Finding My Voice
Sometimes when you’re on a bike, you need to make some noise. And I don’t mean a bicycle bell.
Watching others, it seems yelling works best. People naturally respond when they hear a human voice in crisis. However, I’ve always been more of the creative introverted type that prefers drawing thoughtful illustrations than drawing attention by yelling.
But being a creative introvert hasn’t proved good in urgent situations. So I decided to take a class in yelling from an expert.
I was a horribly untalented student, but very determined. I worked hard and practiced whenever I got the chance.
So now I think I’ve finally mastered it: a yell so loud it stops drivers in their tracks.
But I really wish drivers wouldn’t make me demonstrate it for them.
Love you Bikeyface – you made me laugh till my sides hurt. As a lifelong extroverted loudmouth and aggressive bicyclist I have never had your problem. Indeed, some of my riding friends have complained about how much and how loud I yell. But I have survived 42 years of urban riding!!! I am eagerly awaiting (going on two years now) my Loud Bicycle horn (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-CrQ_qprZA ). Watch out distracted drivers…
I have the same problem as Bikeyface and if I had riding friends who yelled I would be very grateful! On a bike tour of NYC, I was very grateful for my tour guide who used his booming voice to yell at drivers. At home in Chicago, I let my booming bike radio announce my presence for me. I’ve also been lucky enough that drivers behind me will honk their horn when they notice the car in front of me start to move in my direction. Although I usually compensate by slowing down to let them pass. If they right next to me, I knock on their window.
That is why I have an air horn. The bell is fine on paths or for some pedestrians but an air horn makes you sound like a truck. The air bottle fits in a water bottle cage, the button on the handle bar.
I called it my “superbark” (Bolt! reference) I used to just yell HEY! and you’d be surprised how well that works if you project strongly directly at the driver. Even through window glass. Even over traffic noise. But you have to project.
After an incident in which my young son was almost right-hooked in front of me, I discovered that planting myself in front of the car and offering my patented Death Stare at the driver works wonders in getting someone to acknowledge their need to pay attention to the road.
I have found that planting myself in front of the car as I call 911 and lay a criminal complaint against the car driver works wonders.
I will let the judge explain to the car driver their need to pay attention at the car driver’s sentencing hearing.
Kevin Love,
if ye be waitin fer thee system ter take care ov ye problems… a capitalist system based on petroleum energy… whose direct agents be car drivin pigs… ye might find yerself waitin quite a long time… oh… and that judge be quite likely ter be a car driver hisself…
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Driver-cleared-in-cyclists-deaths-3848482.php
Bob Wolfe,
I cannot really change the system in which you have the misfortune to live, but will give one piece of advice.
Try to plant yourself in front of the offending car driver at a pinch point so that you bring all the car drivers behind him to a stop until the police arrive and eventually clear the crime scene.
Pedestrians and cyclists are, of course, unaffected, but having all the other car drivers come to a halt and go nowhere for a good long time may get some peer pressure going.