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Reply to Trail Hazard - Concern
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Wayne Chapin from Lawrence, KS on 10/27/2014 9:21:46 PM:
I have ridden Katy Trail with friends for the past four years in the area around Rocheport, MO taking short rides. It is a very pleasant and enjoyable area to ride. I have a handicap so mounting and dismounting my bike can be problematic. My main safety concern with the trail I believe could be addressed if there were notices along the trail cautioning walkers and bikers to keep to their right while using the trail. I encountered a group this year consisting of ten to twelve individuals of various ages between 6 years and 50 who did not seem to expect to need to yield to any bikers on the trail or need to be concerned with that possibility. I ended up taking a fall because no one would yield or take charge of the children to ensure passage; I did not want to run through the children walking on the left side who did not move and did not expect to need to move. I am not sure who to advise regarding this potential hazard, but I feel strongly that rules of the road should be posted along the trail, even though they may seem to be only common sense.

 
Doug from Bluffton on 10/28/2014 7:51:17 AM:
While it is indeed a problem to have unsupervised youth and unaware adults on the trail, and I applaud your efforts to overcome your handicap, personal responsibility rules. It's that line "I ended up taking a fall because no one would yield or take charge of the children to ensure passage" that bothers me. Did one of them push you or run into you? What would you have done had there been oncoming riders with slower traffic in front of you? Which of them would the blame for your fall rest on? There already are signs stating trail etiquette. Apparently no one notices them though. It is not that I am unsympathetic, I am just tired of people blaming every unpleasant event in their lives on someone else.

 
Trek on 10/28/2014 12:29:42 PM:
Oblivions like to congregate around Rocheport on the trail. We often find somewhere else to ride when we aren't in the mood to put up with kids, dogs, and people who don't know their right from their left.

 
sharonbikes from Kansas City on 10/29/2014 8:41:00 AM:
I am sorry you fell. My approach to these kinds of groups is to start with a a cordial, but firm "Bike passing on your left" announcement as I approach a group. If they don't move, I escalate the tone and volume and ask them to please move to the right so the bike can pass. I have escalated it to "MOVE" but, have never had to escalate it to "Get the @#$# out of my way". I find most people will move, if you announce your presence and ask them to move to the right. When I am walking, I have often been startled by people on bikes who don't announce their presence - surprises even me. Hoping for more pleasant bike rides.

 
Pseudio on 10/29/2014 10:40:26 AM:
Wayne, maybe a trike would be easier for you and have more stability. It would definitely have a larger footprint to move people along. The others who have commented are pretty realistic about the KT especially around Rocheport, a popular retreat area on the trail for "oblivions". Most of the time people will move if you make enough noise for them to notice and before you get to them to have time and space to move.

 
Wayne Chapin from Lawrence, KS on 10/29/2014 2:50:27 PM:
I am considering a different bike because of my difficulty with instability when mounting and dismounting the bike I used. I needed to be able to stop to avoid hitting a little boy in the group who did not respond to any of my requests to pass on my left, and for the group to get to the right. My bike is a large and heavy 1969 Schwinn Suburban; I probably need a bike that allows both feet to balance the bike as I slow or need to stop. There was no pushing; I bailed because I could not maintain balance when stopping to avoid hitting the child. I did give early, loud and ample warning while approaching the group.

 
Don from Ellisville, MO on 10/29/2014 5:19:03 PM:
Wayne, sorry to hear about your incident. Just last night I was trying to catch a plane at O'Hare and wanted to use the speed walkways to get me to my gate faster. The signs above every walkway say "stand to right, walk on left", yet there I was, having to ask then demand that people stand to the right so I could pass.

On the other hand, I was recently with a large group of volunteers cleaning up a local trail and several bikers sped by, cursing us for slowing them down! Lack of etiquette is a universal problem it seems.

 
Trek on 10/29/2014 8:20:46 PM:
So the problem isn't that people don't get out of your way, it's that you can't get both feet on the ground when you have to stop because your bike is too big? I wouldn't know who to advise about that potential hazard either.

 
Anonymous on 10/31/2014 2:54:48 PM:
This seems both a people hazard and a bicycle/equipment hazard. One seems to have more options for improvement than does the other.

All best wishes for addressing the concern and for many more safe rides.