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@Mazzie:
Personally, I am opposed to cycling on the sidewalk. It is generally more dangerous for cyclists (due to turns across the sidewalk), slower than biking on the street, and is illegal where I grew up (Georgia).

However, in general, cyclists are required to sound a bell or call out when passing pedestrians on a sidewalk or share-use path. The primary difference is that a bell is not damaging to one's hearing and is not generally the precursor to being aggressively passed by a multi-ton vehicle.

I understand the comparison you are making, and thought about addressing it in the post.

I can only say that when I cycle on a multi-use path, I generally ring my bell at least 30 yards before passing a pedestrian. If they do not acknowledge my presence, I sound the bell again shortly before passing. I generally use my bell only as a notification, with one or two "brrring-brrrings".

If a group of pedestrians is taking up the entire path or if a motorist is intruding into my path, I will signal more aggressively with my bell, generally a series of "brrrings", or a shout if I believe myself in danger of being struck by a car.

The difference is really in volume. A bike bell is a quiet notification from an otherwise silent vehicle. A horn is a loud sound that emanates from a vehicle that is generally audible even when idling and which is most often used by drivers as an aggressive act ("Hey, the light changed green 0.003 seconds ago! Why aren't you moving yet? HONK HONK HONK").

by Matt Johnson on Jun 7, 2012 11:38 am • link • report