Quote:
Originally Posted by DonnaPoulin
I, myself ride a bike. It is only common courtesy when riding on the sidewalks with walkers to let them know when you are coming by yelling out "On your left". Don't just assume people can hear you coming because they don't. I cant believe more accidents don't happen. And then when you ask the riders to say something, they rudely respond back. If you don't want to be bothered with warning people, then ride on the side of the road where you really belong. I wish they had a rule that all bikers are not to be on the sidewalk before 10:00 a.m. When most people are walking their dogs or walking on the sidewalks. We need to all be considerate of one another. We are so lucky in the southern area of the villages to have sidewalks and the paths on the side of the road. There's no reason for us to feel like we are taking our life in our hands when we are walking on the sidewalks. Many people I know have stopped walking for this simple reason. It's wonderful to be able to start your day off without having to worry about getting hurt while you are just trying to get some exercise.
|
I believe that if a bicyclist runs over a pedestrian walking on a multi-modal path, the bicyclist will usually be found to be at fault if it goes to court. One nice thing about bicycles is that they have brakes and can slow down if necessary, or even stop for a few choice phrases.
Riding onto the grass for a few yards sometimes works, but be careful and use both hands. My youngest son is an expert cyclist who likes to ride centuries. One day, however, while riding across his college campus on a sidewalk, holding his laptop computer in one hand and the handlebars with the other, he swerved onto the grass to avoid a pedestrian. His bicycle’s front wheel caught in the crevice between the sidewalk and the grass, flipped him, and he landed abdomen first on the handlebars, rupturing his spleen. Only emergency surgery and removal of his spleen saved his life. That could be you!