I got this cool bell thinking I would be able to use it while biking. I figured I wouldn’t have to be the snide person that screams, “to your left!”every time I pass a person on the two trails I pedal on.
The bell is a day of the dead skull and visually appealing to me.
I was able to place it to the right of the inside of my handle bar and voila!
I went for a ride out on the trail and assumed I might try it.
Each time I'd approach joggers and walkers I would kindly zing the bell and each time there was no flinch.... as
the modern day of ear buds and cell phones render me undetectable.
Not even a look, turn or wave?
Other then a sizable elephant entering on the trail, I do not exist according to the workout crew that is busy listening to the soothing sounds of Yanni or Anne Murray.
I was thinking that I may have just bought something that would be useful but now the thought was it might just be a hanging piece of furniture or tchotchke that may not escape the future of our neighborhood yard sale.
Ah but wait.
It is late spring and we have two water ways.
A canal and a river that are side to side.
We have water fowl and we some canadian geese.
Geese lay eggs and have gander.
And this year has been quite a boom time for the water birds.
As I pedaled my way back towards home and entering the goose and gander zone on the path.
I began to push and zing my bike bell.
Louder and louder.
And verbally tell them to move into the canal .
This worked.
As I slowed down and kept pushing the bell they pleasantly waddled and waded into the water.
I had one goose give me the hiss sound,
sticking out his tongue sort of as a shoo back to me!
Back off I thought!
Plenty can enjoy this path.
Human and foul.
And there you have it.
The bell remains.
Sense of purpose accomplished.
So the bell stays.
There are plenty of deterrents to ring it at, even if not a person.