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Exclusive, no. Not said, nor implied. But plenty of cyclists seem to think it's okay to ride in the middle of the lane when there is plenty of room to stay to the right and allow cars to pass. This is a profound lack of courtesy to drivers. There also seems to be a strong correlation between those who are content to slow traffic and those who seem to believe red lights, stops signs, and other basic rules of the road don't apply to cyclists. I've witnessed this while living on the West Coast, Colorado, and the East Coast. That's just roads. I can go on all night about the a$$holery encountered by cyclists on trails and paths in all locations I've lived. But rather than focus on that I think it's fair to acknowledge there are bad apples in every group, as well as those who are perfectly courteous.
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Originally Posted by squirrels
Actually, it is okay. With a very few exceptions such as highways, a bicycle is entitled to the use of a full lane on the road. Most cyclists prefer to keep to the side because it's courteous and often safer, but should a cyclist decide to ride right down the center of the lane, it is his legal right to do so anywhere in the US.
I did a bike safety class a few weeks ago. It was one of the key lessons. It is more unpredictable if you scoot to the side and then move to the center of the lane when there is an obstacle on the right. We have some "sharrow" lanes with bike markings in the middle. Every time I scoot over, the cars hog the space and getting back in the lane is unsafe. I only take the lane on wide multi lane roads.
You had the right of way in that situation. The cyclist should simply pass you when safe. There have been times on paths where I've had to slow or even almost stop because there was no room to pass - but that's just how it goes! You slow down until you are able to pass. That particular cyclist sounds like a jerk.
The only exception would be if it's some kind of dedicated bike only path, but that sounds clearly like a multi use path.
As far as stepping off the path, it can be courteous to provide some extra passing room but there's no requirement I'm aware of to do so.
Seems like the same situation where motorists have to be careful of cyclists where there is not bike lane. Just a little common courtesy and consideration for the other person would go a long way.
Seems like the same situation where motorists have to be careful of cyclists where there is not bike lane. Just a little common courtesy and consideration for the other person would go a long way.
I would recommend complaining to your city council person about the reckless bicyclist behavior, since it is a problem through out the whole nation, the reckless behavior by those on bicycles needs to end.
Cyclists on greenways should treat peds the way cyclists expect to be treated by motorists on the road. You share the road. As a ped, don't create unnecessary obstacles for a cyclist but at the same time a cyclist must slow down or even stop if necessary. The incident as described by the OP places the bike rider clearly in the wrong. The only thing I can think of that would come even close to being justifiable is the Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. It's set up really well with separate bike and pedestrian lanes. Unfortunately nobody pays any mind to which lane is which and peds stroll down the bike lane. I had too much of a blast riding in NY to stay mad about it, but it was annoying. Here's a street view of the setup:
And gichicago, I am one of those bell ringing cyclists. It can be almost impossible to hear me coming up behind you so I ring the bell to let you know I'm coming. Also some peds need an audible warning that their dog leash extended across the entire breadth of the path needs to be retracted. You can't really vary your bell ringing for different effect like a car horn, so I can't give you the quick 1-2 ring just to say "hey there". They all come out as "BIKE COMING THROUGH MAKE WAY EVERYBODY I'M IN A HURRY". So sorry about that.
Agree with all those points. People walking abreast, couples or no, have the obligation to stay alert if on a shared-use path. It bloody annoys me when they don't, and especially when I'm biking down a 35 MPH-limit road where the idiot local drivers go to 50 MPH (but maintain the same speed on local freeways that are posted to 55 MPH)
As a cyclist, I apologize for their behavior. If I come up behind someone moving slower than me - no matter WHAT their speed, I wait until I have a clear path to pass them -- EVEN IF IT MEANS STOPPING COMPLETELY until I can safely pass.
Thank you, you're one the more courteous cyclist. I often wear earbuds when running and can barely hear audible warnings if approached from behind.
Where I live cyclists had the right of way, but an incident happened and now pedestrians have the right of way. But where I live the parks will have signs saying who has the right of way.
I run, but I use common sense. If someone is ringing their bell I move. Usually they start ringing it from pretty far, but I'm not gonna stand there only for them to slam their brakes.
I got the cutest bell ever for my bike but I have hardly used it. Feels so abrasive! When I am on a path or sidewalk with pedestrians I slow way down, so I am basically a little faster than the pedestrians. At 5 or so mph, and pass when safe. I think that is the most polite thing. So you don't scare people.
If the path is packed, I walk my bike.
Yeah, to be clear because my previous post may have been misleading, i dont have problems with the bell itself; i use it on my citibike in NYC on occasions on the road, but on a path i'll scream "on your left" or something to that effect. But I come across folks that ring it non-stop until they pass, which is the equivalent of a motorist laying on the horn. That annoys me.
I heard a bell ringing behind me and even though I ensured the cyclist had ample room to pass she started yelling and cursing at me to "get off the path!" And get out of her &#$% way.
I think the more pertinent question is, who yells at women strolling their babies in a park?
I once had a guy yell obscenities at me and my 2 year old for canoeing too close to where he wanted to fish. Possibly my breach of etiquette to some degree, but in either case the answer is the same…
Psychos.
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