[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.

[Polar Bear]

You’re talking about sidewalks and not multi-modal paths?

[Mrprez]

Multimodal paths. There are no sidewalks. I ride on the neighborhood streets. Just easier that way.

[Bilyclub]

Down South bikes and walkers share some paths which carts are not allowed. I would prefer bikes be on the street cart lanes.

[rustyp]

Solely my opinion yelling "on your left" maybe more harmful than helpful. We are a community of seniors. Hearing loss is prevalent with age. Walkers especially on the MMP's tend to hug the right side. Why - because they know a golf cart will be coming behind them where they can't see. They also recognize the sound of a golf cart instantaneously without having to look. Thus they know the situation and are not startled and less likely to jump. So when a cyclist yells the walker needs to deductive reason for multiple items rather than go into a trained response like move over to your right. 1 no forewarning like an engine sound. 2 The yell startles them and then the concentration goes into digesting what was said not necessarily run for cover. 3 Natural reaction when startled is to seek safety. The walker is already on the side of the MMP and a natural reaction maybe moving to center is safer than spraining an ankle on the edge of the blacktop and grass. Thus they went in the exact opposite direction the cyclist wanted them to go.

Solution - maybe ? Remember when we were kids the bikes had the bell you pushed with your thumb ? If most of our cyclists were equipped with this it could be a better situation than yelling. The walker gets used to what that sound means and now instinctively knows how to react. Like how your were trained what the good humor truck sound meant. Eliminates what did they say to interrupt also. Like knowing the sound of a golf cart.

MY Point - a bell VS. yelling could make for more of an instinctive VS. interpretive situation for the walker.

[Dotneko]

Or, being the idiot i can sometimes be, hears 'on your left' , then turns around to see who is yelling, then cant decide if that means the old left or the turned around left. By then the cyclist has just run into me lol.

A 2020 video about it on you tube- which as a biker I have met all of these scenarios.

How different people react when you pass them on a bike. - YouTube

[vintageogauge]

When I ride my bike I stay off of the walking paths as I fear that one of the dogs is going to jump in front of me and I'll run into it's leash and either hurt myself or the dog, neither of which I want to do. I use the MMP's or side streets. Sometimes I have to use the paths to get from one point to another and I have a bell which I do believe has never been heard by anyone when I used it. It's just more relaxing and safer to be on the MMP's or streets. Golf cars can go right around me just like they go around slower golf cars. That being said I would not ride a bike north of 466 unless it's on a side street.

[Mortal1]

Originally Posted by Mrprez

Multimodal paths. There are no sidewalks. I ride on the neighborhood streets. Just easier that way.

of course there are sidewalks and many of the 30mph streets only have a white line marking the auto from cart/bike and pedestrian path.

Now...per Florida state law bikes are allowed on sidewalks, but must yield to pedestrians and if a sidewalk is present the law states all pedestrians(includes runners)must use said sidewalk or will get a warning or fine.

I have seen motor scooters on the MMP and they expressly forbidden. Still see them though.

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by vintageogauge

When I ride my bike I stay off of the walking paths as I fear that one of the dogs is going to jump in front of me and I'll run into it's leash and either hurt myself or the dog, neither of which I want to do. I use the MMP's or side streets. Sometimes I have to use the paths to get from one point to another and I have a bell which I do believe has never been heard by anyone when I used it. It's just more relaxing and safer to be on the MMP's or streets. Golf cars can go right around me just like they go around slower golf cars. That being said I would not ride a bike north of 466 unless it's on a side street.

normal human voice 70db average
normal human scream 88db
normal bicycle bell 90-120db

[Mrprez]

They are not sidewalks. They are called walking paths. I’ve never heard anyone call them a sidewalk.

[VApeople]

Originally Posted by vintageogauge

When I ride my bike I stay off of the walking paths as I fear that one of the dogs is going to jump in front of me and I'll run into it's leash and either hurt myself or the dog, neither of which I want to do.

We don't ride our bikes north of Route 44. We ride a lot on he walking/biking paths in the Southern Area.

If we encounter walkers with a dog, we slow down a lot and the walkers always pull their dog closer to them. Then we can easily get past them.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Mrprez

They are not sidewalks. They are called walking paths. I’ve never heard anyone call them a sidewalk.

The concrete paths along the side of the road for people to walk on are no longer called sidewalks?

[Polar Bear]

I think references to sidewalks, walking paths, multi-modal paths, and golf cart lanes on roads are mixed and very unclear in this thread. I would hope the references people are making would be clarified before this thread takes a turn toward nastiness which can so easily happen due to such misunderstandings.

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by Mrprez

They are not sidewalks. They are called walking paths. I’ve never heard anyone call them a sidewalk.

Wahhhhhhhhht? You must be referring to the MMP's.

From dictionary.com:
side·walk

/ˈsīdˌwôk/
Learn to pronounce

noun North American

noun: sidewalk; plural noun: sidewalks

a paved path for pedestrians at the side of a road.

Example: