years ago #
JanS
Member Profile

ok...I hate sardines....that doesn\'t mean that I\'m going to go out and bash them....lol..

then there\'s this..the shoe on the other foot...

http://autos.aol.com/article/news/_a/clash-of-wheels-mars-portlands-bike/20080721102509990001?ncid=AOLCOMMautodynlsec0004&icid=100214839x1206155151x1200312134

Posted 3 years ago #
Anonymous
Member Profile

Okay, my opinion is \"cute\"? Really? No, seriously?

I think a lot of bicyclists don\'t realize they are UTTERLY silent. I can\'t tell you how many times the first we recognize that a speeding bike was behind us is when it was whistling past us.

I\'ve never had a problem telling left from right, and have always moved out of the way (the correct way) when alert.

So yeah, anyway, thanks for the interesting responses, with the exception of those who choose to insult others rather than offer constructive input.

Posted 3 years ago #