By John Roberts, BTCEB Director-at-Large
It happens all the time. On the trail, a hiker that is walking towards me from a far distance pulls off the trail. OK, I know that I, as a mountain biker, should instead be yielding to them. What’s frustrating about this scenario is that many times the trail is wide enough for both of us to cross in opposite directions.
Under California law, when a motorist enters a crosswalk and a pedestrian is forced to stop walking on that crosswalk as a result, this can earn the driver a ticket (CVC 21950). Similarly, if I’m a bike rider and a hiker has to yield to me, it makes me feel uncomfortable. I may not be breaking any law, but I am missing an opportunity to show the hiker a noble gesture.
So when I see an approaching hiker stopping at a far distance, I will immediately stop myself, even when there is still more than 10 yards between us. In the typical scenario, I shout out: “Go ahead!“. Then the hiker, dumbfounded, meekly says: “No, you go ahead.” Then I say: “But you have the right of way“. At this point in the rare occasion a hiker continues their walk, as they pass they will say thank you, or once the person said: “You are the only biker that seems to know that”.
The reality, is that most hikers that I have encountered will not give up the disagreement at this point. They will insist I should go first. Is it that they do not know how to ride and thereby misjudge my ability to ride by them, or is it a deep love of their personal safety? I do not know for sure. Some hikers even come up with clever ways of tricking me to go first. They’ll say things like: “It’s OK because I’m waiting for the rest of my family to catch up”. Maybe, its a noble gesture.
