Shout out

Posted June 13th, 2008 by Barb Chamberlain

I received a note from a friend of mine about the frequent encounters he has on the Centennial Trail with truly rude cyclists. He has an idea for a "Slow down, shout out" campaign to address trail etiquette among those cyclists who need a reminder. I'm sharing the idea here in hopes you'll all lead by example, and show people cycling courtesy to counterbalance these others.

These are not the cyclists who recognize that the trail is an amenity shared by people walking, people jogging, people with strollers, people walking dogs, people in wheelchairs, people marveling at the river's highwater mark, people-people-people--in short, this is not a dedicated bike lane.

While walking his (leashed) dogs, my friend has had any number of dangerous fly-bys. Cyclists buzz past at well above the 15 mph speed limit with no courtesy call-out of "on your left" or ring of a bell or horn. When he said something to one cyclist decked out for the Tour de France, she yelled at him that people with dogs don't belong on the trail.

I'll fully admit to peddling a bit faster than 15 mph on the trail, when I have good visibility and there's no one there. I don't go that much over, and I slow down for blind corners and other users; it's not only courteous, it's smart if I don't want to eat asphalt in the midst of a tangle of leashes and toddlers.

I use my little ringy-dingy bell and say "on your left" as I pass (not sure if either makes it past the iPod ear buds, though).

And if I really want to blow it out on speed, to the extent I'm able to do that, I get on a real road where that's predictable behavior, not unexpected.

You all know it's unfair but true--any bad encounter with a cyclist makes people talk about "those cyclists". We have it in our power to show them that all sweeping generalizations are false. (Wait for it--wait for it--)

Whether it's on the trail, the shoulder of the Palouse Highway (we took a great ride out to Valleyford Sunday for a latte at On Sacred Grounds) or a bike lane, when you're catching up to a pedestrian or a slower cyclist, shout out to let them know you're coming. And if you're on the trail, slow down--that's not Lance ahead of you.

on your left

On June 13th, 2008 bleckb said:

or right, or a ring of your bell, a toot of your horn. Just about any form of warming will do. It's pretty much all you have to do or say to let people know you are passing. If you say that, most will thank you and move aside as much as is workable for them. Of course, this might lead one to wonder, just how common is common courtesy, or common sense? :-)