The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-27
A new FIEND
What Terrifies Bicyclists
More Than Hills or
Punctures.
SOME "DoS'Tss FOR PEDESTRIANS
Incidents in Bicycle Life-The
U-selessness Of the Bell.
SOME sD0N'Ts" FOR PEDESTRIANS

A great deal has been written and still
more said about bicycle fends of one
kind or another-the bicycle sconcher. the
beginner. the wobbler, but almost moth
ing has Been either written or said. ex-
cepI arncsag bicyc1fsts themselves, about
that fiend more terrifying than the steep
est hill il the world, than the worst pos
sibas ~puneture, the pedestrian who never
rode a bicycle never wants to ride. ana
knows nothing about it. This kind Of
desd Is most in. evidence at street cross
ings and indeed so numerous is its kind
tnat there is scarcely a rider who has
NOT had an encounter with 1t and come
off in almost every case second best.
Sometimes this fend takes the form Of
a. NAH. sometimes a woman, more often
that OF a child. But in whatever form
the fend acts In precisely the same way.
II is most frequently seen on the BouTe-
ward or some place where bicyclists
abound. and Its actions strike terror to
the heart of the most expert wneelman
or wheelwomaR. 1t comes 10 a crossing
and looking neither to right or left, care
less Of whether a bicycle is within one
foot or one mile of It. starts to cross the
street. Suddenly, when about half way
across, It looks about 1t and gees a
bieyclist e-ndeavortrEg to. cross behind 1t.
Immediately. instead of proceeding on Its
way and allowing the rider to go peace
ably on his way, It jumps back, right in
front of the bicycle, and in a traee, BIZ
cycle, rider and iend are in an inextrica-
Bile mass. When hend, bicycle and rider
have regained their proper positions, Il
10 almost inevitable that a discussion
arises as TO whose fault it was. The
bicyclist q il is the fault of the Aend,
that the fiend should have gone on lus
way, n the fiend alleges that it Is the
fault OF the hicyelist. that ne should have.
rang his bell and SO warmed It. There
upon the bicyclist vows he will ring his
bell ever mere and rides on To the next
crossing. When he is within six feet of
the crossing he sees Ii, and mindful of
his last rings his bell loudly
ard continuously as a warning. What is
his surprise to see 1t stand stock still.
toek II q terrified way al the bicycle.
and then as he. thinking II is stationary,
starts 70 ride past 1t. 1t gives a jump
similar TO that OF the first fiend. lands in
'front.' of the wheel. and the same mex
tr2eable mass is h result. OF course.
when tins discussion arises 1t asserts that
the bell should not ave been rung, that
al would have gone we'll had il net been
rungs and the biegcllst. worn out by his
previous encounter, shrugs his shoulders.
mounts his wheel and rides off, "6or
what's 2 poor beggar TO ao2'
a party OF bicyelists were talking the
other day of his same fend and the utter
impossibility II is TO avoid 1t. One, a man.
said--"I was riding one day along d coun-
try road where, there were very few peo-
pie and IN fact / hadn't seen q soul fer
an age. Just as I was beginning to tire
OF the solitude I saw a big burly Irishnaan
ahead of me. He was walking the way i
WAS gofngs and he carried in his hand a
fiUfch nall As / car rNaor him T rang
my bell fer all I was worth. He dropped
the pail behird him, stood still and l0oked
rolnd at me. AS l turned my wheel to
rite on che side of him he recovered from
his dazed state and started the same way.
Then as I jerked my wheel the other way
he Jumped back on top Of his lunch pail
and went sprawling to the ground right
in front of the wheel OF course. we all
fell together and of course we had tins
usual discussion afterwards. but for once
I got the best of its for I jumped or. my
him be was STOPPING down rubbing his
head with one land and picking up what
was left Of the pail with the other"
Well, my experience said one of the
ladies, mad a different cause, but the
same effect. I was riding along one day
when l saw a woma crossing the street.
| knew I could pass bshind her, and I re-
menlbered that someone told me not to
ring because people always did something
you didn't want them. to If you did ring.
50 I let the bell alone. As luck would have
n though. llaG woman caught sight OF
me as was almost past her. Now, / don't
know what possesses people TO do Just
VIA they shouldn't do at such times.
but that woman stepped back and I just
had time to gasp sMadamr and jerk my
wheel way.
PEDESTRIANS rave something on their
side and plenty has been made of 1t, but
now is the time to know what the bicy-
cliss has to say. If people would only use
a little COMMON sense when crossing a.
street. most OF these accidents might be
aEeased. There are several Dents which
might be used to advantage.
Don't cross a. street before looking 10
see Ii Al bicycle IS coming either way. Re-
member how you acted when trolleys first
came to town.
II you start to cross a street, don't stop
in the middle unless il is to avoid a hicy-
clisr in. front of you. If you do stop, don't
step back On peril of your life.
If you hear a bicycle bell, don't look be-
hind you; unless the wheel Is coming in
front don't stand still. IF you do stand,
don't rnove until there are no wheels In
front of you that are near you.
The reason for these rules is tina when
a. bicyclist sees you crossing a street he
can make calculations to pass you if you
keep straight On. If he doesn't know how
to ride. if he is a beginner, all the lodging
in the world won't save you: you had
better run for your life.
NO ROOM I'M TIFF W0RKH0USF.