Too Close for Comfort
If you’re lucky enough to have a bike lane, you’re still probably not lucky enough to have a comfortably wide luxurious bike lane. And even with the words “Bikes Only” coupled with cute little stick figure cyclists, you’re probably spending a good deal of time avoiding things in your lane that are not bikes. Space is precious.
So I’m surprised that sometimes when I’m in the bike lane there is always a cyclist who decides to pass me within the narrow bike lane.
Sometimes on the left, or worse, on the right. And even in intersections when the light turns green where cyclists are most unstable as they start moving. They silently sneak up on me without a word of warning. Just once I wish they would yell–
Or if that’s too long, maybe just shout–
And sometimes when they pass so close that I can feel their arm hair I want to say–
I keep a bell on my bike for situations where I’m passing people. A couple of rings from it and people know there is a bike behind them, it’s more polite than yelling “On the left!” and is unmistakable for anything else but a bike.
I worry when coming from behind that saying something would shock the person into looking back, and consequently angling their handlebars. For this reason if I feel it’s going to be a close pass I try to either coast for awhile so they hear the sprocket ticking, or whistle something like Singing in the Rain.