Cycling on pavements

quote:

Originally posted by Tarquin Maynard-Portly:
None, John: I drive my car on the pavement as I dont have a licence, and my car is untaxed. I am an alcoholic and a crack head: so I'm always over the limit. I drive by Braille as I'm blind, figuring that after you hit the first pedestrian, the others will get out of you way. Much like dodgems. Plus, having a pedestrian under the wheels slows me down a bit - no brakes, you see. Not that I do..

Keep death off the roads is what I say.

Yes Sir, But you're the Norm, and we're talkin exceptions here old man, Nime has a point though
that John Bull Johnny did a bad job with his vulcanisation, personally I blame the liberals.

Fritz Von Wrong kind of leaves you see !

quote:

None, John:

so you're never a little impatient when turning right at a set of lights? Follow the last car through even though the light's changing? Or is that ok because everyone else does it?

quote:

Why are the British such slobs?

Nime, in this case I don't think they are - I think it's deliberate, much like the 'sport' of smashing bus shelters.

If pedestrians were permitted to carry firearms and to shoot cyclists who ride on pavements and motorists who sail through red lights, we might be able to reclaim society!!! Or maybe not?

G

quote:

Originally posted by graham55:
If pedestrians were permitted to carry firearms and to shoot cyclists who ride on pavements and motorists who sail through red lights, we might be able to reclaim society!!! Or maybe not?

G

now we're getting somewhere!

So now all of you police motorists have had your say, aren't there any civvis out there ?


Fritz Von Country Roads take me home (but only if yer can find a pavement, innit)

quote:

are you a whinging Pom or a whinging Aussie?

neither, I'm saying that if you stop whinging about cyclists and instead fix do something about attitudes of motorists (you know, the ones who think they own the road because they pay 'road tax') the cyclists will then feel safe enough to return to the roads and leave the pedestrians in peace.

I’m genuinely curious as to why cycling on pavements seems to raise such ire. Judging by this and other threads and the letters columns of my local rag it’s ranked somewhere below global warming but above the threat of nuclear war as a threat to civilization. I find it mildly annoying when people ride in a particularly selfish manner but amongst a range of modern life irritations I’d say it ranks well below car alarms, cars playing UK garage music and pales into insignificance compared with uninsured drivers, tailgateing or driving drunk or drugged.

In many other countries pavement cycling is actively encouraged. Even in Japan not everyone is courteous yet in that country it is a complete non-issue and if you tried to mix it with cars on the main road people would regard you as having a suicide wish. Why are attitudes so different in the UK?

Declaration of interest: last year I drove about 15 000 miles, walked about 1000 miles and cycled less than 5 miles.

djc, the major problem I believe is not with people trundling around but those riding at warp 10 on busy city footpaths.

I got knocked down by a silly walker once:



Fritz Von But he was with the Ministry

quote:

Originally posted by Berlin Fritz:
I got knocked down by a silly walker once:

Fritz Von But he was with the Ministry

Fritz

Have your considered the Corps Diplomatique for a new job?
Your way of defusing situations with a bit of lateral thinking would do wonders for world peace. (or it might not)

As a motorist and cyclist I dislike seeing people cycling on pavements when it's illegal to do so, partly because it can be dangerous to pedestrians and party because of the image issues it gives cyclists. Those cyclists that jump red lights are arseholes - plain and simple.

What is more concerning on this thread though are the views of the arrogant "I pay my road tax so it's my fucking road" type of motorist who don't realise that they're often the cause of cyclists not feeling safe on the road.

Personally the only times I cycle on the pavement are when it's legal to do so (e.g. in Livingston on my commute where all paths are designated shared use for cyclists by local laws) or when I'm on the mountain bike and I see a nice high kerb that I can launch off.

Er,

Its not illegal to cycle on pavements that have been so designated for such use. In fact in some cases signs are about warning predestrians of this. Plus as much as you like or not cyclists perceive they are safer on the pavement than on the road - wonder why that is?

quote:

Its not the cyclists riding on the pavement that cause accidents, it’s the pedestrians walking on the road.

If ya have a read of the current highway code you might be quite surprised...!

andy c!

quote:

Originally posted by Tarquin Maynard-
Would help if you actually *read* the whole thread.

I did read the whole thread, but perhaps I may have overlooked the one of yours in which you don't come over as an arsehole?

Everyone is a pedestrian under his/her car bonnet.

This is starting to read like 'some' of the PFM threads I have read recently....

andy c!

Should we have a minimum age requirement for forum membership......Adam?

I am a cyclist and motorist and a pedistrian.

In all of those categories the most annoying other group (save bus drivers no matter who you are) is pedistrians as a cyclist. The majority of pedistrians do NOT seem to have any understanding about cycle lanes and as usually cycle at 15-20mph (much faster downhill) they often get a nasty shock. I do concede that I use the pavements when my alternative is a 1/2 mile detour due to oneway systems and in those circumstances I give way to pedestrians. It is also worth noting that motorists are not very aware of cyclists on the road, if they know they are there most are pretty fine. Therefore I cycle quite aggresively, defensive cycling at low speed is a death wish in London, and aim to be as visable as possible. I have had very few accidents, mainly minor, and generally could have been avoided if I had stuck to my usual attitude of ' motorists are blind and have poor judgement'.

The reason many cyclists show scant regard for the law is that the whole road system is designied for motorists. All the traffic control measures (lights, calming measures, round abouts...) are there to moderate motor vechicles. They noramlly make life as a cyclist more dangerous and waste a lot of time. Cycle lanes are generally riduclous (give way to traffic from side roads!) and covered in broken glass, some are great (except for the pedistrians). If affective cycle networks such as those in the Netherlands where implemented maybe more cyclists would hold there tongue whilst kamakazi pedistrians were doing there upmost to become entangled with irrate cyclist and mangled bicycle.

As a motorist I don't actually have to many problems with cyclists save the nutters who cycle at night with no lights.

Matthew

Cyclists on the pavement are bad enough, but cyclists on bikes with no lights and helmets AND on the pavement are worse. Tossers.

I'm registered partially sighted. If *I* can ride on the road in rush hour traffic, only using the pavement where it's a designated cyclepath-pavement dual use area, than all these pussy wusses who ride on ALL pavements can ride on the road.

If it's perceived to be too dangerous to cycle on the road, the pantywasters should walk.

I like the way it's always the motorist's fault if a cyclist causes an accident - even if the useless cretin is riding without lights, helmet, a brain, or whathaveyou. If you are not using lights or a helmet, you should be at fault - period.

I *hate* gobshite mothers too by the way. One low-rent Riff Raff Road single-mother population boom had the gall to moan at me when I was on the cycle path once. She let her (no doubt illigitimate) offspring wander all over the cycletrack, then had the gall to claim I was in the way. Maybe if the fat slag opened her eyes and shut her mouth she'd have seen the white line and the cycling sign - although my suspision is she'd DONE too many white lines...

Hey Dom,
You have a certain amount of angst flying around at the mo!

andy c!

Not much sign of traffic calming there, then.

My friend's just noticed that his computer chair has had all the wheels nicked and it's been bricked up:



Fritz Von His new neighbours are from Heiton maybe they'll know something, eh ?

Its nice to see that such a simple discussion point can lead to such infantile raging.
There is little harm in cycling on a pavement that has been identified for dual use.
There should be little argument regarding using a council or highway authority right of way be it road, RUPP, BOAT, green lane or tarmac strip with due regard for other users. There used to be a heirarchy of regard for other users, the most vulnerable (i.e. pedestrians) being at the top, followed by equestrians and cyclists who all have a legal 'right' to use these routes. After that comes motorvehicles who have a 'licence' to use the route.

Now then, pedestrians at night do not, legally, have to wear reflective clothing or shine a white light to the front and red to the rear. Many country lanes do not have side walks. I suppose that is perfectly ok then?

I've spent most of my adult life in the uk armed forces in mountain rescue teams. The main intention of such teams are to recover downed aircrew. However, we also support local rescue teams when requested, searching for some misguided tourist who thinks it is fine to set off up a hill side in mid winter in ordinary shoes - once high heels and a bin liner!(substitute waterproof). Should this activity be banned too because some feel it is unsafe?
Cycling on a sidewalk is sometimes the only way that safe progress can be made. Personally I do not cycle on the road in the UK as it is pretty distatefull, off road is much more fun, the people invilved less analy retentive and the objective dangers are more easily controlled. However, I absolutely refuse to wear a piece of plastic on my head. I've cycled in the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia (R'ub al Khali if your interested), amongst other out of the way places, hurtle down forest trails ( the marin track near llanwrst is only a few miles from where I live) on my Marin Mount Vision without the 'egg box' strapped to my bonse with no worries at all. What comfort ios there in putting an untested 'fashion accessory' on your head? In some cases I've actually seen it cause injury. I may take the piss out of the fashion victims, especially when climbimg hills, but don't insist that they leave them at home. Pay me the same respect, and accept that some of us can't see the point.
Engage brain before opening mouth.

So long and thanks for all the fish

I nearly got killed by a crazy mother on Lord Herefords nob once !


Fritz Von I think she had summer tyres on her chopper ?


Pish: A bloke I once knew looked a right nana in his yellow cycle crash hat (even when they weren't required to be worn) though as a brain sugeon he told me he did see a lot of smashed heads & quite often; of all ages, and as he pulled the birds big style, why should he give a fuck, it' their lives, and humpty dumpty's a crackhead anyway, innit

quote:

To my intense chagrin I saw no cars on the pavement, lights on or off.

no, that would never happen in the UK...