New Yorker humor: When a cyclist says, "On your left"
 

LOL :bike:

I think this explains all the sleepy pedestrians I keep running into.

From now on, I will just yell “Go to your right”

Along the same lines, when you say to someone, "Don't look behind you," the first thing most people do is look behind them.

When I started riding and sharing a bike path with joggers and skaters, I very quickly realized no one but other road cyclists knows what "On your left" means. Upon hearing it, everyone moves to the left.

I found if I said "Coming up behind you on your left," people would actually move to the right.

One day I was passing a cyclist who looked to be in his eighties and said my usual, "Coming up behind you on your left!"

To which he responded, "Don't write me a damn novel! Just say on your left!"

Love it!!!

I find head/earphones more of an issue with joggers, pedestrians and other cyclists. Many times no one moves a hair when I say "on your left" just because they can't hear :rolleyes:

+1

I stopped using directional warnings a long time ago. A bell or "coming up behind" will let them react any way they want, including not altering their present course, which is usually fine. The idea is not to startle, and in fact I prefer no warning at all when possible. Once, with three women walking in the middle of a narrow neighborhood street, I slowed to a crawl and gave a very gently and quiet "coming up behind". One of the women convulsed, stiffening upright, then fell over backward, still in the stiffened position, with her head hitting the pavement with little or no bracing from the rest of her body. She had blacked out momentarily. She came to quickly was lucid, and seemed okay. But we kept her on her back and called EMTs. She was an older woman so a little scary.

^^

Yup. The sprucycle bell does a great job. I don’t say anything anymore. Just ring the bell and I adjust to their reaction. The bell will cut through any distraction including headphones.


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beep beep
 

said somewhat loudly and a few hundred feet behind the walkers works well nearly every time. then they know someone is coming and they either simply move over to their right or look back to see who is beeping and then move over to their right.

The customary method of overtaking other cyclists in NYC is to scream, "HOLD YOUR LIIINE!!!" as you mercilessly buzz them on the off-ramp of the MBB/QBB. This shows that you are an experienced* Crit Racer and worthy of their respect, possibly a little praise.

I'm with the 'don't say anything + use a bell' crowd, though I do find that Loud Hubs Save Lives on MUPs. Just quit pedalling for half a second and the sound of your CKs/WIs/DTs will prick up most non-plugged ears.





*Cat 5

I usually just wave or say good morning/evening, no need to bring politics into it.

That's hilarious! OMG, I say that all the time, mostly to cyclists. So far (knock on wood), there have no no misinterpretations. I have a bell on my "city bike" which I use liberally when necessary.

Bells are the best because they just freeze for a few seconds and you can just drift by.

"Passing!"

all i say