Karma theory in practice ... occasionally it does work

Attentive readers (i.e. close family) might remember that a while ago I wrote about being wracked with guilt after not dismounting at a tricky pedestrian corner and nearly bumping into someone, and being shouted at. If you can bear to read about my experience, here's the post. Anyway, ever since then, I've approached that same corner with great caution and invariably dismounted when I see the sign telling me to do so.

Not all cyclists are psychos

Also invariably I never see anyone so I get this sense of doing a wonderful thing (OK, mildly sociable) and no-one witnessing my greatness. But sure enough, this karma thing came to the rescue. Yesterday, after my chat with the canal ranger, I carried on and dismounted at said spot near Little Venice. As I walked my bike along, a man stopped and thanked me - very sincerely - for walking my bike. We had a very nice chat about how dangerous that blind spot is for older people, how the police have tried to help, what it means for the Resident's Association, etc etc. We parted on very friendly terms, with him no doubt thinking that not all cyclists are psychopathic monsters, and me being chuffed to bits that I had taken the trouble to get off my bike for a few seconds. And somehow all the other times I had done it without being seen were justified.

Morality or karma?

It reminded me of something the canal ranger had said - when I asked him about whether I should "get extra points" for getting off my bike on the temporary jetty floating on the canal (see previous entry with video of the jetty). He said it was a case of your morality, not points. Well, I kind of take that to mean karma. And I'll continue to dismount while most others carry on cycling.

Should you dismount when told to do so?

I had two moments on my ride this morning when I was told by a sign to dismount. The first was on the Regent's Canal, just West of the Zoo, where there's some work going on and you have to go on to a jetty thing to get round it. I made a judgement: the dismount sign was probably for my own safety - in case it was slippery on the jetty - or because if there are lots of people it could be a hazard. I looked carefully - there was no-one in sight - so I biked carefully over the jetty. No harm done.

Then I went through a residential area just above the canal. I would normally dismount as there's a bit of a blind corner. But this time I decided I wouldn't, as every time I had dismounted before, I'd literally never seen a single pedestrian coming my way. But this time, of course, there was a pedestrian and although I was creeping along slowly, she was clearly angry (I got the impression this was quite a regular local issue) and told me off, said there could be elderly people coming through, etc etc. I tried to explain that this was the first time I hadn't dismounted but she was clearly angry and didn't want to enter into a conversation.

I left feeling guilty and angry. I got to thinking about the hundred times I had dismounted, but no-one had noticed my good work (!), and how you can ruin cyclists' reputation by one moment like that.

I sort of think I should write a little note and leave it by the bike sign explaining my point of view and apologising if she was shocked when I appeared, and that perhaps I should shout loudly whenever next go through and do dismount, alerting everyone to the fact that cyclists do dismount ... but there's another part of me which says - just forget it, and next time you go through, dismount.

Anyone out there got on any views on whether we should always dismount when we see the sign?