Two wrongs don't make a right

Lee Cooper wrote in to Dr. Gridlock to complain about two cyclists who buzzed him (?) as he walked on the left hand side of the Wilson Bridge path. Cooper's belief that one should walk on the left is a common one (and one that sometimes carries over to cycling) but it's wrong.

I have always assumed that just as on a road with automobile traffic, it is safest to walk to the left as close to the shoulder as practical, but facing traffic, whether cars or bikes are coming at you, so that you can see vehicles approaching and take evasive action in an emergency.

Dr. Gridlock corrects Cooper, and lets him know that on a trail, users should stay as far to the right as is safe. Regardless of Cooper's mistake, he wasn't treated well by two cyclists

But in an encounter with two bicyclists on this path, they disagreed with my view by using aggressive hand gestures as they approached and expressing contempt for me while they passed close enough to force me to stop in my tracks on the left shoulder.

I can see why the cyclists would be angry, but the best policy is to slow way down and pass with a wide berth. Perhaps politely inform the user of the rules.

Comments

[mike]

you should be on the right on the street with CARS.

on a trail, WITH BIKES and only other walkers, walk on the left. ive been doing this for 30 years...it works and is safe. i never get buzzed by bicyclists...

the walk on right always rule sounds like the Forester Bike Religion creeping in...

please do read Zach Furness' One lESS cAR: Bicycling and The Politics of Automobility. An excellent book...

[washcycle]

Mike, that's not the rule. And you don't give a reason why cyclists and pedestrians should go in opposite directions. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

[Blue-eyed Devil]

One problem with contraflow pedestrians is that if they aren't paying attention (think phonecalls, texting, chatting with other contraflow peds, daydreaming, sightseeing) and suddenly become aware of an approaching cyclist, they often panic and do the squirrel dance.

We know what usually happens to squirrels who do this with automobiles.

And yes, when this happens to me, I slow down. Not a huge pain in the ass (except when you're in a hurry), but less likely to happen if both parties are moving in the same direction.

[SJE]

Some signs on the trails would be a good idea, just setting out the "rules." A lot of conflicts/ bad feelings occur because people do not have clear ideas of what rights and responsibilities they have. e.g. pedestrians to give room and to pay attention, cyclists to give fair warning, etc.

[washcycle]

SJE, Richard Layman said the same thing on his blog and I agree.

[Barry Childress]

Without rules posted anywhere we can debate this forever. Should our next project be "Revisions to the Pedestrians on Trails Handbook?"

Seriously we need to get everyone on the same page here.