Cyclist kills pedestrian

[User]

 

[Deleted member 35268]

Terrible.

 

[Hip Priest]

That's awful. 'Unavoidable' my arse. If you have to swerve to avoid a pedestrian in a park then you're going too fast. Throw the book at him.

 

[Drago]

I can't help thinking that of there are so many peds about that you need to "swerve to avoid them" then its time to get off and walk.

 

[ianrauk]

And looks like he has form.

 

[Ganymede]

That's awful. 'Unavoidable' my arse. If you have to swerve to avoid a pedestrian in a park then you're going too fast. Throw the book at him.

I agree - but this is partly down to the obviously stupid idea of putting a painted line down a path and expecting it to magically keep pedestrians/dogs/children on one side and cyclists on the other. The guy should not have been speeding but as usual the "infrastructure" (or as we shall designate it henceforth, "the paint job") is hopelessly inadequate and the thinking behind it (or as we shall designate it henceforth, "total lack of comprehension or experience behind it") is partly to blame.

 

[Markymark]

I agree - but this is partly down to the obviously stupid idea of putting a painted line down a path and expecting it to magically keep pedestrians/dogs/children on one side and cyclists on the other. The guy should not have been speeding but as usual the "infrastructure" (or as we shall designate it henceforth, "the paint job") is hopelessly inadequate and the thinking behind it (or as we shall designate it henceforth, "total lack of comprehension or experience behind it") is partly to blame.

A bit of paint is cheap and is it not too much to ask for people to be sensible? Maybe they should spend a fortune to keep the idiots apart?

 

[Dan B]

I'd prefer if they didn't put the paint there at all and just made it clear that pedestrians have priority.

But I don't know how you'd actually enforce that without big sticks, it doesn't work in Hyde Park either

 

[nickyboy]

I agree - but this is partly down to the obviously stupid idea of putting a painted line down a path and expecting it to magically keep pedestrians/dogs/children on one side and cyclists on the other. The guy should not have been speeding but as usual the "infrastructure" (or as we shall designate it henceforth, "the paint job") is hopelessly inadequate and the thinking behind it (or as we shall designate it henceforth, "total lack of comprehension or experience behind it") is partly to blame.

Regardless of the adequacy or otherwise of the "infrastructure" we all ultimately have responsibility for our actions. Cycling quickly in an area with a lot of pedestrians is irresponsible and smacks of an arrogant attitude towards others. The guy sounds like an arrogant idiot and attempting to place some contributory factors on anything else does the wider cycling public no favours

 

[Beebo]

I'd prefer if they didn't put the paint there at all and just made it clear that pedestrians have priority.

But I don't know how you'd actually enforce that without big sticks, it doesn't work in Hyde Park either

It doesnt work in Greenwich Park either, but I cycle through every day at a sensible speed, often less than 5mph. The park does have signs up saying cyclists must give way to peds at all times.
There are park vehicles, peds, kids on scooters, rollerbladers, dogs and squirrels to worry about, all of which can be extremely unpredictable.

 

[Cycleops]

Difficult for us to be judgmental on here if we haven't haven't cycled in Central Park. We don't know the cycle lane layout or how many people were about. Maybe someone could put us right. He does sound a bit of a nutter though.

 

[vickster]

I've cycled round Central Park...it has a road around and through! Lots of the paths were marked no cycling from what I recall

 

[Ganymede]

Regardless of the adequacy or otherwise of the "infrastructure" we all ultimately have responsibility for our actions. Cycling quickly in an area with a lot of pedestrians is irresponsible and smacks of an arrogant attitude towards others. The guy sounds like an arrogant idiot and attempting to place some contributory factors on anything else does the wider cycling public no favours

I did say that I agreed that he should be held responsible and was in the wrong. But infrastructure layouts can work in favour of safety or against them, in conjunction with enforcement of regulations - this is a common topic on these boards.

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

We cycled across the Golden Gate Bridge last year on a narrow path which was shared by pedestrians, people on hire bikes out for a sight seeing trundle, and serious clipped in roadies who road as though the bridge was part of their training run.

I'd be amazed if there haven't been several serious collisions.

 

[Globalti]

In the picture the cyclist is wearing a flouro jacket, so how did this happen? I thought flouro jackets protected the wearer from accidents?

Tragic for the pedestrian's family though.