Since today was beautiful, took a rather scenic walk with the dog through Rock Creek Park by the Smithsonian National Zoo. Of course, you simply needed to walk outside of you did not check the weather forecast to know that it is shorts and t-shirt weather 🙂
“Passing on your left”
Proper trail etiquette dictates that when you are passing someone, usually from behind, you always pass on the left side and provide an audible signal to that effect. Since bells are required in the District of Columbia and many other states, a simple “ping” is all that is needed. Of course, saying “Passing on your left” will help those unaccustomed to the bell signal.
Tally
Here goes. The list of those who signaled they were passing when approaching from behind.
Cyclists
Yes 7 33%
No 14 67%
Runners
Yes 0
No 11 100%
One runner had to stop because my dog was in the way and shook his head in disgust as he continued running. Hmm…had you let me know you were coming and passed on the left and not the right, you might not have been inconvenienced by my dog.
Moral of the story
When you are passing someone in a car, on a bike, in a stroller, or jogging, kindly signal that you are passing and always pass on the left side. 🙂 Not only will it make your trip more enjoyable, you will avoid 99.9% of crashes t00!