HAVE YOUR SAY: Ways to deal with pavement hogs and cyclists (From News Shopper)

But what if you saw a yummy mummy in the slow lane, whilst doing 5mph in the fast you could end up embedded in the back pocket of the bloke in front or worse still, what if someone nicks your shoes and goes joy running, they could be scuffed or anything, and not to forget drink walking, you know the scenario, a man has a swig from a can of ginger beer and the next minute we have a ten people pile up. No I'm sorry I couldn't take the pressure count me out.

I started riding a bike when I was about six years old. I rode to school, then to work and also for pleasure on holidays in various parts of the country. I used to feel safe and confident on our roads but not any more. Some areas have divided footpaths and I think this could work. The main thing is that everyone needs to be aware of other people and be patient and considerate.

Im afraid i am guilty of cycling on the pavement, but I make **** sure that i give peds absolute priority, by dropping onto the roads to overtake them. Ive been doing it daily for years, and only on 2 occasions have I been told off by members of the public.

I think it should be lawful, on the understanding that people on foot get absolute priority. I wouldnt even mind the (flippant) law that allows people to push cyclists off their bike if they are being a nuisance..
I also agree with auntyval, Mottingham in that its all about being considerate...

(Captcha - blue-fine :) )

Yet again this paper has publishes a "we all hate cyclist" article. Its almost like they have a vendetta against them all. Why dont we have a "We hate Car driver on Mobiles" article to balance things up?

Anyway - the irony of the cyclist on the pavement is this: It is MORE DANGEROUS for cyclists to cycle on pavements than on the road.

It sounds counter intuitive, but it has been proven. Check out John Franklin's Cyclecraft - it explains it.

It mainly because the most common cause of accidents (all accidents, not just cyclists) are a junctions.

When a car driver is driving along, they look ahead typically in a 30 degree cone. So if you are a cyclist, motorcyclist, another car etc ahead of the car driver, they see you.

The problem occurs if you are on the pavement, or indeed in a stupidly narrow cycle path. You then fall out of the typical car drivers 30 degree cone of vision. So when you come to the junction, on the pavement, you may shoot out, the car takes a left into you..... Game Over. Like I say same thing occurs with narrow cycle paths. The best place to be is in the flow of the traffic.

The problem with cycle paths is, many of them fall below the legal requirement of width. The one I can think of is up the hill on the way to the hospital from Bromley on the A21. Its only about 18 inches wide.

So, cycle paths can be useful and good when made properly. BUT - it should not be mandatory, as sometimes the are designed wrongly at force you into the most vulnerable position possible for a cyclist.

Finally - surely all road users should have courtesy and respect for all others. Its not size or speed or taxes paid that give you a higher priority over another. We are all equal.

So cyclists:
Don't Jump Lights
Don't ride on Pavements

Car drivers:
Turn your mobile off and Seatbelt on.
Be patient. An extra 20 seconds aint gonna hurt if stuck behind someone slower.


Have a nice weekend all.

Opps - looks like I'm a day ahead of myself!

Have a Nice Thursday!

A few weeks ago I was walking out of the Walnuts shopping centre in Orpington, when I was nearly run down from behind by a cyclist - and couldn't believe it when I saw it was a policeman in fully gear - reflective jacket, helmet etc. Good to know he was so concerned about his own safety. Pity he ignored mine and that of other people in what is a pedestrianised area. If the police ride on pavements what chance is there of stopping anyone else doing it?

Cyclists ride on the pavements in
Shadwell, East London, regularly.
They're a danger to everyone as
they do this whether the pavements are busy or not.

I've lost count how many times they've come very close to hitting
me. One day there were 6 men,
who rode on Commercial Road
pavement, they came along
seperately, but seconds apart. As
the last idiot approached me I said.
"No wonder a blind person and their
guide dog have been hit and hurt
3 times by morons like you," a
reference to a Teletext article. He
didn't look at all bothered. If they're
too scared to ride their bikes on the
road then don't ride them at all.
Some even ride using one hand to
steer their bike and the other using
a mobile!! The greatest majority are
men as I've only counted 5 women
doing it in the 2-3 years its been
allowed. These idiots even ride
through our local market whizzing
passed shoppers and kids, which
isn't allowed.

Some tenants, in my block, used to
ride their bikes before and after getting in and out of the lifts, through the lobby and up and down the car park path until they were told, by the Housing Association, to stop doing it in the block as it's dangerous. More proof of how stupid they are as they shouldn't have been doing it in the first place.

One London Marathon the Stewards
had to stop 8 male cyclists riding down
one side of The Highway!! They were politely told to take their bikes
onto the pavement and wheel them
along, some obeyed, others didn't
saying. "I only want to go down there," they were told again to take
their bikes onto the pavement and
wheel them along, they obeyed.

I've also lost count of the cyclists who
jump red traffic lights, on Commercial
Road, all of them have come pretty
close to hitting me, I usually say. "Are
you colour blind, the green man's up?
You hit some-one you can easily kill
or cripple them, but you're too selfish
to care," they ride on obliviously.

I was told about 2 weeks ago 3-year-old was hit by a male cyclist at the same lights. An ambulance was already there, a police car pulled up
and the female officer went in the ambulance. The male officer spoke
to a white bloke,in his 20's and on his
radio. While this was going on another
man rode his bike up and passed us on
the pavement, I looked at him and the
cyclist that had been stopped saying.
"Another moron riding on the
pavement." implying that he's one for
jumping the red light and hurting a
child. The officer said. "Have you been arrested before?" "No." I said to
the officer, in front of the guilty cyclist.
"This was waiting to happen and something has to be done before some-one dies, you get hit by a bike
and you can be killed. Are the speed
cameras working?" "I checked the CCTV and it was facing the market!"
"I was told that a man on a bike hit a
3-year-old child, I don't know if that's
true, but he has injured some-one and
his bike should be crushed!!" The officer agreed with what I'd said. It
happened around 6pm.

On myway home I got onto the island and low and behold another cyclist, on the opposite side of the road, came along, looked like he wasn't going to stop at the red light,
very quickly I said. "I wouldn't jump
the light as a bloke on a bike has hit
a 3-year-old, that's why the police and
ambulance are over there." I was on
the crossing at the time, just after I'd
told him I was on the the disabled ramp and saw him ride passed, the
rest of the traffic wasn't moving, I got
on the pavement and they drove off.

These people should be taught a lesson as they're very selfish. They
need a LARGE fine and their bikes
crushed, not after doing it countless
times, but the first time and treated
the same way each time they're caught doing it by regular police
patrols in this area and the public
reporting them.

Kids riding on pavements are just as
dangerous. One day a boy shot out
of a side street, straight onto Commercial Road pavement, and missed a bloke by inches, if he hadn't
stopped walking when he did the boy
would've hit him.

CHAMP44 wrote:
Cyclists ride on the pavements in
Shadwell, East London, regularly.
They're a danger to everyone as
they do this whether the pavements are busy or not.

I've lost count how many times they've come very close to hitting
me. One day there were 6 men,
who rode on Commercial Road
pavement, they came along
seperately, but seconds apart. As
the last idiot approached me I said.
"No wonder a blind person and their
guide dog have been hit and hurt
3 times by morons like you," a
reference to a Teletext article. He
didn't look at all bothered. If they're
too scared to ride their bikes on the
road then don't ride them at all.
Some even ride using one hand to
steer their bike and the other using
a mobile!! The greatest majority are
men as I've only counted 5 women
doing it in the 2-3 years its been
allowed. These idiots even ride
through our local market whizzing
passed shoppers and kids, which
isn't allowed.

Some tenants, in my block, used to
ride their bikes before and after getting in and out of the lifts, through the lobby and up and down the car park path until they were told, by the Housing Association, to stop doing it in the block as it's dangerous. More proof of how stupid they are as they shouldn't have been doing it in the first place.

One London Marathon the Stewards
had to stop 8 male cyclists riding down
one side of The Highway!! They were politely told to take their bikes
onto the pavement and wheel them
along, some obeyed, others didn't
saying. "I only want to go down there," they were told again to take
their bikes onto the pavement and
wheel them along, they obeyed.

I've also lost count of the cyclists who
jump red traffic lights, on Commercial
Road, all of them have come pretty
close to hitting me, I usually say. "Are
you colour blind, the green man's up?
You hit some-one you can easily kill
or cripple them, but you're too selfish
to care," they ride on obliviously.

I was told about 2 weeks ago 3-year-old was hit by a male cyclist at the same lights. An ambulance was already there, a police car pulled up
and the female officer went in the ambulance. The male officer spoke
to a white bloke,in his 20's and on his
radio. While this was going on another
man rode his bike up and passed us on
the pavement, I looked at him and the
cyclist that had been stopped saying.
"Another moron riding on the
pavement." implying that he's one for
jumping the red light and hurting a
child. The officer said. "Have you been arrested before?" "No." I said to
the officer, in front of the guilty cyclist.
"This was waiting to happen and something has to be done before some-one dies, you get hit by a bike
and you can be killed. Are the speed
cameras working?" "I checked the CCTV and it was facing the market!"
"I was told that a man on a bike hit a
3-year-old child, I don't know if that's
true, but he has injured some-one and
his bike should be crushed!!" The officer agreed with what I'd said. It
happened around 6pm.

On myway home I got onto the island and low and behold another cyclist, on the opposite side of the road, came along, looked like he wasn't going to stop at the red light,
very quickly I said. "I wouldn't jump
the light as a bloke on a bike has hit
a 3-year-old, that's why the police and
ambulance are over there." I was on
the crossing at the time, just after I'd
told him I was on the the disabled ramp and saw him ride passed, the
rest of the traffic wasn't moving, I got
on the pavement and they drove off.

These people should be taught a lesson as they're very selfish. They
need a LARGE fine and their bikes
crushed, not after doing it countless
times, but the first time and treated
the same way each time they're caught doing it by regular police
patrols in this area and the public
reporting them.

Kids riding on pavements are just as
dangerous. One day a boy shot out
of a side street, straight onto Commercial Road pavement, and missed a bloke by inches, if he hadn't
stopped walking when he did the boy
would've hit him.

....and breeth!

Big rant - quite justified. But are you being selective in what you notice.

I have lost count of the number of car drivers on mobiles, speeding, not seatbelt, jumping lights.

Whilst I am not condoning the cyclists who break the law, far from it - it has to be put into a bit of context.

Get hit by a car - the outcome if far more likely to be much worse. Of course being hit by a cyclist could kill or seriously injure as well tho, but less likely.

About 3000 people a year die on our roads, the mast majority on cars/vans.

That's about 8 a day!

So please, look at the biggest nuisance on the road - cars!

But like I said before:
cyclists:
Don't Jump Lights
Don't ride on Pavements

Car drivers:
Turn your mobile off and Seatbelt on.
Be patient. An extra 20 seconds ain't gonna hurt if stuck behind someone slower.

Given the outlandish nature of the ideas in the original article above, I was expecting some crazy comments on here but it's all been very sensible and reasonable, so thanks very much!
jca111, no, there is not a general hatred here towards cyclists. We just know it will always be a popular topic for discussion whenever we put something about cyclists up. I'm actually thinking about a discussion on certain types of car drivers for next week.
For me personally, while I don't hate all cyclists at all, I do absolutely detest cyclists on the pavement. The pavements should be for pedestrians and pedestrians only. It's unjustified and unacceptable for people to ride their bikes on the path. If you're too scared to ride on the road or you can't use cycle lanes, don't cycle at all.

As I mentioned in my first post, some cycle lanes are dangerous.

Look at this (re-direct to google maps)
http://tinyurl.com/a
21daftlane

The recommended minimum is 1.5 m for a cycle lane, and ideally 2.0m. This one appears to be about 45 cm, 0.5 m?

This type of lane does no-one any favours.

1. It cost the council money to install

2. The cyclist is 'forced' to the edge of the curb, with the gutters and road detritus (broken glass, stones etc.) causing punctures, limited road purchase etc.

3. Most competent cyclist will just not use a lane this narrow, this then annoying the car driver behind, as they don't realise why they are cycling out in the main part of the road.

So all around they are a waste of time and effort when designed by a fool in the council who has probably never cycled since they were a kid.

Also - most pavement cycle lanes are a waste of time. One of the points of cycling is to get from A to B quite quickly. If you have to stop at every side road to cross, its pointless.

So if you are gonna install cycle lanes, make sure the are predominately integrated in the traffic, and wide enough to cater for bath the cycle and the car. Otherwise save us all a few bob and don't install one. But I feel some of them are install by the council for them to be able to show off and say "we have x amount of cycle lanes in our borough".

Simon Bull wrote:
Given the outlandish nature of the ideas in the original article above, I was expecting some crazy comments on here but it's all been very sensible and reasonable, so thanks very much!
jca111, no, there is not a general hatred here towards cyclists. We just know it will always be a popular topic for discussion whenever we put something about cyclists up. I'm actually thinking about a discussion on certain types of car drivers for next week.
For me personally, while I don't hate all cyclists at all, I do absolutely detest cyclists on the pavement. The pavements should be for pedestrians and pedestrians only. It's unjustified and unacceptable for people to ride their bikes on the path. If you're too scared to ride on the road or you can't use cycle lanes, don't cycle at all.

I agree Simon - pavements should be for pedestrians.

I tell you what tho - I see as many cars parked up on the pavement as I do cyclists on, making it impossible for push-chairs, wheelchairs etc to get past . Again - are you all having selective vision?

If you don't believe me - just have a look around some of the back streets in Bromley North around the pubs after 6pm.

My main complain about cyclists is they have not "test" & a large majority seem to ride without a thought for other people (pedestrians, motorists etc). To drive a car you need a licence & insurance. A car or motorcycle has a number plate so can be reported - not so for cyclists.
On Wednesday I was walking in London, an ambulance came along with it's siren going - at a traffic light which was green it went through only to have to brake & swerve to avoid a cyclist that had gone through a red light.
A friend was knocked down an injured as she was on a pedestrian crossing - the cyclist had gone through a red light - he came off, but instead of checking she was OK, whilst she was lying bleeding in the road, subjected her to a torrent of abuse, then road off!
It was witnessed by a number of people, including a police officer, but there was no way to identify him
I know car drivers aren't perfect - but at least they may have to be prosecuted if they commit an offence
Cyclists seem to think the law does not apply to them

My main complain about cyclists is they have not "test" & a large majority seem to ride without a thought for other people (pedestrians, motorists etc). To drive a car you need a licence & insurance. A car or motorcycle has a number plate so can be reported - not so for cyclists.
On Wednesday I was walking in London, an ambulance came along with it's siren going - at a traffic light which was green it went through only to have to brake & swerve to avoid a cyclist that had gone through a red light.
A friend was knocked down an injured as she was on a pedestrian crossing - the cyclist had gone through a red light - he came off, but instead of checking she was OK, whilst she was lying bleeding in the road, subjected her to a torrent of abuse, then road off!
It was witnessed by a number of people, including a police officer, but there was no way to identify him
I know car drivers aren't perfect - but at least they may have to be prosecuted if they commit an offence
Cyclists seem to think the law does not apply to them

" It was witnessed by a number of people, including a police officer, but there was no way to identify him " Why didn't the Policeman arrest him there and then ? The story has some holes in it.

The cyclist knocked her down, the policeman was several yards away on the other side of the road & by the time he got there the cyclist had got on his bike and rode off - I doubt anyone on foot could catch a cyclist
What do you mean "The story has some holes in it"?

I agree with almost all the above comments..