The Snarky Humanist

Having spent the last several months going on not too infrequent bike rides, I've developed the ability to predict whether it's necessary to alert someone walking in front of me that I'm going to be passing on their left. It is definitely common courtesy, but in my experience, mostly unnecessary. If you're walking ahead of me, I'm going to have plenty of time to observe your walking "style" and decide whether you might need a little heads up that I'm going to ride by. If you're doing a great job of walking in a straight line and staying on the right-side of the path (super proud of you, btw), I typically decide that I can trust you not wander into oncoming traffic without looking first. I have found that I am more likely to startle you by ringing my bell than by riding past you, and that unpleasantness usually seems wholly unnecessary. However, if you're a wanderer or part of a larger group of walkers, I'm definitely ringing my bell, even t