Letting it Out On the Monon

You know those “Let it Out” comments in the Indianapolis Star? Sure you do – it’s where locals submit comments too short for a letter to the editor. There are quips, jokes, and lots of bumper-sticker ideas for solving difficult problems… oh, yeah, and a lot of political statements made by people so clueless you wonder why they're allowed to vote. But enough about that: last week, someone wrote in about the “mean” cyclists on the Monon Trail. The complaints? Not warning pedestrians as you pass them and using a strobe light. “The trail ain’t a disco,” was the complaint.

Let’s address not warning pedestrians first: whoever wrote that is right. Fellow cyclists, it is customary to warn people as you approach from the rear. You should call out something like “On your left!” whenever you overtake a pedestrian or another cyclist. It’s not just polite, it’s for safety – you don’t want someone suddenly turning around in your path (I’ve had that happen) or wandering over to the left-hand side of the trail to look at a flower (ditto). In some cities, cyclists are required have a warning bell, although my experience with using a bell is that some people ignore it and others are confused.

As for strobe lights? Apparently the writer thinks that people with strobes are just riding up and down the Monon. Well, we’re not: people who just ride the Monon don’t use strobe lights. People who use strobes are road riders, who need every warning tool possible to make themselves more visible to drivers. In a three-hour loop ride, I may spend a total of three miles on the Monon Trail. I leave the light on for safety’s sake and so my riding partners can find me in the crowd. Turning it on and off isn’t a matter of flipping the headlight switch, either.

The writer didn’t mention some of my pet peeves among Monon cyclists, like the habit of riding two abreast with the inside cyclist on the center line. That pales, however, alongside taking a four-year-old to the trail on a bike with training wheels. Sorry, everyone, a busy multi-use trail isn’t the place to teach your kid to ride a bike – you do that in your driveway or a parking lot where there’s plenty of room and no traffic! Church parking lots are empty during the week, lots at schools and business parks are empty on weekends.

Trail pedestrians aren’t perfect, either. Some of their most common sins include letting a 90-pound dog wander across the 6-foot trail on a 16-foot retractable leash, walking three or four abreast, running down the center line of the trail, and bopping along oblivious to traffic around them because of headphones or a phone conversation. Any questions?

copyright © 2018 scmrak