Conflict with dog walker.
Discussion
Yesterday morning I was riding along a cycle path and approached an older bloke from behind, fatty, walking slowly with two dogs, one either side of him, blocking the complete width of the park.
I moved over onto the grass to keep out of his way, clearly I took him by surprise as he shouted that I should have a bell and given him a ding dong to alert him. Maybe he's right.
I shouted back he shouldn't block the whole path.
I went out of my way to avoid him and the cheeky git had a pop at me.
I moved over onto the grass to keep out of his way, clearly I took him by surprise as he shouted that I should have a bell and given him a ding dong to alert him. Maybe he's right.
I shouted back he shouldn't block the whole path.
I went out of my way to avoid him and the cheeky git had a pop at me.
meh, some people just hate cyclists - whatever you would have done would have been wrong. You "surprised him" by cycling past - if you had rung a bell two inches behind him you would have surprised him then and that would have been wrong too! The same bloke will be driving a car tomorrow and will be behind a cyclist, and will be wishing they would get off the road and onto the pavement so they arent holding him up. Cant win.
You probably should have either had a bell if its a frequently used path or at least alerted him to your presence before trying to overtake. You dont have to, sure I get that, and he shouldnt block the path with dogs etc but but its the polite thing to do. I just cant be bothered with the aggro to be honest and ten seconds added to my journey isnt going to bother me.
I get it pretty much everytime I go out. I do have a bell and always ring it but,old people in particular never seem to hear it until your right behind them then they jump out of their skin!
The thing that annoys me most is people listening to music with earphones who have no chance of hearing you coming. I usually try to scare these prats as much as I can!
I wouldn't worry too much about it. It is annoying when you have to slow right down,wrecking your strava times but I suppose they have as much right to be there as cyclists.
A simple sorry or thank you usually does the trick and I get on my way.
The thing that annoys me most is people listening to music with earphones who have no chance of hearing you coming. I usually try to scare these prats as much as I can!
I wouldn't worry too much about it. It is annoying when you have to slow right down,wrecking your strava times but I suppose they have as much right to be there as cyclists.
A simple sorry or thank you usually does the trick and I get on my way.
What you should have done is this...
Stopped when he shouted at you. Climbed slowly off the bike. Drawn yourself up to your full height and then whipped out the old fella and then proclaimed "Will this Dong do sir" This should have been swiftly followed up by "If you bend over I'll ring your bell sweetheart".
I find this usually diffuses an angry cycling / pedestrian tete et tete.
Stopped when he shouted at you. Climbed slowly off the bike. Drawn yourself up to your full height and then whipped out the old fella and then proclaimed "Will this Dong do sir" This should have been swiftly followed up by "If you bend over I'll ring your bell sweetheart".
I find this usually diffuses an angry cycling / pedestrian tete et tete.
Do something to make some noise as you approach - it's not unreasonable for people walking to use whatever part of the path they like when no-one else is about. Even slowing down and giving an "excuse me" when you're a little distance away. Not when you're about to run them over.
I find the clickclickclickclickclickclick of Hope hubs works nicely, just slow down and freewheel for a bit as you get closer, it's enough to be obvious there's a bike approaching without the "get out of my way" implication of a bell.
I find the clickclickclickclickclickclick of Hope hubs works nicely, just slow down and freewheel for a bit as you get closer, it's enough to be obvious there's a bike approaching without the "get out of my way" implication of a bell.
rhinochopig said:
What you should have done is this...
Stopped when he shouted at you. Climbed slowly off the bike. Drawn yourself up to your full height and then whipped out the old fella and then proclaimed "Will this Dong do sir" This should have been swiftly followed up by "If you bend over I'll ring your bell sweetheart".
I find this usually diffuses an angry cycling / pedestrian tete et tete.
Yeah but think of the time lost on the strava segment... Stopped when he shouted at you. Climbed slowly off the bike. Drawn yourself up to your full height and then whipped out the old fella and then proclaimed "Will this Dong do sir" This should have been swiftly followed up by "If you bend over I'll ring your bell sweetheart".
I find this usually diffuses an angry cycling / pedestrian tete et tete.
pablo said:
rhinochopig said:
What you should have done is this...
Stopped when he shouted at you. Climbed slowly off the bike. Drawn yourself up to your full height and then whipped out the old fella and then proclaimed "Will this Dong do sir" This should have been swiftly followed up by "If you bend over I'll ring your bell sweetheart".
I find this usually diffuses an angry cycling / pedestrian tete et tete.
Yeah but think of the time lost on the strava segment... Stopped when he shouted at you. Climbed slowly off the bike. Drawn yourself up to your full height and then whipped out the old fella and then proclaimed "Will this Dong do sir" This should have been swiftly followed up by "If you bend over I'll ring your bell sweetheart".
I find this usually diffuses an angry cycling / pedestrian tete et tete.
Huntsman said:
Yesterday morning I was riding along a cycle path and approached an older bloke from behind, fatty, walking slowly with two dogs, one either side of him, blocking the complete width of the park.
I moved over onto the grass to keep out of his way, clearly I took him by surprise as he shouted that I should have a bell and given him a ding dong to alert him. Maybe he's right.
I shouted back he shouldn't block the whole path.
I went out of my way to avoid him and the cheeky git had a pop at me.
Some dogs are skittish and will frighten easily. It costs nothing to slow down and maybe say 'coming through on your right' or similar. It at least gives the owner time to restrain or calm down their dog. I speak as the owner of a skittish dog. I moved over onto the grass to keep out of his way, clearly I took him by surprise as he shouted that I should have a bell and given him a ding dong to alert him. Maybe he's right.
I shouted back he shouldn't block the whole path.
I went out of my way to avoid him and the cheeky git had a pop at me.
The alternative is you tear by and scare a big dog and it jumps on you or its owner. If the dog is hurt, then be prepared to deal with the owner who will not be happy
Edited by bakerstreet on Thursday 24th March 09:47
I used to be a polite rider, but after deciding that people are just too miserable in general I just shout 'mind your backs' and if they grumble I tell them to f off.
The number of times a dog or child have caused me to lock up and the owner/parent makes no effort to control their dog/child and then glare at you like it's your fault for riding into them.
I've become one of those rude, pushy cyclists that everybody hates, f them all.
It's like when I drive, I used to flash people out of side roads until deciding that half the people you let out don't say thanks and no bugger ever lets me out of a side road.
I'm just a miserable sod these days.
The number of times a dog or child have caused me to lock up and the owner/parent makes no effort to control their dog/child and then glare at you like it's your fault for riding into them.
I've become one of those rude, pushy cyclists that everybody hates, f them all.
It's like when I drive, I used to flash people out of side roads until deciding that half the people you let out don't say thanks and no bugger ever lets me out of a side road.
I'm just a miserable sod these days.
Huntsman said:
Yesterday morning I was riding along a cycle path and approached an older bloke from behind, fatty, walking slowly with two dogs, one either side of him, blocking the complete width of the park.
I moved over onto the grass to keep out of his way, clearly I took him by surprise as he shouted that I should have a bell and given him a ding dong to alert him. Maybe he's right.
I shouted back he shouldn't block the whole path.
I went out of my way to avoid him and the cheeky git had a pop at me.
Thank you for sharing this complete non event with us. Do you have any more? Perhaps you could regale us about that hilarious time you walked into the shop and brushed past somebody and they didn't say excuse me. I moved over onto the grass to keep out of his way, clearly I took him by surprise as he shouted that I should have a bell and given him a ding dong to alert him. Maybe he's right.
I shouted back he shouldn't block the whole path.
I went out of my way to avoid him and the cheeky git had a pop at me.
Im a dog walker ( 2 dogs) and also a cyclist, Often I commute down a old railway lines which has dog walkers that dont hear you coming, just as OP describe
Bells are ok, but often especially with horse riders they don't get heard. hence Ive taken mine off now, the animals would hear you the humans not!
When on the bike I just shout out "morning/afternoon/evening", give them a chance to put their dog on the lead/out the way then ride past @ walking pace: Job Jobbed
9/10 they will be thankful for the warning and everyone's happy!
My mate always just shouts out "cyclist behind"
I just treat people how I want to be treated, then if anyone whinges/whines/moans at me I just ride off.
Ive had it dog walking, some riders don't realise the speed differential between them and walking, whilst it might feel "slow on a bike". When My misses was pregnant a rider flew up behind us, no warning and nearly took her out,scared the s
t out of us.
Bells are ok, but often especially with horse riders they don't get heard. hence Ive taken mine off now, the animals would hear you the humans not!
When on the bike I just shout out "morning/afternoon/evening", give them a chance to put their dog on the lead/out the way then ride past @ walking pace: Job Jobbed
9/10 they will be thankful for the warning and everyone's happy!
My mate always just shouts out "cyclist behind"
I just treat people how I want to be treated, then if anyone whinges/whines/moans at me I just ride off.
Ive had it dog walking, some riders don't realise the speed differential between them and walking, whilst it might feel "slow on a bike". When My misses was pregnant a rider flew up behind us, no warning and nearly took her out,scared the s
t out of us.CoinSl0t said:
I used to be a polite rider, but after deciding that people are just too miserable in general I just shout 'mind your backs' and if they grumble I tell them to f off.
The number of times a dog or child have caused me to lock up and the owner/parent makes no effort to control their dog/child and then glare at you like it's your fault for riding into them.
I've become one of those rude, pushy cyclists that everybody hates, f them all.
It's like when I drive, I used to flash people out of side roads until deciding that half the people you let out don't say thanks and no bugger ever lets me out of a side road.
I'm just a miserable sod these days.
'People'The number of times a dog or child have caused me to lock up and the owner/parent makes no effort to control their dog/child and then glare at you like it's your fault for riding into them.
I've become one of those rude, pushy cyclists that everybody hates, f them all.
It's like when I drive, I used to flash people out of side roads until deciding that half the people you let out don't say thanks and no bugger ever lets me out of a side road.
I'm just a miserable sod these days.
Google [bot] said:
CoinSl0t said:
I used to be a polite rider, but after deciding that people are just too miserable in general I just shout 'mind your backs' and if they grumble I tell them to f off.
The number of times a dog or child have caused me to lock up and the owner/parent makes no effort to control their dog/child and then glare at you like it's your fault for riding into them.
I've become one of those rude, pushy cyclists that everybody hates, f them all.
It's like when I drive, I used to flash people out of side roads until deciding that half the people you let out don't say thanks and no bugger ever lets me out of a side road.
I'm just a miserable sod these days.
'People'The number of times a dog or child have caused me to lock up and the owner/parent makes no effort to control their dog/child and then glare at you like it's your fault for riding into them.
I've become one of those rude, pushy cyclists that everybody hates, f them all.
It's like when I drive, I used to flash people out of side roads until deciding that half the people you let out don't say thanks and no bugger ever lets me out of a side road.
I'm just a miserable sod these days.
Its the equivalent of drivers seeing one cyclist skipping a red light then declaring that they "are all the same".
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