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 Shawn M on June 12, 2013 at 7:26am

I personally don't say "On your left." Mainly because when someone does it to me it startles me and I think something wrong is happening, every time. I do make sure to pass someone with ample room being allowed though.

"1) I worry I am going to scare someone screaming behind them as I approach."

Thank you for not doing this to me.

"Isn't startling them the point, though? If you yell out "on your left" or ring your bell, and they get startled and move, didn't you accomplish your goal? If they don't want to be startled, then they probably shouldn't block off the entire trail."

I always bike as far right as I can on the trail so that people can pass me easily. If honking a car horn at a biker is forbidden because it may startle them, so should be yelling at them.

Permalink Reply by blair on June 12, 2013 at 7:30am

Wait - honking at a biker is forbidden/illegal?

Shawn M said:

If honking a car horn at a biker is forbidden because it may startle them, so should be yelling at them.

Permalink Reply by Shawn M on June 12, 2013 at 7:34am

I doubt it's illegal but it's a very bad thing to do unless you have a very good reason to do so. It could scare someone, make them fall over and get them killed.

Edit to add: I have seen cyclist fall over several times from cars honking at them. It's not a good thing because you do not know each and every cyclists skills on riding. Frantically looking back can cause imbalance.

Permalink Reply by blair on June 12, 2013 at 7:36am

Yes - I get that.  Just thought I missed something when you referred to it as "forbidden".  Cabs honk at me/other bikers all of the time.

Shawn M said:

I doubt it's illegal but it's a very bad thing to do unless you have a very good reason to do so. It could scare someone, make them fall over and get them killed.

Permalink Reply by Shawn M on June 12, 2013 at 7:40am

Poor choice of wording. I apologize.

"Cabs honk at me/other bikers all of the time."

They do do it a lot and they shouldn't :(

blair said:

Yes - I get that.  Just thought I missed something when you referred to it as "forbidden".  Cabs honk at me/other bikers all of the time.

Shawn M said:

I doubt it's illegal but it's a very bad thing to do unless you have a very good reason to do so. It could scare someone, make them fall over and get them killed.

Permalink Reply by Katie on June 13, 2013 at 9:40am

I almost always say it.  I thank those who say it to me.  I too get aggravated by those who don't say it.

Permalink Reply by Erin on June 14, 2013 at 6:59am

I have found that when I am biking and I say "passing" or "on your left", many runners/pedestrians are startled or confused--not sure what's happening--so they make a big abrupt move to turn around and see what's happening and they sometimes end up stepping towards me or into my path. My mom is super guilty of this and her friend actually got hit by a cyclist due to this exact scenario. If people are walking/running predictably, I personally have found it's best not to "scare" them. And of course they likely have their headphones on, so it wouldn't mater anyway. I do say it to other cyclists though since they are more used to it and likely won't make that mistake.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on June 14, 2013 at 7:28am

Alright. You have now created a previously unknown need for me to learn a few unpleasant phrases in Russian.

Serge Lubomudrov said:

Erin, this is exactly why I use my bell and siren. Ever heard how a train gives signals when approaching a road crossing? Something like that: I start dinging the bell two or three hundred feet from a runner or walker I'm about to overtake. If they acknowledge my warning somehow (by glancing back or waiving hand), great—no more bell. If not, I will ring again, and again, then sound the siren. More often than not, it gets message across. I try to make sure they have been warned. If there's an idiot running in the middle of the trail with noise-cancelling headphones on, I will yell, preferably something unpleasant, and not necessarily in Russian, to ensure they understand how stupid they are ;)
Permalink Reply by bk (aka: Dr. Mambohead) on June 14, 2013 at 8:48am
I am wondering if people can even hear your noble attempts at civility when their ears are corked by digital isolation units.

Birds? Surf? The lyrics of a breeze? One's own thoughts? Yawwwwwn.... Boooooooring!

It has also become nearly impossible to distinguish the crazy street people from those jabbering away on their headsets.

I feel greatest the scourge on the lfp are the inconsiderate wanna-be "atheletes" that have no regard for anything but their own self-absorbtion.

Peletons of a-hole cyclists swarm the lfp every morning at speeds they cannot possibly consider safe. All with helmets... Thank Jah!

My experience? My policy? Having been chased, threatened and bullied while riding on my victorian toy?... Is that one interacts with our simian-minded fellow humans at ones own risk.

No limits. No boundaries. Swagger. Be your true self. Have pride. Be fierce!..

And now?... with that attitude?...

...Let's get out there and try to have a civilization where everybody is "equal". As if.

On your left. Noble in deed, indeed.

Adoreable.
Permalink Reply by Charlie Short 2.9 on June 14, 2013 at 9:12am

I've been thinking about this thread and what I actually do when I'm on the trail.  I absolutely say "on your left" to every cyclist I pass. I also slow down before I pass them, so it's a lot easier for folks to hear me, and then I don't have to shout (I can also see if they have headphones.) It seems to work pretty well.

When it comes to to pedestrians, well, there's no good rule for anyone. I read an earlier comment that said that joggers and/or runners are well behaved. That's true for what I believe to be the population of runners that are experienced and use the trail all the time. At peak, those folks make up only a small percentage of the trail, and are themselves put in a position where they are forced into traffic or off the trail.

As far as what I do, it comes down to calling out when I think my or someone else's safety is in danger. There's not much more you can do. Ride predictably and keep to the right when you can and set an example for other folks.

Permalink Reply by David Barish on June 14, 2013 at 10:17am

Motorized vehicles generally do not have the ability to modulate their sound.  That would be a great thing. You could have a hard and soft beep. It would be cool if the pressure you put on the horn effected the volume. Soft push for "hey buddy just letting you know there is a car on your left: and harder push for "oh my God I don't think you saw that little kid who is about to cross the street."  Of course, we would have to give drivers music lessons and few of them would have the requisite skill. 

On the bike, we do it all the time. I have a whistle, a call and a war whoop depending on the situation. I also have a bike bell. The bell is perfect for a "passing on  your left" situation. Its not aggressive but its discernible. You want to be heard but there is no need to use a nuclear weapon (ie.airr horn) in such situations.  This way we can minimize the startle while continuing to announce our attention.  As to the noise cancelling headphones- I have commented  on other threads about cyclists using them. The best I can say is its all a part of natural selection. That gene may not live to breed. If you are walking or running with phones they should allow some environment in and you should not monopolize the lane.  We will do our best to avoid you and give you every bit of consideration.  Those who survive you will never believe us.

Back to the thread-- announcing our intention is what this is about. Its a good thing to let people know what you are doing so they can make a decision about what they will do. 
blair said:

Wait - honking at a biker is forbidden/illegal?

Shawn M said:

If honking a car horn at a biker is forbidden because it may startle them, so should be yelling at them.

Permalink Reply by Dovah Cat on June 15, 2013 at 5:53am

I noticed so many more people kindly saying "on your left" this morning (myself included) on the LFP. Maybe the drizzle made folks that much more polite, but I like to think The Chainlink gets a lot more readers than we think. :) 

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