"Niv" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:I usually just say "ting-a-ling" loud enough to be heard when I come up behind peds. This usually
raises a smile. After all, who wants a heavy bell on their lightweight bike (joke).
Reminds me of when I politely called "Good morning" as I approached 2 walkers from behind on a tow
path. They moved over and I thanked them politely and with a smile but was met with a comment about
bells being obligatory.
Now what is it about some people? Until that point I'd had a nice Sunday morning ride and was on the
homeward stretch having caused no offence or danger to others and none had come my way. Presumably
these people had also come out to enjoy weather, scenery and tranquillity and our meeting was a
transient event of no great consequence but no, they had to be antagonistic.
So I stopped further along on a pretext so they could overtake me and in turn I'd have to overtake
them. For this overtake I called "Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling", they duly made way and I enquired if
they preferred that warning which elicited a smile from them and the comment "That's better".
A better outcome than from another meeting with man, woman and dog where the bell issue was raised
and ended up with the man threatening to push a stick into my front wheel, kind of think I'd gained
the moral and legal high ground at that point :-)
When approaching horses from behind I call out "Good morning/afternoon" in plenty of time, not only
out of politeness but also self-preservation. The riders are almost always grateful and polite in
return. On one occasion before I judged I was in earshot the rear rider of a group turned round and
looked at me, thinking along the lines of "she's seen me no need to warn of my presence" I didn't
call, as I rode by her she said "I'd appreciate it if you called out to us", I stated that as she
had already seen me there seemed little point but she just repeated herself. Oh well!
I must say that altercations with walkers and horse riders are very rare, most respond to politeness
and a smile in kind but the minority do make me consider buying an Air Zound.
Pete
