>>1712378When people are walking they assume the land around them belongs to them, so when a cyclist passes them they get surprised and angry, like they had something stolen from them, or like they're insulted for being reminded that they're a bag of meat taking up space that others are also using. I find using a bell pisses people off just as much as sneaking past them, I find that riding on the road pisses people off as much as on the footpath, or on a trail. There is literally no behaviour or amount of defensiveness on a bicycle that makes ground thumpers more pleasant toward cyclists. They just don't cope with sharing, at all. By the time they've decided to resent you for being on a bike you're already gone and that just makes them more angry.
