Cyclingkip wrote:Hi everyone. I have anxiety and I am actually really confident cycling on cycle paths, just not the road. I have encountered a group of mums and children who don’t seem to care that I am cycling towards them on a shared path. So I ring my bell to let them know that I am coming as they don’t seem to acknowledge me and never move. Everyday this happens and one mum usually shouts at me. Does anyone know how to deal with verbal abuse? I used to shout back at people saying I’ve done nothing wrong but I found that this usually made the situation worse.
Stick your tongue out at them. The mums won't know what to do and the kids will find it hilarious.
Bonus points if you put your thumbs in your ears and waggle your hands at the same time?
EDIT: I'll point out that on towpaths etc. I'll warn people verbally that I'm coming past on their left/right. It seems to work most of the time except for the occasional person who doesn't know their left from their right. Most pedestrians seem to appreciate this.
Annoying Twit wrote: Stop, look at her sadly, then say 'I hope you get the help that you need.' Then slowly cycle off.
............anyone tried that?
I have phoned a company and pointed out that soliciting sex..... in their case offering to perform a sexual act was illegal, however I was glad to see that they embraced diversity by employing such an openly gay person
What on earth has your comment got to do with the two posts that you are responding to?
Annoying Twit wrote:................I'll point out that on towpaths etc. I'll warn people verbally that I'm coming past on their left/right. It seems to work most of the time except for the occasional person who doesn't know their left from their right. Most pedestrians seem to appreciate this.
Yes - I've found that generates a civilized, and sometimes friendly, encounter. I've witnessed that not everyone on a bike on Greenways behaves in an acceptable manner, and I've certainly encountered pedestrians who've been genuinely surprised by a cyclist's considerate and well mannered approach.
Come to a stop just before they reach you, get off and stand by your bike and take up as much of the cycling lane as you can. You are now a pedestrian, if they are coming past you then they have to move. Keep doing this every single time, if they say something/abuse you say that's a public order offence and you'll report it to the police. If coming from behind get off bike, shout excuse me and get past, if they deliberately block you/shout abuse that is a public order offence and again state you'll report to the police.
it's exactly this and many other reasons why shared paths are the devils work and totally useless and highlights that some people are utter morons and should never breed.
Hi, In my first post I tried to suggest the only way to avoid provocation, is to silently ignore / avoid any type of confrontation.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
The utility cyclist wrote:Come to a stop just before they reach you, get off and stand by your bike and take up as much of the cycling lane as you can. You are now a pedestrian, if they are coming past you then they have to move. Keep doing this every single time, if they say something/abuse you say that's a public order offence and you'll report it to the police. If coming from behind get off bike, shout excuse me and get past, if they deliberately block you/shout abuse that is a public order offence and again state you'll report to the police.
it's exactly this and many other reasons why shared paths are the devils work and totally useless and highlights that some people are utter morons and should never breed.
There is also the art of "standing still"
I use this a lot when walking as well as on the bikes or trikes.
Simply stand still and make them flow around you. Works in shops, pavements, cycle paths even on the road.
NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi, In my first post I tried to suggest the only way to avoid provocation, is to silently ignore / avoid any type of confrontation.
+1
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120 Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
The utility cyclist wrote:Come to a stop just before they reach you, get off and stand by your bike and take up as much of the cycling lane as you can. You are now a pedestrian, if they are coming past you then they have to move. Keep doing this every single time, if they say something/abuse you say that's a public order offence and you'll report it to the police. If coming from behind get off bike, shout excuse me and get past, if they deliberately block you/shout abuse that is a public order offence and again state you'll report to the police.
it's exactly this and many other reasons why shared paths are the devils work and totally useless and highlights that some people are utter morons and should never breed.
There is also the art of "standing still"
I use this a lot when walking as well as on the bikes or trikes.
Simply stand still and make them flow around you. Works in shops, pavements, cycle paths even on the road.
Also when driving, if they try to bully me into going faster I slow down/stop to let them by
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120 Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Annoying Twit wrote:EDIT: I'll point out that on towpaths etc. I'll warn people verbally that I'm coming past on their left/right. It seems to work most of the time except for the occasional person who doesn't know their left from their right. Most pedestrians seem to appreciate this.
I rarely ride towpaths (maybe a few city canals) but I find verbal warnings rarely work. Even if they're heard, walkers seem unable to differentiate between "I'm coming past on your left" and "please move to your left". Maybe it's my voice (I've been told it sounds angrier the louder it gets), but I find a sonorous bell from a good distance is much more likely to lead to a outcome where everyone seems happy.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
The utility cyclist wrote:Come to a stop just before they reach you, get off and stand by your bike and take up as much of the cycling lane as you can. You are now a pedestrian, if they are coming past you then they have to move. Keep doing this every single time, if they say something/abuse you say that's a public order offence and you'll report it to the police. If coming from behind get off bike, shout excuse me and get past, if they deliberately block you/shout abuse that is a public order offence and again state you'll report to the police.
it's exactly this and many other reasons why shared paths are the devils work and totally useless and highlights that some people are utter morons and should never breed.
There is also the art of "standing still"
I use this a lot when walking as well as on the bikes or trikes.
Simply stand still and make them flow around you. Works in shops, pavements, cycle paths even on the road.
Yep, always apply this when meeting other traffic who decide to reverse give way laws...........they call it Good Samaritan....gives them a warm fuzzy stroke (stroke as in psychology).........yours is always a cold one........
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
