"Tim+" wrote in message
...

Mal wrote:
On 08/08/2014 19:55, Clive George wrote:
On 08/08/2014 19:40, Nightjar "cpb"@ insert my surname here wrote:

I have always thought it a pity that it was ruled that the human voice
was a suitable audible warning device. A shout could mean anything and
I
think people are quite likely to ignore it, on the basis that they
would
rather not get involved with somebody shouting in the street. A bicycle
bell was a very distinctive sound and gave pedestrians much better
warning of a fast approaching hazard.

I find calling out to people works very well. I normally use a greeting,
timed to allow for the inevitable dithering which happens as people work
out what's going on. There seems to be no difference in the dithering
when friends use a bell in a similar situation.


Law in most of Australia is that helmets are compulsory and bells should
be rung to warn pedestrians. Bloody good idea. I've warned a few loony
tunes on shared footpaths that they are at the gtreater risk if we choose
the right moment to totter sideways so ring their bell.

Without publicity as in Oz, though, many feel it rude to ring etc.

That is a problem. British diffidence about drawing attention to oneself
(and just losing the habit) has meant that a lot of people are too shy to
ring a bell.

Some **** tarted, up in lycra is diffident? Yeah, right.


When I'm a pedestrian I much prefer cyclist to ring a bell early that whiz
by unannounced or wobble around waiting for a gap if I haven't heard them
coming.

Tim

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