Cycling on pavements.

[rh100]

I'm the same as Sam, confidence needs to be built. With the lack of a safe, useful cycle path - rightly or wrongly the pavement ends up being the default option for those lacking confidence - or where the road is simply too dangerous to ride.

Sarcastic comments to people on the pavement don't help the situation or encourage anyone - it just makes you feel big about yourself - very uncharitable IMO and is the domain of a bully.

As for pavement being the wrong place to be - it's not black and white - if the council put up signs and paint lines on the floor - it's suddenly ok and all are happy and not frightened? Don't tell me that people are more aware of cyclists on shared paths - they simply aren't IMO.

 

[Arch]

Sarcastic comments to people on the pavement don't help the situation or encourage anyone - it just makes you feel big about yourself - very uncharitable IMO and is the domain of a bully.

Which is why I said something like 'if it seems appropriate'. I was thinking of grown men and teenagers who clearly don't have confidence issues - at least not by the way they hop and down the kerb when it suits them.

 

[eldudino]

Sarcastic comments to people on the pavement don't help the situation or encourage anyone - it just makes you feel big about yourself - very uncharitable IMO and is the domain of a bully.

What about an unsarky comment like "Please don't cycle on the pavement"? I wouldn't say anything to make myself feel big - I'd only say it in the hope it would avoid an accident (should that ever arise from their pavement riding) and to ensure we don't all get tarred with the same brush.

 

[rh100]

Which is why I said something like 'if it seems appropriate'. I was thinking of grown men and teenagers who clearly don't have confidence issues - at least not by the way they hop and down the kerb when it suits them.

Fair enough - a bug-bear of mine is the road cyclist who bypasses pedestrian crossings on red by scooting around on the pavement - what's the point in that?

 

[psmiffy]

I am an experienced cyclist and would never contemplate cycling on the pavement in the UK – but I know how a lot of cyclists must feel – I cycled across Poland and had no hesitation in jumping up on the pavement when it got a bit dodgy.

Until more is done to convince cyclists in the UK that the that it is safe to ride on our roads –and a lot of posts by experienced cyclists on here seem to voice the opposite opinion –the same people who shout a lot that pavement cycling is illegal – then pavement cycling will seem to be the preferred mode to many people – particularly those with children - who want /or have to use a bicycle for transport .

In the main it does very little harm apart from giving the anti-cyclists something to shout about – except where accidents happen because of a few irresponsible people I personally do not care too much about it – not do I take the rants of the “anti-cycling press” very seriously (I suspect the people in power do not listen to them either or they would have cracked down on pavement cycling or provided more cycling facilities by now).

 

[rh100]

What about an unsarky comment like "Please don't cycle on the pavement"? I wouldn't say anything to make myself feel big - I'd only say it in the hope it would avoid an accident (should that ever arise from their pavement riding) and to ensure we don't all get tarred with the same brush.

well if it's well meant - then best of luck - but I can just imagine some of the replies you'd get

If I see irresponsible pavement riding - then I think the rider is probably an idiot anyway and any dialogue unlikely to be worthwhile - have never tried it though. You could spend your day stopping people and telling them about lack lights or hi vis etc.

 

[Cab]

Since some are trying to compare us with motor vehicles, with regards injuries caused. How many on here wouldn't mind people oin cars taking to the pavements to get round something in the road. Be it another vehicle, pothole or a red light?

In terms of safety, if it were possible to do so then I don't care one iota. As such is rarely the case, it isn't a question that arises. In terms of the damage caused by such an activity, i.e. pavements aren't built to take such a pounding, I'd generally be opposed to it. But that aside, if someone were to mount a pavement to get around an obstruction safely, why should I be bothered?

 

[Cab]

Can't accept this kind of argument. It's illegal.....period.

I have two young children who walk to school every day and a mother over 80 who likes to walk. Why should they even have to worry about pavement cyclists?

Where do you draw the line with such an argument (I hardly ever see dangerous pavement riding so it's not a big deal)? Using that logic is it okay then for motor scooters to do the same so long as they don't actually hit anyone? Motor cycles then? Cars perhaps?

It's illegal for a reason.

So, who here condoned pavement cycling? I'm aware of no one. I haven't seen anyone doing so.

Theres a huge difference between saying 'chill out, its not as big a deal as it is made out to be' and saying 'its okay to do it'.

The 'its illegal... period' argument isn't even how Police forces are guided to treat it.

 

[eldudino]

well if it's well meant - then best of luck - but I can just imagine some of the replies you'd get

That was really the point of my OP, do people think it's something worth enforcing and in what way. I don't think a sarcastic comment will help anyone, least of all my front teeth but some kind of informative discussion about the legality of pavement cycling may help. I'm sure they probably know, and I'd just get this back. Still makes me laugh at how ridiculous that bloke is.

 

[goo_mason]

I still remember the reaction Magnatom got from a pavement-cycling chap when he told him that cycling on the pavement was for 5yr-olds...

There is a video of it somewhere, but I can't get on YouTube at work to track it down and provide a link.

 

[eldudino]

I still remember the reaction Magnatom got from a pavement-cycling chap when he told him that cycling on the pavement was for 5yr-olds...

There is a video of it somewhere, but I can't get on YouTube at work to track it down and provide a link.

That's the link I've just posted above

 

[Cab]

Fair enough - a bug-bear of mine is the road cyclist who bypasses pedestrian crossings on red by scooting around on the pavement - what's the point in that?

On Milton Road in Cambridge theres an off-road shared use lane, i.e. a pavement that you can legally ride on. There one spot on the way out of town where there is a pedestrian crossing, at which I can legally mount the shared use facility a few yards before, ride along it, get back on to the road, and legally avoid a light that has gone red.

On comparable sections of pavement where the level of risk is near enough identical (i.e. similar visibility, width and surface quality) I, personally, do not care one little bit of someone mounts the pavement to do the same thing. Why should I? What I care about is whether in either situation a cyclist acts responsibly, i.e. on a shared use path or anywhere else you need to show consideration for others present.

 

[Cab]

Oh, and on my lunchtime pootle in to town and back, I counted six pavement cyclists, none of them causing the slightest bit of harm.

 

[psmiffy]

Why should I? What I care about is whether in either situation a cyclist acts responsibly, i.e. on a shared use path or anywhere else you need to show consideration for others present.

I think that is the point - it is about whether people act responsibly and applies equally to people cycling on the road

 

[eldudino]

Oh, and on my lunchtime pootle in to town and back, I counted six pavement cyclists, none of them causing the slightest bit of harm at that point.

What's to say they didn't hit someone 30secs after you saw them?