SINGAPORE โ A peaceful weekend walk along a busy park connector was briefly disrupted after cyclist Kurang bin Ajar, 34, repeatedly rang his bicycle bell while expecting the crowd ahead to instantly separate into two orderly lines, leaving him with a perfectly clear lane through the middle.
Witnesses said Mr Kurang began ringing his bell from nearly 30 metres away, maintaining his speed while waiting for pedestrians to somehow organise themselves into an efficient evacuation.
"It wasn't just one ring," said pedestrian Mei Li Mao. "It was ding... ding... ding... as if every ring was asking why we hadn't disappeared yet."
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr Kurang defended his actions.
"That's literally what the bell is for," he said. "Once I ring it, people should know to make way lah.
Asked how pedestrians were supposed to know whether he intended to overtake from the left or right, Mr Kurang appeared confused.
"They should just...know what."
Researchers from the Jurong Institution Association of Organisations (JIAO) say the phenomenon is becoming increasingly common
Professor Ling Ding Ding, who heads JIAO's Centre for Shared Path Studies, explained that some cyclists gradually develop what researchers call Moses Complex.
"They think ring bell only, people will part like the Red Sea" he said. "
The Land Transport Authority reminded both cyclists and pedestrians that public streets are shared spaces, and that bicycle bells are intended to alert others - ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐.
At press time, Mr Kurang was reportedly considering upgrading to a louder electronic bell after concluding that the issue was "because people cannot hear."
#singapore