What Happened to "[Passing] on Your Left"? . . .

. . . Or "on your right"?

In order to be ready to run a marathon this October, I've started to appear more often on the LFT as one of those annoying joggers a.k.a. runners.

I do try hard to be not very annoying, though, given my own reaction to 'em joggers. Do upon others, practice what you preach, and all that. I look back before making turn or changing lanes, I even point to the direction I am about to make a move, just like I would do when I ride my bike.

I found that something is almost totally missing now.

It didn't take me long to realize what it was: almost never do I hear a warning from cyclists overtaking me, even when they pass within a couple of inches.

Has "passing on your left" gone out of fashion? Do cyclists save their breath, considering that runners and others will not hear them, anyway?

Or, may be, cyclists are trying not to annoy runners?

WTF?

(Sorry, Chi Lowe ;)

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on June 15, 2013 at 12:46pm

Like Serge I am both a runner and a biker.

I have agonized over this issue too as sometimes I feel it is better to say nothing so they don't get more anxious. I would say about half the time - depending on how much other traffic there is, I say "passing on the left."

The LFP is getting out of hand; we need to have separate bike and jogging paths. In most places the space exists it seems to me.

For those of you biking on the LPF, this is NOT the place to bike fast. You will just have to accept the fact that the LFP is filled with tourists, high school kids, strollers, etc. - they just aren't looking out for bikes much of the time. Thus, you always have to defer to the walkers/runners. If you want to do high speed biking, try some of the suburban routes. City riding - and I say this as someone who bikes the LFP every day - is not designed for high speed travel.

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Permalink Reply by Sonny Sherwood on June 17, 2013 at 4:35pm

Agreed

Naomi Ruth Jackson said:

Most joggers I've seen run pretty predictably and avoid swaying into main traffic. I try to save my stage voice for the unpredictable pedestrians on LST such as: high schoolers, people with children/dogs, and people on skates.

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Permalink Reply by Shaun Jacobsen on June 18, 2013 at 4:05am

+1

jolondon30 said:

For those of you biking on the LPF, this is NOT the place to bike fast. You will just have to accept the fact that the LFP is filled with tourists, high school kids, strollers, etc. - they just aren't looking out for bikes much of the time. Thus, you always have to defer to the walkers/runners. If you want to do high speed biking, try some of the suburban routes. City riding - and I say this as someone who bikes the LFP every day - is not designed for high speed travel.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Weeks on June 18, 2013 at 2:23pm

In a related query, why are many (maybe most) cyclists not announcing their intention to pass another cyclist in close proximity and/or at high speed? Every day I commute into Chicago, and every day another cyclist zips right up on my left, sometimes on the right, without so much as a word. Are we not on the same "team"? Luckily, I have a rear-view mirror and usually see them coming, but if I were to waver a little, there could be trouble.

Steve

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Permalink Reply by Peter G. on June 25, 2013 at 2:53pm

I was jogging this morning from the north-end of the LFP to Montrose and back. After having cycled it for the past few weeks, I decided to take the beachside walking paths path, not always contiguous, from Hollywood South (and vice versa).

Turns out it really is relaxing to be in a cycle-free space, and when it ends, well, running on the sand or grass never killed anyone. How hard would it be to mark these "scenic" routes? I know this wouldn't work on a beach Saturday or whatever, but the infrastructure exists most places to split run-walkers and cyclists up. Except for North Beach/oak street/etc.

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Permalink Reply by Josh L. on June 26, 2013 at 3:46am

btw most of the lake front path north of North Ave. has a dirt path that runs next to the paved path. There's little chance of being hit by a bike on that path so it would be "more relaxing" to use your terminology.

North of Lawrence that path in fact gets quite wide and is very comfortable to ride on.

My own view is that running on a softer surface is better for the knees but I don't believe there is hard data to back that up.