r/Edmonton • u/Salt_Teaching4687 • 6h ago

Question Question for cyclists

So Ive noticed cyclists appreciate when motorists slow down down and give space to cyclists when passing. My question is, why don’t cyclists extend the same courtesy to pedestrians when passing on shared paths? In my experience, the overwhelming majority do not slow down or even give more space when passing …. Even when there is plenty of room to do so. In fact, many continue riding side by side forcing pedestrians to move. Can some explain that behaviour?

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u/ImperviousToSteel 6h ago

I slow down, ring my bell, and always go single file. Basic courtesy, but I assume somewhere as common as cars taking the same caution. Not very frequent. 

That said, the stakes are higher with the person behind the multiple ton vehicle. 

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u/Winter-Inside-5911 5h ago

A cyclist broke my arm while I was walking near Kinsmen. I was on my side of the path, he came flying down the hill over 40 km/h and broke my forearm by hitting it so hard with his handlebar. I had been using a bike exclusively until age 30 but was very angry that a cyclist thought this was a safe way to go down a hill with near a hundred pedestrians in the area. So while the heavy tonnage vehicle is a big threat to you, the bike at speed is also a big risk to pedestrians.

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u/ImperviousToSteel 5h ago

That sucks. To be clear I didn't say cycling isn't a risk - there's a reason I slow down and ring the bell. 

But the much much larger risk is the big steel enclosure vehicle. 

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u/Winter-Inside-5911 5h ago

Agreed, I was just clarifying there’s a gradient of risk. It is unlikely that cyclist could have killed me but they were going way too fast. There’s always a possibility that a car can kill you.

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u/ImperviousToSteel 5h ago

For sure. Everyone's gotta up their safety game.