Mastodawn

So #BikeTooter seems very excited by this noise-cancelling headphone negating bell, but I don't get it. Pedestrians have priority. End of. They don't need to hear you. Many can't hear you even if they wanted to. Thinking that dinging a bell comes with an expectation of a clear run is no different to drivers honking a horn and expecting cyclists to get out the road. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
#Cycling #BikeTooter

Cycling_Liz 2d ago

@pete When you're on a shared cycle route and pedestrians are walking away from you in the middle of the path, if you can't be heard, you are stuck behind them until such time as they notice you there. It can take several minutes. It's not to do with priority, it's that often they do not share, and don't take notice of shouts, dings or anything else and when you eventually overtake them they have been known to shout at me because they claim I've not warned them by ringing my bell. 🫩🙄

Cycling_Liz 2d ago

@pete Noise cancelling headphones have their place, but their place is not on a shared cycle path.

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire 2d ago

@Cycling_Liz @pete

From my cold dead hands....

Cycling_Liz 2d ago

@ClintonAnderson @pete That's fine but if you're walking in the middle of a cycle path completely unaware of anything and everything around you, don't be surprised if people get a bit pissed off at you if you're preventing them from passing.

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire 1d ago

@Cycling_Liz @pete

Pedestrians have the right of way.

Calm down.... All you have to be is considerate. It won't hurt you.

Je ne comprends pas 1d ago

@ClintonAnderson @Cycling_Liz @pete You're absolutely correct, and that applies just as much to the person with noise cancelling earphones occupying the centre of a shared path. Having the right of way doesn't mean you don't also have to be considerate. As you say, it won't hurt you.

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire 1d ago

@zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz @pete

The more vulnerable user is the least responsible.

A cyclist should ALWAYS give way to pedestrians, ANC headphones or not.

It doesn't hurt a cyclist to slow down to pass safely, on a shared path. If a cyclist doesn't, then the cyclist is the asshole.

Signed... A cyclist.

@ClintonAnderson @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz
🚶🏼️> 🏇🏼️/🚴🏼️ > 🏍️️ > 🚙️ > 🚌️ > 🚛️

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire 1d ago

@pete @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz

Children first.... But yeah!

I want that as a sticker for my bike! For my guitar cases...

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire

@pete @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz

Also, I'd prioritize public busses (and other public transit) over private cars etc...

But that has more to do with efficiency, safety, and environmentalism

@ClintonAnderson @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz In the UK it's part of the Highway Code. https://www.motoringresearch.com/advice/hierarchy-of-road-users/

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire 1d ago

@pete @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz

In Ontario Canada it's part of the, get this, maritime code... But not part of the highway/road laws.....

@ClintonAnderson *mounts fog horn on front rack*

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire 1d ago

Don't laugh

A friend of mine who cycle commutes along a very busy road (has to, there's no other way to get to and from his work) has a compressed air horn on his bike.

Ngl it sounds like a semi truck the first few blasts.

He doesn't use it on peds, but cars are fair game!

@pete @ClintonAnderson @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz

This image does not illustrate what you (or I did until recently) think it means

https://westyorkshirecycling.co.uk/2026/04/04/why-pedestrians-dont-have-priority-on-shared-paths-and-shared-spaces/

Why pedestrians don't have priority on shared paths and shared spaces

Every time a video of a cyclist and a pedestrian on a shared route appears online, the same comments flood in.

West Yorkshire Cycling

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire 1d ago

@Pionir @pete @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz

I will continue to give pedestrians far more leeway than I will ever expect them to give me, especially on shared paths, where families, and kids, and dogs, are out enjoying life.

Me, having to slow my roll for a few seconds to ensure I pass children playing safely in no way impinges on my life negatively.

If I'm blasting my bike down a shared path and clock a kid who was just running around with their new puppy, I'm the asshole.

Don't be the asshole.

@ClintonAnderson @pete @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz

Agreed, but this was not the point of my post.

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire 1d ago

@Pionir @pete @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz

It's all I took from your post, given the dearth of information you chose to include.

If you had a different point to make, that was your opportunity

@ClintonAnderson @pete @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz

I usually slow down if I shared spaces, and most pedestrians will move to the side of paths and bridleways, so it's rarely an issue that I encounter, but I've had pedestrians shout at me variously:

Use a bell
Stop ringing that effing bell
Get out of the road
Get out of the cycle path (!)

Being a pedestrian doesn't absolve people from "don't be an arsehole"

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire 1d ago

@Pionir @pete @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz

No one said it did

Pedestrians being assholes doesn't give cyclists the right to be equal or even bigger assholes

Cycling_Liz 1d ago

@ClintonAnderson @Pionir @pete @zebulonmysterioso I suggest you read my comments again. I'm not repeating myself and I believe some of these responses are made in bad faith. It's not Twitter and people are behaving like it is. Wrong side of bed? 🙄🫩😫

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire 1d ago

@Cycling_Liz @Pionir @pete @zebulonmysterioso

Right...

"Everyone else is responsible for my bad communication" is not the defence you seem to think it is.

Have a nice life eh

@ClintonAnderson @Cycling_Liz @Pionir @pete @zebulonmysterioso the flip side of that is

"i can explain it to you but i can't understand it for you"

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire 1d ago

@n1ck @Cycling_Liz @Pionir @pete @zebulonmysterioso

Yeah, that's not a "flip side" in the least.

Alexander 1d ago

@pete I'm shocked there is no graphic for dog walkers. I was of of the understanding that they can ignore everyone else with impunity.

@BongoTwisty Funnily enough, while slowing for them, I always tell (the nicer) dog walkers that their beasties will always have priority no matter what the Highway Code says. I reason that many people hates dog walkers as much as they hate cyclists so we should stick together.

Alexander 1d ago

@pete Quite right too.

@BongoTwisty @pete

Isn't the last one just "dogs"

Alexander 1d ago

@Pionir @pete Because rules are rules in the absence of consideration and common sense...

Jon Roach 1d ago

@BongoTwisty @pete ok this is getting triggering 😃

Bruce D Porter 1d ago

@ClintonAnderson @pete @zebulonmysterioso @Cycling_Liz buses do. #HWC223