Cyclists Vs Walkers

[triples]

This has been bugging me for a little while now, and wanted to see if others are having similar experiences.

I put it in this thread as it seems the maturity level is higher than other threads.

Do you say hi to walkers and other cyclists whilst riding? Im a pretty friendly guy and say hi to everyone I pass, but over the last few year I have noticed alot of people brushing me and being anti social.
This week in particular I have been abusied, ignored, stared at all for no apparent reason.

Anyone else finding this trend?

 

[Lanky Love]

Are you wearing an offencive shirt ( eg racist, sexist etc), because your problem might start there.

BUt on a more serios note, is it walks or riders aswell being anitsocial

 

[triples]

No offensive shirt here
I don't even own an offensive shirt.

It's mostly walkers but sometimes riders.

 

[toml]

Yea I usually give a nod, and i have noticed more and more people that just pretend they didn't see you. I don't understand it, don't you automaticly say a quick hey back? Unfriendly people grumble grumble...

 

[jackass'd]

I try to be socialable but stop short of telling how my day has been in exquisite detail.

I do find though when you come up on couples who are out walking - one will say hi and the other will give you the death stare! I always find that funny

 

[RCOH]

if i catch someone's eye I say "hi" or give 'em a nod. Most people return it.

 

[Plow King]

I don't ride a road bike or do track cycling but I still commute so I thought I should add my 2C. Most of the people I pass I say a friendly "Hi" Or "How's it going to"

What really shits me off though is that you let people past or give way to people you don't have to, but you do anyway and they don't even say thanks.

 

[Labcanary]

I get the same treatment and I look positively harmless!
On the other side of the coin though I used to get 2 guaranteed (pleasant) acknowledgements of existance on my way to and from work. On the way I got a very warm and genuine "good morning darling" from two lovely ladies on their regular morning walk, then on the way home there would always be a smile and nod from a guy walking his dog (always with a longkneck in hand too - not that this is bad, in fact it made me very thirsty). It really made my day when I saw these people and all it took was a brief word or two or just a facial expression.

 

[Ham]

i find walkers ok (not that i go near them often) i find other road cyclists to be more rude and less likely to say hi, one of the reasons i train by myself most of the time.

 

[andrew_o]

Yes I have had a couple of those experiences, the worse people for ignoring you are riders I reckon, like the 'locals' when you turn up at dirt jumps for the first time I have noticed or when you make the effort to give way to people, they don;t even give you a second glance or a nod

 

[SMIIISH]

i find, on that note, that people commuting in cars can be extremly hot and cold. got the thumbs up from a bloke today in his ute. smiling. the lot. good on him i say! need more people like him on the road. Then just last week this bastard in his red MPV honked his horn at me and shouted abuse at me. ruined my afternoon... and its dangerous - made me jump out of my skin. the cars can be the same as walkers, i find.

 

[Tallman]

Any fellow riders I always say a hey or gday to if I catch their eye. Most reply. Walkers on the other hand seem to reply less.

 

['Ross]

Its way to difficult to even contemplate saying hi to everyone I ride past while cycling. If someone says hi or nods I will try to nod back, but sometimes you are focussing on what you are doing and the conditions on your side of the road, not trying to be friendly to everyone you come across.

I give a nod to every fixie I see, most of the time I get it back, but like I said Im usually focussing on what the drivers and pedestrians around me are doing, and am not looking across the other side of the road.

 

[Christo]

The demographics of the area you ride in impact this.

I tend to give a smile, nod, wink or hi if I'm on a bike path (not very often anymore) when I was living in the inner western suburbs, I had a perfectly good bike path to the CBD which I rode daily, I reckon perhaps 10% of people acknowledged me?

Now I live way out in (what I consider) a semi-rural area (I pass cows in a paddock on my daily commute) and although I don't ride the bike paths here often, when I do I reckon 70-80% of people acknowledge my hellos and smile/nod back.

Perhaps they're only nice because they're planning on making me 'squeal like a pig'? Can't trust these hill folk! Perhaps I shouldn't wink at them anymore...?

 

[mattwahh]

i always say gday to people i pass on the trail & usually get a reply ,its usually on the road bike that other riders will ignore u as u ride past them i never even bother to give a nod or wave to someone on the other side of the road anymore .years ago u would barely see another cyclist on the road so when u did u always waved & would always get a wave back now the road is full of joe averages who think they r too good to say hi

 

[No Skid Marks]

YOU not U.

 

[triples]

If I'm out on the trails, then most say hi. It's more when commuting. Maybe it's just Canberra, where alot of folk are anti cyclist.
There are regulars I see each morning and have done for years and they say hi, but it's the people that are infrequent. I try not let it get to me, but how hard is it to be polite.

 

[aaron01]

Don't seem to have that problem in Toowoomba, the majority of cyclist are very pleasant to each other and will give a wave or nod when they are passed, tarmac walkers are pleasant enough when I'm riding with the kids but usually I tend not to have much to do with them as I steer clear of the foot path, off road walkers are usually stop and have a chat and you tend to find they will know of trails that you haven't seen so they are a great source of info.
All in all I find generally treating people how you want to be treaterd works for the most part but there will always be a bad apple here and there.

 

[Sekt]

I don't really understand the idea that cyclists should always acknowledge each other. If I'm out riding, I don't want to spend half my time nodding and waving to everyone I pass when I should be concentrating on my surroundings or just riding.

 

[Christo]

You may not want to but fostering a sense of camaraderie between cyclists can't be a bad thing can it?

I for one remember being a nooB cyclist and having other riders say g'day or smile made me realise what an awesome community the cycle scene is. I for one want to keep this going and spread the infectious disease that is cycling.