Genius(es) of the day

I was on my way in to the town centre, riding on the bike lane. Now this bike lane is pretty good, almost one kilometre long, separated from the street/car lane and clearly marked so that pedestrians are aware of what is it and where it is. That's cool. But after a couple of hundred metres I spot a bicyclist on the other side of the street, on the car lane. Deliberately choosing not to use the bike lane. Some bicyclists do that, for many reasons. They are mostly (male) road cyclists and they want to "train on interaction with other vehicles", they think that the bike lanes are in a poor condition, that it is too troublesome to have to share the lane with slower bicyclists or whatever. I think it's pretty stupid, especially in the cities. If more people would use the bike lanes the city would construct more, right?

Anyways, this bicyclist is not a road bicyclist, she's riding an old "standard" lady's bicycle with panniers, sitting straight up. When she reaches the end of the street, where I have to ride out on the street and ride among the cars, buses and other motor vehicles, she chooses instead to ride up on the pavement. Among pedestrians, forcing them to move out of her way... Dude, what the hell?! It's no wonder that some people get angry at bicyclists when some of us act completely retarded.

However, I couldn't keep an eye on her all the way. There are many pedestrians crossing the bike lane without keeping an eye out for bicyclists, despite the fact that it is clearly marked. They simply walk out on the lane. Luckily, I am aware of it, I have a bicycle bell to make them aware that I am there and most people do move out of the way when they hear it. So when these two guys are on their way out on the bike lane I use the bell.

"Oh. So we are riding bikes in the winter, are we?" one of the guys says angrily when I pass him. Now, how am I supposed to answer that?

A. "No, I sail boats in the winter."
B. "No, I am an optical illusion. Actually I don't even exist."
C. "What?! Is it winter?! Why haven't anyone told me that?!"

Some people...

(Picture borrowed from Chikashi Miyamoto. Hope that's OK!)

These bells come in silver too, and they are really great. This is my bicycle bell.