After I wrote the below, I realize it sounds like a lecture...but it isn't meant to be--it's meant to help clarify to anyone reading this thread what the circumstances and actions are, and what they might be instead to make the whole situation better for everyone involved.
So hopefully you wont' be offended by any of my response.
djgipp said:
Here in West Portland there are are many twists and curves, all with heavy vegetation and very narrow shoulders. Bikers and joggers do appreciate some warning with something approaching at many times their speed, especially from behind.
I'm still a little confused...it sounds like you're riding on multi-use-paths with them? At speeds a lot higher than they are?
Or are you on streets, with them on sidewalks or in their own bike lane or multi-use lane while you're in the regular traffic lanes, with sufficient distance (at least 3-4 feet) between you in your lane and them in theirs?
I ask because the distinction is important.
If it was the latter, I don't see what the problem is on their end, as they should be expecting all kinds of traffic to be passing them, and they should have (or at least by trying to have) awareness of what's coming up from behind them at all times anyway--if they don't, they are going to be run over someday by someone coming up way too fast not completley in their own lane, without sufficient clearance to go around them....
FWIW, that sort of thing is a problem anywhere--I sometimes see pedestrian teenagers (and sometimes adults), usually female, usually in groups, on the sidewalk, who are either texting on their phones or occupied with each other, who are surprised enough to actually jump into the air and even scream a little, when passed by cars who are well away from teh sidewalk the pedestrians are on, usually by at least a car's width. On rarer occasions, my passage, or that of a regular cyclist, by them will do the same.
If it was the former, even with me on an ebike (that I don't pedal cuz of my knees, and which itself looks more motorcycle than bike) I wouldn't want someone on a motorcycle (electric or not) zooming around on the same path with me, and I'd be upset about it too (here in Phoenix there are no paths I know of where any kind of motor vehicle is allowed (electric or other power assisted bicycles are specifically not MVs, but a Zero would technically be a motorcycle and not allowed. Though, if you did not license it or register it, and rode it always only under 20MPH, never faster, it would qualify as a bicycle, but then you could not ever use it as a motorcycle, cant' ride it on the freeway or certain other roads, and you'd probably be stopped and questioned as it doesn't have pedals...)).
BTW, the Zero's horn is freekin' loud! That is the situation I've scared bikers with.
That's probably why in AZ it's illegal to honk at cyclists, becuase you coudl frighten them into collisions or other accidents. If you care to, you might check the laws there to see if it's the same. (it doens't stop people from doing it, often to deliberately frighten them, and the police won't do a thing about it, but it's still unsafe and illegal here).
Any sudden loud noise anywhere near a cyclist or pedestrian that isn't paying attention is probably going to scare them. Even if they are paying attention if it happens when they are close enough to the source, like if its' passing them, it could easily spook them momentarily enough to make them turn their head so quickly to look that they also turn the bike to follow, and since that is toward the source of the noise, it has a chance of causing the collision the honker intended to avoid, or of causing the honkee
to crash or fall for other reasons, becoming injured or killed in the process.
For curiosity: Why do you need to honk at them, anyway?
Are they about to cross your path suddenly as you go by? In that case, your best option (if there is time and no one else behind you) is probably to slow down and/or swing wide of them to left *or* right, whichever is possible, so you don't run them over, and let them do their dumb maneuver (of crossing a traffic path without looking) cuz honking could jsut scare them into doing something even dumber and getting someone hurt or killed.
If you are simply passing by them as normal traffic would, then there is no need to do anythign at all--just pass them. If they dont' know you're there, they will when you do it.
If they are riding erratically or you think they might do something that could cause a collision, go around them with more room than you think you need to assure that doenst' happen, and slow down (or speed up) if necessary, just like you would for any other collision-avoidance situation.
If there's an imminent collision because of their maneuver that you can't otherwise avoid, your horn might be a good idea to let them know you're coming...but almost always you should be able to see and avoid just by normal riding/driving techniques, if you are paying close enough attention to the other traffic on or near the road. (I know most people driving cars don't, but more often motorcyclists do learn to do this, at least after the first few collisions or laydowns if they survive them).
If you want something besides a horn, and still want a silent ride, perhaps you could add a version of a bicycle bell on there. If you can find one, old teletypes have a rather loud bell on them, that could be heard at larger distances (given your likely higher rate of approach). I had such a bell for CrazyBike2 but it's been lost so it just has a regular bike bell these days (and car horns for use on the roads for the very very rare occasion I need one).
