Curb Pavement Cyclists!

[StuartG]

This was made a priority at our local community assembly last night. Presumably by the people who parked outside ...

Oh, the irony ...

 

[Spinney]

Did you mention that at the meeting?

 

[StuartG]

Did you mention that at the meeting?

Nope. I'm carefully excluded from transport matters. Got form ...

 

[Part time cyclist]

My son was recently pulled by the police for riding on the pavement and told it was against the law to ride on the pavement, he took to the road as advised by the kind policeman..... 3 weeks later he was hit by a petrol tanker knocking him over the handlebars of his bike. Luckily he got away with just grazes, bruises ripped shorts and a knackered bike. He has now told me he is going to take his chances on the pavement from now on.....

 

[Rob3rt]

My son was recently pulled by the police for riding on the pavement and told it was against the law to ride on the pavement, he took to the road as advised by the kind policeman..... 3 weeks later he was hit by a petrol tanker knocking him over the handlebars of his bike. Luckily he got away with just grazes, bruises ripped shorts and a knackered bike. He has now told me he is going to take his chances on the pavement from now on.....

This is an argument in favour of cycling on the pavement?

 

[ufkacbln]

We had a local Councillor who was an avid anti-cyclist and campaigned vigorously against cyclists on the pavement, especially children from the local school

So we went along to a local meeting with photographs of the endemic parking on pavements, including her family

We also had figures showing that in the local constituency, 4 children and three adults had been injured by either damage caused by cars on the pavement or being forced into the road by these cars


Her official answer was that cars need to park somewhere and that parking on the pavement was a necessity, whereas cycling on it was not

However she was less than impressed when the Police representative agreed to look into he matter and write to the residents concerned

 

[ufkacbln]

This is an argument in favour of cycling on the pavement?

In some cases - yes

If the local authority fails to maintain a safe road environment, then arguably a child riding responsibly on the pavement is a sensible option

 

[TheDoctor]

I can't get that worked up about it, TBH.
Happens all the time round here, and I've never heard of a pedestrian getting hit by a bike.

 

[sheddy]

This is an argument in favour of cycling on the pavement?

Why do people use the pavement ?
Because they are frightened to use the road. The authorities have let us down, they've failed to invest in safe cycling infrastructure and allowed the motor car to rule our lives.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Pavement riding has become a high priority for local plod as a result of 'community pressure.'
When the local cycling community attempted to exert similar pressure about driving standards, speeding and pavement parking the local tory councillors tried to shut them (us) up and shout us down.
But it's ok for drunken bums to urinate and defecate in the street and shout abuse at passing women because that is not as high a priority as "the scourge of 'you lot' riding on the pavements."

somewhere along the way to "big society" the whole idea of society got corrupted.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Do remember that these people are really strugging to accept the concept of society at all.

Of course. What Dave meant to say was "Big Disassociation" where "people like us" make the decisions and people like those ghastly sorts on bicycles simply tug the forelocks to their betters in gratitude for being spared the birch.

 

[MontyVeda]

This was made a priority at our local community assembly last night. Presumably by the people who parked outside ...

Oh, the irony ...

the road doesn't look that wide so parking partly on the pavement makes sense... and there seems to be adequate room for a double buggy by those steps, so is there really an issue here? or any irony?

as for pavement cycling... I do it when appropriate. That is to say, I don't weave in and out of peds, I ride on wide or unused sections of pavement if it's preferable to riding on the road next to it.. shame on me.

of course there are those who cycle on the pavement and don't give a toss about weaving in and out of peds, close passes or even riding in an intimidating manner.. shame on them.

 

[summerdays]

Why do people use the pavement ?

Sometimes it is because the pavement goes the way they want to go. There used to be a bit in Bristol where there was a one way system that went up and down hill (the longer sides of the triangle), if you just wanted to go straight on. Now (well a number of years ago), they made a cycle contraflow/bus lane along the bottom of the hill. Or a place where I ride on the grass rather than do 2 right turns through 2 sets of traffic lights (of which both will be red), and it is a much shorter route.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Why do people use the pavement ?
Because they are frightened to use the road. The authorities have let us down, they've failed to invest in safe cycling infrastructure and allowed the motor car to rule our lives.

Exactly the same over here, and for the same reasons. I have no problem with adults doing it, provided they ride reasonably carefully.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Pavements are for pedestrians.

In my experience, adult cyclists using pavements aren't doing so through fear but through laziness where they value their own convenience (doging traffic lights, one-way streets etc) over everyone else's.


GC