Spring break is just around the corner for colleges all over the nation, and we here on the Emerald Coast of the Florida panhandle get our share of the crowd. They do bring in a lot of revenue for Walton county, but we also have our share of these partygoers who apparently have no idea of bike path etiquette.
There are certainly people all year round who extend absolutely no courtesy to anyone else on the bike path along 30A, but when the population of South Walton County swells to 20 times its normal population, it becomes almost hazardous to use said bike path. And not everyone reacts quite the same when you are on your bike trying to pass a group of pedestrians.
So, here are the 10 different kinds of pedestrians you encounter on a bike path:
The Scaredy Cat – As soon as this person hears your bicycle bell or horn, they run right out of the way as if a freight train is coming. I like that they get the message, they just don’t need to be quite so dramatic about it.
The Looker – This person doesn’t move out of the way at all. They just stand right where they are on the far left side of their group as you are coming up behind them and they turn around to look at you as you holler, “On your left!” They then just stand there, wondering what all the fuss is about, as you have to pull off into the grass to get around them.
The Starer – This is a person you are riding towards and they look at you as they are walking towards you on the left side of the trail, you even make eye contact with them, but they wait till the last second to get out of your way, while you nearly run them over.
The Angry – This person doesn’t care about anything else, they’re just mad that you are on the bike path and they have to get out of your way. I don’t see very many of these people, fortunately.
The One That Refuses to Move – These are the people who you would need scientific instruments to figure out if they moved over any distance at all to let you by. They’re walking 3 or 4 abreast with their friends taking up the entire width of the bike path, they see you coming towards them, and just will not get out of the way. Sometimes I try to hit these people in the elbow with my mirror.
The Beachgoer – These people park on the side of the bike path and unload an SUV full of beach gear, coolers, chairs, towels, floaties, and kids right in the middle of the path. As you try an maneuver around their pile of debris, they tell you in a sheepish voice, “sorry” and then do it again 3 hours later when they leave the beach. I’ve even seen people block traffic at an intersection with a 4 way stop sign just to unload their gear.
The Blind Street Crosser – Those are the folks who look both ways for cars while crossing the road, and then look at you and walk right into your line on the bike path. They look right, They look left. They even look at you and they walk right onto your path as if you aren’t even there.
The Bike Path Hog – They walk 4 abreast down the path as you ride up behind them. The two on the left get out of the way when you ding your bell at them, then they move right back in the way for the other 4 bikes behind you. And they never learn because they do this every time. And if you see them when you’re coming back the other way an hour later, they do it again. Of course they do it again, they’ve been doing it for an entire hour at this point.
The Left Side Walker Looking At Their Phone – You guessed it. There are those who walk down the left side of the path, on a busy day, right into oncoming bike traffic, and look down at their phone for 15 to 30 seconds while walking right at you. Even though you’re wearing out your bicycle bell, they don’t see you until you nearly hit them.
The Drifter – This is an interesting one. You see this person a half mile ahead of you walking on the right side like a good pedestrian, and as soon as you get near them, like a magnet, they start drifting directly into your path. I’ve seen this a hundred times. What is it that makes a person walk straight for 2 miles, then drift into your path when you are 20 yards behind them? Scientists need to study these people because it makes me say, “What the hell?” every time it happens.
I’m sure there are others who have their own unique style on how to block the flow of traffic on a bike path, but most people fit into one of these 10 categories. And there sort of is an 11th category. These people always thank you for ringing your bell when you pass them. This is my crowd. I like these people.