The Chainlink

Most of us who use this PBL have probably experienced a pedestrian stepping in front of us against the light.  Now, there are a lot of words that might come out of your mouth in that situation.  The ones that I prefer to use now are, "Please look up! Please don't get hurt!"

After I said this a few nights ago, the woman who stepped in front of me actually smiled and confessed that she had perhaps had one too many drinks.  We then had a friendly conversation.

On some occasions, I've also said nothing, and just ridden up to the person standing in the PBL and stared at them silently.  Sometimes they've done nothing; other times they've realized that my light is green, theirs is red, and then jumped back on the sidewalk, sometimes smiling or apologizing.

Your strategies?  Your results?

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"HEAD'S UP!" is still my favorite. My results are usually a look of surprise or a quick scurry to either side. Still doesn't work through some people's headphones, but I don't want to yell louder. 

today, after the rally, I used it to go home. My 1st time seeing this, like the light for the bikes too. Didn't have no trouble with peds.

I've said "Watch Out!" "Woops!" "Close One!" "Grrr" and even "@$%@$#^@%#^" but I moved on too quickly to find out the results, sorry.

I usually shout, "heads up!" The other evening I had a totally oblivious conference attendee bolt right out in front of me on Kinzie at Wells (it was close enough that other pedestrians gasped) - her eyes fixated on a car in the main lane - and I shouted "NO!" in what I later realized was my best "bad dog!" voice. This thought made me laugh a little, though she wouldn't have been laughing id I'd decked her. It was only luck that I didn't.

Yell:

"No Brakes!!!!"

Works every time!!!!

There was a taxi in the lane this morning approaching Madison.  Given the parked cars, he must've driven the whole block in the lane.  I was walking and a biker started swearing at the cabbie.  I always avoid profanity if I want to be taken seriously by others. 

ahahahaha I might try that. I'm partial to "HEADS UP!" and ringing my bell. Saw a guy with an airzound a few weeks ago - he managed to get the attention of people crossing against the light on Lake St, as a train was going overhead.

bk (aka: Dr. Mambohead) said:

Yell:

"No Brakes!!!!"

Works every time!!!!

I think I have ridden it all of two times outside of Critical Mass, and each time I had multiple instances of pedestrians stepping into it, obviously lost in thought, as if they were stepping onto a fluffy marshmallow cloud where no harm can possibly come to you.... or just standing in it as if they were happily enjoying the wading pool at the water park...

My suggestion would be to make sure you have no toe-in on your front brakes....

...or a stuck pig. Noisy brakes seem to be a great attention-getter and they say "bike" to most people.

Jeff Schneider said:

No toe-in?  So that your brakes scream like the siren on a Stuka divebomer?

h' 1.0 said:

I think I have ridden it all of two times outside of Critical Mass, and each time I had multiple instances of pedestrians stepping into it, obviously lost in thought, as if they were stepping onto a fluffy marshmallow cloud where no harm can possibly come to you.... or just standing in it as if they were happily enjoying the wading pool at the water park...

My suggestion would be to make sure you have no toe-in on your front brakes....

Noisy but complete stop followed by a patient wait for them to finish doing whatever it was they were doing before proceeding.  And maybe a bit of acontextually conversational dialogue if they apologize or otherwise initiate.

David P. said:

...or a stuck pig. Noisy brakes seem to be a great attention-getter and they say "bike" to most people.

Jeff Schneider said:

No toe-in?  So that your brakes scream like the siren on a Stuka divebomer?

h' 1.0 said:

I think I have ridden it all of two times outside of Critical Mass, and each time I had multiple instances of pedestrians stepping into it, obviously lost in thought, as if they were stepping onto a fluffy marshmallow cloud where no harm can possibly come to you.... or just standing in it as if they were happily enjoying the wading pool at the water park...

My suggestion would be to make sure you have no toe-in on your front brakes....

I ring the bell, but it's what comes after it that I am coming to realize is most effective in the long run: "Thank you!" To that, people often say, "Thank you!" Or "You're welcome!" And I'd like to think a positive association with bikers is being formed.

was in downtown on Dearborn right before Jackson and this Elderly woman was standing dead on in the bike lane as I was crossing? Do I swerve and go to into the left lane at the risk of oncoming traffic? Do I Slam on Breaks? Yell a head of time? Tickets for standing in the bike lane? Suggestions! 

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