When "On Your Left" Was A Right

Not long ago, suggesting that I equip any of my bikes with a horn or bell would have elicited the same response from me as saying that I should give up my cat, my books--or, of course, my bikes themselves.  No "superfluous accessory"---and, thinking like the testosterone-besotted youth I was, "accessories" were, by definition, "superfluous" (As a woman, my thinking has definitely changed!) --would ever beclutter any of my sleek, beautiful machines. Or even the ugly ones I parked on the street.

Another rationale for my refusal to add the 140 extra grams (That's just a wild guess.  I've never actually weighed a bell or horn!) to my pride and joy is that, like most humans, I was born with effective signaling devices,  the main ones being located between my head and chest, and at the ends of my wrists.  Moreover, my voice and hands (specifically, fingers; even more specifically, one finger in particular) could communicate nuance that no brass, aluminum or plastic device ever could.  Plus, I could yell some version of "On Your Left!" in about four or five languages.  

Ray Keener, who's close to my age, is wondering, "Ou sont le OYL d'antan?"  As he notes, back "in our 52-42/13-21 days", we passed other cyclists (many, I admit, older than ourselves) rather frequently.  Whether we were on secluded paths or in city traffic, shouting "On Your Left!" was a common courtesy.  More important, it kept riders from being spooked and making sudden moves when approached.

Now, those of us who are "of a certain age" find that we are passed more frequently.  But that verbal custom seems to have gone by the wayside.  A few cyclists use horns, bells or other signaling devices.  As often as not, however, younger and faster cyclists silently slip by us.  Worse, some of those passers are on electric cycles, which are even quieter than most regular bicycles.

Interestingly, pedestrians seem more baffled than anything else when they hear a bike bell.  I guess that, if anything, they expect us to howl, "Watch out!" or something less suited to a blog intended for general audiences.

I think the trend Mr. Keener and I have noted is part of a larger phenomenon.  (I hate that last clause, but it works.)  It seems that, at least in large US cities, people are less aurally attuned to their surroundings in general. Today, you see lots of people, especially the young, walking, running, cycling or skateboarding with earbuds.  

This trend began, I believe, with the widespread use of the Walkman. When those devices first came to market, they were a way to hear your favorite music wherever you were, whatever you were doing.  They soon turned into a way to shut out the environment:   Not only could  you listen to Culture Club or whoever while you were running; you didn't have to listen to traffic or parents yelling at their kids.

So, I think Ray Keener is right in noting that "On Your Left!" is a common courtesy that, well, isn't so common anymore.  He doesn't blame the Walkman or technology in general. Rather, as he observes, "riders going 8MPH faster than me aren't in my space long enough for a verbal cue to work."  His solution:  "Get a bell."  You know, I rather like them:  The brass ones from Japan are as pretty as they sound.  Of course, if you're a weight weenie, there are titanium bells.

Then again, if you're a real weight weenie, just remember that you already have built-in signaling devices!