[Closed] Commuting pleasantries, a first world conundrum...

A wave or a nod unless said cyclist is met at traffic lights then a cheery "good morning". Same as any weather or light level really.

All very well, but I'll be annoyed with myself if the usual ignorant buggers get a pleasantry out of me.... 👿

Always a cheery hello or morning from me 🙂 gorgeous morning out there today as well, I took the long way in, still hardly saw a soul. Bloody love this ride in lark.
I even threw an upbeat 'morning' and 'thanks very much' as I slowed down to potter past the dog walker who kindly moved out of the way for me on the towpath. Who turned out to be a noticeboard.

A loud but ambivalent "AHOY!"

The pleasant ones will interpret it as a cheery greeting, the unpleasant ones as a warning to get out of your path.

Everyone gets what they want.

Failing that ......fingers

Nobeerinthefridge - Member
All very well, but I'll be annoyed with myself if the usual ignorant buggers get a pleasantry out of me....

Rise above them all with a cheery "mornin!" to everyone. It might be the thing that lifts their day and prompts them to do the same to others. 😀

I've tried that speeder, they're still bawbags.

I'm gonna go with Perchy's maritime greeting, sounds a winner. 😆

I'll eye them up and it's usually a 'hello' if they seem normal, although there's a load of commuters who are 'too pro to say hello'

I'm especially cheery with pedestrians/dog walkers as I commute in on shared use paths.

However, if I'm behind a fellow commuter I will catch them and sit on their wheel in utter silence then jump past on the next hill. #silly #commuterracing

I don't commute ..but I will greet anyone heading towards me on a bike ..a fact of life that most on a mountain bike will respond and in a lot of cases stop for a chat.
It's also a fact that most on a road bike will not even acknowledge my existence ( I know all of the excuses ..sorry I mean reasons why )..which I still find totally ignorant ..and it's usually followed with a loud **** you from myself .
What's wrong with a quick nod ..or does that disturb the airflow and your Strava..? 😀

Out on the roads it' always a hello to other cyclists. The moment I hit the redways in Milton Keynes I don't bother.

Everyone gets a nod/"good morning"/Malham wave* from me. Most respond there's a few that don't no matter what.

*see Bill Bryson "Notes from a small island"

@hogynd - if you want acknowledgement then taking off your gimp mask would be a start 😆

I commute by train*. I enthusiastically say hello to everyone as they get on, which seems to dissuade anyone from sitting next to me.

* I don't, I cycle, but I don't feel the need to greet everyone who is using the same mode of transport as I am

@ whitestone
Cheers ...do we know each other !? 😆

INORs only for me, unless they're going the same way then they get a morning/evening (delete as appropriate)

So, a pleasant 'morning!' to all, or head down and ignore?

I say hello to people I know or would like to ****.

The rest of you can do one.

Frankly I find this 'cyclists' should wave at each other bizarre and the princesses who get upset and/or abuse others complete nobheads.

When I say "everyone" that includes dog walkers and others on the canal tow path. The timing of my commute means that I tend to see the same people every day so why not be pleasant? If I want to be miserable and not interactive with anyone then I'll do what most do and use the car.

Cyclists acknowledging other cyclists? Typical of minority groups I'd say.

a wave or a 'hello' if stopped is easy enough but no worries if no response

having said that, the commute is often a difficult place to do it - I commute every day and my priority is getting to work in one piece so the waving takes second place

on a weekend ride, every time - I always say 'morning' or 'afternoon' if there's more than one rider as you need to be aware of their presence when overtaking or being overtaken

A cheery nod to anyone riding on the road (or designated path) with adequate but not dazzling lights.

Except the local one man justice wave with his helmet cam and "useful tips" that he hands out unsolicited to all other road users (including, but not limited to, cyclists). It would only encourage him to communicate more.

Got shouted at by a fellow commuter cyclist for stopping at a red light the other day.

A cheery hello to all is the best way to arrive in a good mood.

Why on earth would you greet folk you don't know?

I always say hello to people, although I ignore people on the cycle path in the pitch black with very bright lights set to flash, you're on a segregated cycle path why the * to you have your front light on flash, can see, can't see, can see, can't see. ******

Why on earth would you greet folk you don't know?

Each to their own and all that. I generally say hello or in daylight a nod or hand raise from the bars. It's nice to acknowledge fellow human beings.

Why on earth would you greet folk you don't know?

It'd be a strange world if we only greeted those we knew, do you not say good morning/afternoon to a shop keeper for example? On a shared use path like a canal tow path being courteous has its benefits. For a start you are picking away at that "all cyclists are ..." attitude.

A smile and a "good morning" go a long way.

Oh, and I remember stopping and having a chat to you and your good lady in the middle of Fisherfield this summer having never met you before.

do you not say good morning/afternoon to a shop keeper for example?

Maybe he touches them inappropriately or offers a massage instead? 🙂

🙂

For me it all depends on circumstance but a commuter going the other way - never. Dog walkers on the shared path get " ting ting" on the bell from 50 m back and if they are helpful get a " thank you" Walkers out in the hills get a " lovely day, thank you"

Shared use paths I do the over friendly cyclist bit all the time for good PR

Never had another cycle commuter acknowledge me but I do live in a city with a lot of cycle commuting - on my old longer commute I could see a hundred

Never had another cycle commuter acknowledge me but I do live in a city with a lot of cycle commuting - on my old longer commute I could see a hundred

That's the difference then, coming across the moor I probably see two or three people in summer and in winter lucky if I see that in a week.

Aye, I see much the same numbers as Gary, and agree re the bellends with mental flashing lights on the cycle path.

Got shouted at by a fellow commuter cyclist for stopping at a red light the other day

See, this is why mostly hate everyone.

I've been doing the same commute on and off for roughly 10 years along a bit of wide coastal shared path, there's 2 cyclists I see going the other way regularly and we usually give each other the nod. Just nice to know they're still doing it as well.

But, I never know what to say if I pass a bike going the same way as me. I feel if I say 'morning' I'm kind of gloating that I'm passing, but if I don't say something I feel like a miserable git*

*the wife would say this is me anyway

I've been doing the same commute on and off for roughly 10 years

+1. you start to recognise people. I say morning to all the regulars in the park/ most of the cyclists.

We're friendly down south though.

Who's got the coolest bike on their commute? I see a guy who either rides a homemade (looking) bamboo bike: complete with bamboo bars!

Does this morning's "stop and clear your f ing screen" through the open window of an iced up Rover count as a pleasantry?

But otherwise do generally say hi to regular people.

tjagain - Why on earth would you greet folk you don't know?

TJ removing the social from socialist. 😀

Honest answer is I don't know but there's something about being on the bike or in the hills that makes me want to be nice to people. If I'm out in the south downs I'll usually greet other bikers and walkers. I suppose I identify with them enjoying the outdoors or the simple pleasure of riding a bike.

However if I'm in the gym (so that's twice a year) I'll generally blank everyone unless I know them!

Back to the OP I'd go with cheerful over sullen.

I carried out a controlled scientific test* this morning.

For the entire commute along a shared use path (12 miles) I said 'good morning' to everyone I met.

out of 33 pedestrians/joggers - 11 replied

Out of 15 cyclists - 10 replied

Pedestrians in the more 'rural' parts were far more likely to reciprocate, the first 7 people I met gave a 100% response. As I got to urban areas the response rate dropped dramatically.

almost all people responded to my greeting rather than saying theirs first.

making eye contact made no difference.

I was ignored by the owner of a LBS, and he was wearing his bespoke bike shop gear.

Which sort of proves that some people are happy to interact with others on their commute and some aren't. I'll say hello/morning because I'm a nice sort of chap, if someone doesn't want to respond that's their problem.

2 women walking their dog last night, one of those wee furry horrible brown mouthed things, Lhasa apso or summit, anyway, seen me from about 100 yds away, and took them all that time to round the wee bugger up, and lift him. Then both looked at me like I was the spawn of satan himself.

I did say thanks, and smile, but they still hated me.

Couldn't help but laugh!.

2 women walking their dog last night, one of those wee furry horrible brown mouthed things

Racist

I say hello to every cycle commuter I pass and some pedestrians.

Then both looked at me like I was the spawn of satan himself.

Aaah, so they knew you then?

😆