Cycling On Pavements

[snorri]

You could have veered the conversation on to the topic of irresponsible dog owners, there's enough meat there for a lifetime of lively argument discussion.

 

[NorvernRob]

You should have asked him if he was carrying any bags with him, or if he was just going to let his dog sh*t everywhere like most owners. Then if he took one out suffocated him with it.

 

[Drago]

There are riders who would have filmed this encounter with their helmet cams and posted it on YouTube with a heading "Shock horror dog walker challenges cyclist who was doing absolutely nothing wrong other than breaking the law."

 

[Apollonius]

You should have asked him if he was carrying any bags with him, or if he was just going to let his dog sh*t everywhere like most owners. Then if he took one out suffocated him with it.

I observe most dog owners to be responsible and clean up after their pets.
This generalisation is no more valid than ones about cyclists jumping red lights.

 

[Cuchilo]

There is no law I know of that covers cycling on the footway doing a wheelie .

 

[w00hoo_kent]

How can you tell whether a pavement is shared use or not?

There's a point on my commute where there is a road with a cycle lane, then a roundabout, then a busy road with no marked cycle lane. I used to (guiltily) go onto the pavement on the second road as I need to cross the road in less than 100m anyway, and I don't feel particularly safe on that road. (There are rarely pedestrians, and if there were I would dismount rather than get back on the road)

I noticed the other day that the traffic light at the crossing has a "green man and bike" light, presumably meaning the pavement I was riding on is shared use, but how would I have known this if I hadn't come up onto the pavement anyway?

Often with great difficulty. There may be some shared use signs (blue, ped & bike) or some no cycle signs (red circle, old bike inside) but they often only sit at the ends of roads so you can't tell if you've passed them or not, and on part of my commute only exist at one end of the road so you can't tell until it's too late. While the crossing is a Toucan so bike and ped can use it, that gives no guarantee that any of the pavement around it is shared, I know a few spots where there is no obvious way to use the crossing by bike.

Basically it's a huge disconnected shambles in most places.

I consider why I feel a need to use the pavement, often it's a worse experience than the road, and if I really do ride sensibly with care. If I know I'm legal there then I just state that and don't stop to debate. If it's unsure then I apologise and explain why the road is too dangerous there and I've chosen it. Then blame the government (everyone loves that) and carry on. I've never been stopped by anyone with actual authority (not that it's something I particularly do) but again I'd hope to talk it out by being reasonable and vaguely apologetic.

You were kind of in the wrong by the sound of it, but there was little point in him making a thing of it. Safety first and all that.

 

[NorvernRob]

I observe most dog owners to be responsible and clean up after their pets.
This generalisation is no more valid than ones about cyclists jumping red lights.

You'd think differently if you walked 6-10 miles around the estate I deliver to every day!

 

[Apollonius]

You'd think differently if you walked 6-10 miles around the estate I deliver to every day!

Fair point! I was once a Christmas postman on a rough estate in Leicester. The sh1t was the least of my problems with our canine friends. I was attacked by groups of a dozen or so semi-feral dogs.
All the same, let's not tar all with the same brush.

 

[HLaB]

Even children are legally supposed to use the road when cycling, although a blind eye is usually given to this.

Stress the usually http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-31805312

 

[Saluki]

He was correct but, this morning, I WAS that dog walker when 2 foreign students nearly ploughed into me on the pavement, on an exceedingly quiet road with little traffic use. They were 2 abreast on the pavement and chatting, not paying attention. I yelled 'Hey' at them and they slammed on their brakes. I told them that they were not allowed to ride on the pavement unless it's a shared use cycle path/pavement. They said that it was too dangerous, just as a pair of 6 year olds rollerskated up the middle of the road with no fear of being run over on.

We have been known to cross the pavement to get onto our drive but not ride up the pavement as there are a lot of families with kids in our street. Rollerskating and scootering is common in our road, as is playing tennis and football in the road. Maybe why that is why it's so life threateningly dangerous for 2 grown ups.

 

[HLaB]

He was correct but, this morning, I WAS that dog walker when 2 foreign students nearly ploughed into me on the pavement, on an exceedingly quiet road with little traffic use. They were 2 abreast on the pavement and chatting, not paying attention. I yelled 'Hey' at them and they slammed on their brakes. I told them that they were not allowed to ride on the pavement unless it's a shared use cycle path/pavement. They said that it was too dangerous, just as a pair of 6 year olds rollerskated up the middle of the road with no fear of being run over on.

We have been known to cross the pavement to get onto our drive but not ride up the pavement as there are a lot of families with kids in our street. Rollerskating and scootering is common in our road, as is playing tennis and football in the road. Maybe why that is why it's so life threateningly dangerous for 2 grown ups.

Newark can be similar. In the semi pedestrian zone/ shared surface (no raised kerb)/ one way system, with one car approaching slowly every 5mins or so; some folk will insist on cycling on the narrow footway dodging between peds. Yet peds quite correctly wander all over the road, for some reason its safe enough for them

 

[Banjo]

I find its safer to ride on the pavement when I am texting.

 

[cd365]

You should not ride on the pavement, simples!

 

[MontyVeda]

there's always one.

 

[Cyclist33]

Often with great difficulty. There may be some shared use signs (blue, ped & bike) or some no cycle signs (red circle, old bike inside) but they often only sit at the ends of roads so you can't tell if you've passed them or not, and on part of my commute only exist at one end of the road so you can't tell until it's too late. While the crossing is a Toucan so bike and ped can use it, that gives no guarantee that any of the pavement around it is shared, I know a few spots where there is no obvious way to use the crossing by bike.

Basically it's a huge disconnected shambles in most places.

I consider why I feel a need to use the pavement, often it's a worse experience than the road, and if I really do ride sensibly with care. If I know I'm legal there then I just state that and don't stop to debate. If it's unsure then I apologise and explain why the road is too dangerous there and I've chosen it. Then blame the government (everyone loves that) and carry on. I've never been stopped by anyone with actual authority (not that it's something I particularly do) but again I'd hope to talk it out by being reasonable and vaguely apologetic.

You were kind of in the wrong by the sound of it, but there was little point in him making a thing of it. Safety first and all that.

Surely you're never legal on the pavement if it's not a shared use one?