Shared Cycle/ Walking Path Etiquette

[Dave73]

Hi Guys,

A quick question. This morning out walking my dog along the Nepean river and there is a shared walking and bike path. I was walking along and all morning people were riding up behind me and either ringing the bell or letting me know they were coming through so I could pull my girl in close for not only her safety but there's as well. Until a bogan idiot decided he would just fly past me startling my dog and me and himself and his young kid nearly ended up on the ground. When I had a go at him it nearly ended up in a fight and lucky for him his child was with him and he eventually took my warnings to ride off. But he couldn't get through his head that he should be warning people as he is about to go past from behind them.

Was I unreasonable to have a go at him?

[Jemmy]

Its definitely shared path etiquette for cyclist to warn you, either with a bell or simply calling out. Same as it's etiquette for dog owners to use the warning to secure their dog. I'd be pretty ticked off as well, you only have to look at the recent thread about a dog being startled by a man to know that accidents can happen easily when we're startled.

[JulesP]

It isn't just etiquette it is actually a rule.

For NSW:

Cyclists

When riding on a shared path, always make sure you:

Give way to pedestrians

Keep to the left

Use your bell to warn others when you are approaching

Be careful around young children, dogs and older pedestrians, as they are often unpredictable in their movements

Travel at a safe speed so you can stop within a safe distance of pedestrians on the path

Don't know why riding a bike turns some people into total assholes. I had some idiot nearly run into me and the dogs the other day. It resulted in him riding down a kerb and hurting his nuts. Karma.

[Dave73]

I thought so. He was just a tough guy. I said to him mate just warn people that you are coming past and maybe slow down a bit when passing. But for that I was called a F wit. Which made me see red and thank fully all my training kicked in and I simmered down and didn't escalate it and me ending up in gaol and his kid traumatised from seeing his dad get hurt. No more walking along there anymore.

[Rebanne]

I always called out when coming up behind people. You would be surprised how many would just stop and turn around right in the middle of the track often blocking the way or letting their little mongrels lunge at me as I went past.

[RiverStar-Aura]

I don't get what his issue is either. Whenever I'm on a shared path with the dogs, I actually step off the path and move out of their way. Of course this can only happen if appropriately warned and I don't really do it for the cyclists either; I prefer to move my dogs away to prevent any potential accidents and to protect my dogs.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I hate it when people scold you when they're wrong and you're in the right.

If I'm riding bike - I give warning ding. I find it best if pedestrians move left - and sometimes I yell that at them too if they seem to be struggling with the concept. One pair of girls were walking on either side of the bike track leaving no room for anyone to get past, and when I dinged the bell - they obligingly swapped sides. So that might be why some cyclists opt for no warning.

However - I was walking on the street with my dog and heard a motorbike coming so promptly moved us onto the footpath - into the path of an oncoming mailman - oops.

Did get out of the way without an accident but unfortunately dog had a go which might not have happened if I stayed where I was (better distance).

The other thing I see a lot as a cyclist is a parent or dog owner feebly calling their charge to come to them, when it would be much quicker and easier all round if they just move to the same side of the bike track as their charge. I've scared the crap out of quite a few people who made that fail. Not on purpose but I thought that I could get round and suddenly I couldn't. Didn't actually prang tho.

When it's a shared path - you have to expect the unexpected - including people who have no brains.

[YippeeGirl]

I usually move over for bicycle riders just to be polite, and I hate when they come flying up behind you without any warning at all. Sometimes they can be hard to hear coming up behind you until they are almost on top of you. It's just bad manners.

One thing that always surprised and annoyed me, was people who let their loose dogs run up to our dogs when we were biking them. We had dogs run right out in front of us, and come running right up after our dogs and their owners making no attempts to call them even though they technically weren't supposed to be off lead within several metres of the path.

[Dave73]

I would of loved to have moved out of the way but it is right beside a busy road and it is the cyclist responsibility to warn people of their presence. I don't have eyes in the back of my head I looked around a minute before and no one was there as far as I could see. When I see them coming I move out of there way and get her to sit. It just makes me so angry when people are in the wrong and instead of saying sorry he calls me a name and nearly sends it out of control. If I mess up I put my hand up and say sorry.

I don't get what his issue is either. Whenever I'm on a shared path with the dogs, I actually step off the path and move out of their way. Of course this can only happen if appropriately warned and I don't really do it for the cyclists either; I prefer to move my dogs away to prevent any potential accidents and to protect my dogs.

[HazyWal]

I had never walked my dogs on a shared path until I moved down here and now it's where we walk everyday, along the foreshore with heaps of bike riders. They either ring their bell or yell out "bike" so the dog walkers know they are behind you. My two walk like a pair of drunks coming home from the pub at 3am, they're all over the shop so I'm constantly looking over my shoulder and so far I've had no problems but it doesn't take me much to snap these days so if someone acted recklessly then yeah...I'd definitely give them a serve.

[Tassie]

It isn't just etiquette it is actually a rule.

For NSW:

Cyclists

When riding on a shared path, always make sure you:

Give way to pedestrians

Keep to the left

Use your bell to warn others when you are approaching

Be careful around young children, dogs and older pedestrians, as they are often unpredictable in their movements

Travel at a safe speed so you can stop within a safe distance of pedestrians on the path

Don't know why riding a bike turns some people into total assholes. I had some idiot nearly run into me and the dogs the other day. It resulted in him riding down a kerb and hurting his nuts. Karma.

[Two Best Dogs!]

I'm hyperviligiant about cyclists and I still get surprised by them suddenly zipping past us with no warning :/ They're so quiet! One snuck up and parked stopped politely behind us at some traffic lights, the dog glanced around and saw him and jumped a foot or so in the air, making me jump. He apologised at least.

Should put little cat bells on them.

[Stressmagnet]

Same thing happened to me with Ernie at our local park. Women cyclist comes up behind us - no calling out, no bell. She had to swerve to miss Ernie and then had the nerve to call ME an 'inconsiderate decrepit c-word'. My jaw hung open. I was lost for words.

Until her next lap when I heard her coming and then jumped out in front of her (Ernie safely off the path) and told her to use her damn bell or call out. Unfortunately she ended up on her ass in the bushes as I walked off with my nicely heeling dog.

The other incident was at the same park where the cycling/walking path cuts through an OFF LEASH AREA (stupidity in planning much?). Ernie was off lead and we were practicing recalls and LAM when an old boy almost crashed into Ernie as he returned across the path. In this case, I felt bad as I thought it was my responsibility to keep Ernie off the path as much as possible but seriously, the cyclist was flying fast and I didn't see him in time. I helped the guy up, all the time getting a torrent of abuse. The guy was a regular so he should have known dogs were off lead and about. After being called a 'stupid bitch' a few times and him attempting to kick the guts out of Ernie, my patience wore thin and I stopped apologising and told him to get on his bike before I punched him. (I'm 5' 10" and a bit and a size 12 so I look mean most days).

Funnily enough, there were incidents of dog baiting in the park the next week - just in the shared area.

[Dave73]

Im very considerate of cyclists as I cycle myself but I believe it has to go both ways. But he felt that me pulling him up on not warning me was wrong and I was a F wit. But my training has taught me to rationalise between a good person having a bad day and just a bad person. I did feel he was the latter but his kid was with him so I gave him the benefit and didn't react to his aggression. He actually said that I wanted a fight and I said no I don't and you are the one that keeps stopping and arguing. Anyway Im sure we will cross paths again. Off to training and will take it out on my training partner.

[Sheridan]

99.9 per cent of Canberra cyclists do not ring their bell (many don't have one) or yell bike. I tend not to take my dogs in shared paths because I've had too many nearly hit me or my dogs.