Lockdown crowds!

[brianleach]

Those of you claiming that ringing a bell startles people, have you a harsh bell and/or are you waiting until you are too close before ringing?

Please carry on with the bell. If you sneak up behind me while I'm walking and speak, I may well use my stick to ensure social distancing, if you know what I mean.

I have not made a study of this but I ride different bikes all with different bells. Whether they are harsh or not is a matter of opinion but they seem to startle every time. Just my experience.

[Psamathe]

Those of you claiming that ringing a bell startles people, have you a harsh bell and/or are you waiting until you are too close before ringing?

Please carry on with the bell. If you sneak up behind me while I'm walking and speak, I may well use my stick to ensure social distancing, if you know what I mean. :twisted:

Mine is just a small "bell" with a plastic sprung hammer you pull back and ping, not something I regard as "harsh".

It may be that rural lanes and towns differ because many of those who used to be startled were on deserted lanes alone and probably "miles away" in their mind expecting nobody, looking out for wildlife rather than traffic.

I will often call out from some distance away (not loud shout and sometimes from too far to be heard) and often it's just a call to let people know I'm coming past i.e. I'll call out "Morning, I've plenty of space" as silent approach can shock people as you come into their view alongside them.

(But I've hardly managed 2-wheels over the last year so not had problems people fending me away with sticks).

Ian

[DevonDamo]

Those of you claiming that ringing a bell startles people, have you a harsh bell and/or are you waiting until you are too close before ringing?

Please carry on with the bell. If you sneak up behind me while I'm walking and speak, I may well use my stick to ensure social distancing, if you know what I mean.

Why are you threatening to hit a fellow cyclist with a stick for their choice of giving a verbal warning? Keyboard gangsterism is embarrassing at the best of times, but when it's done amongst regulars on a cycling forum, it's right up there with a religious Youth Group doing a bad-boy rap.

[DaveReading]

Those of you claiming that ringing a bell startles people, have you a harsh bell and/or are you waiting until you are too close before ringing?

Please carry on with the bell. If you sneak up behind me while I'm walking and speak, I may well use my stick to ensure social distancing, if you know what I mean.

I have not made a study of this but I ride different bikes all with different bells. Whether they are harsh or not is a matter of opinion but they seem to startle every time. Just my experience.

Given that a properly-maintained cycle is pretty well silent, some people are liable to be startled whether it's your voice or your bell that you use, when approaching them from behind.

Sometimes you just can't win.

[thirdcrank]

... Sometimes you just can't win.

In a nutshell, IMO.

[mjr]

Mine is just a small "bell" with a plastic sprung hammer you pull back and ping, not something I regard as "harsh".

I think cheap pingers are among the harshest noises.

It may be that rural lanes and towns differ because many of those who used to be startled were on deserted lanes alone and probably "miles away" in their mind expecting nobody, looking out for wildlife rather than traffic.

Rural lanes are far from deserted nowadays. The middle of Winchester even less so. Maybe shouting hello is OK on a deserted lane (especially if you are far enough away to avoid a swung stick...), but that is very much an exceptional use of an audible alert.

Why are you threatening to hit a fellow cyclist with a stick for their choice of giving a verbal warning?

My comment was a warning, not a threat. If someone is startling people with bell or voice, I suspect they are leaving the "warning" too late to the point of it being audible assault ("causes a reasonable apprehension of harm") and some people will react instinctively to defend themselves.

As discussed previously, I feel that a bell carries over traffic noise and hubbub far better than a voice, so it's far more likely that a verbal warning loud enough to startle has been delivered from too close.

Keyboard gangsterism is embarrassing at the best of times, but when it's done amongst regulars on a cycling forum, it's right up there with a religious Youth Group doing a bad-boy rap.

[Jdsk]

If you sneak up behind me while I'm walking and speak, I may well use my stick to ensure social distancing, if you know what I mean.

Sounds like a threat to me. And specifically a threat of assault.

Jonathan

[mjr]

If you're trying to pick an argument about helmets please could you do it in the "Helmets" section. And without misquoting me.

I felt the quoted post looked like an attempt to start a helmet argument. It was completely unnecessary to mention that item of clothing which perverts a potentially joyful scenario for many advocates into a feeling that everyday cycling is being well and truly marginalised, that the increase in cycling is almost completely people who have been conned into thinking special equipment is required.

Happily, it looks to me like the overwhelming majority of the increase in riders around here aren't wearing plastic. They're just ordinary people getting back on the bikes in whatever they usually wear.

[Jdsk]

If you're trying to pick an argument about helmets please could you do it in the "Helmets" section. And without misquoting me.

I felt the quoted post looked like an attempt to start a helmet argument. It was completely unnecessary to mention that item of clothing which perverts a potentially joyful scenario for many advocates into a feeling that everyday cycling is being well and truly marginalised, that the increase in cycling is almost completely people who have been conned into thinking special equipment is required.

It was an observation about others who were out enjoying the sunshine and getting some exercise, along with what they were wearing, whether they were alone or not, how everyone seemed to get along just fine, and hares.

On balance I'll choose for myself what I include in my posts rather than checking what someone else thinks is "necessary".

And again: if you want to discuss helmets and your feelings about them please keep it to the dedicated section, that's what it's there for.

Jonathan

[mjr]

It was an observation about others who were out enjoying the sunshine and getting some exercise, along with what they were wearing, whether they were alone or not, how everyone seemed to get along just fine, and hares.

Yes, it was an observation and I feel the reaction was easily foreseeable.

And again: if you want to discuss helmets and your feelings about them please keep it to the dedicated section, that's what it's there for.

On balance I'll choose for myself where I put my replies rather than checking where someone else thinks they should go — and that will mostly mean I'm discussing the post in the section where it was made.

If the mods chose to move your post and our replies later, that's up to them, not us. They have so far declined to do so.

[TrevA]

I’m seeing people where I’ve never seen them before, mainly either walking or jogging on minor roads out in the countryside. I don’t have a problem with this. I did have one encounter with 2 ladies who chose to walk, one on each side of the road about 9 feet apart. I just rang my bell and said “coming through in the middle”. No problem for me or them.

Many of these people are at least a couple of miles from the nearest village, and you would never have seen this prior to lockdown. I think it’s just people out for their daily exercise because, with the shops being closed, there’s not much else to do and it’s one of the few valid reasons to be out and about.

[Postboxer]

Gyms closed too. I wonder if the gyms are worried too many of their customers may have learnt that it is possible, cheaper and maybe more enjoyable, to exercise outside.

[Postboxer]

Far from the madding crowd
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-y ... e-56232546

That has to be a deliberate attempt to get on the news.Why else would you pitch a tent there?

Because they are idiots and also perhaps trying to hide a little as they seem to be on a small, lower area.

Apparently they had no idea it was dangerous!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-y ... e-56239268

But they have been fined.

[LollyKat]

Official advice: "Keep to paths and stay well back from the cliff edge."

Never mind the tent, look at the bottom left of the photo.

[gbnz]

I’m seeing people where I’ve never seen them before, mainly either walking or jogging on minor roads out in the countryside.Many of these people are at least a couple of miles from the nearest village, and you would never have seen this prior to lockdown.

+ 1. It is quite incredible, the only slight nuisance value being so many individuals inability to appreciate that other people walk, cycle, ride, drive along the path, track, road or whatever. As a cyclist I fully appreciate the double decker, HGV, Tractor in particular will struggle to overtake and routinely show appropriate cconsideration. So many of these"newcomers" seem to lack basic levels of awareness