In light of the B2B pedestrian collision video....

[BentMikey]

In Hyde Park London yesterday:

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6-2hUF2kms[/media]


I'm far from perfect myself, but that shocked me, and is, IMO, intentional aggressive riding. No collision, but the angry grunting face I saw in my mirrors, the ding ding dingdingdingding get out of my way bell ringing and the ride up to the child and slam the brakes on leaving a long skid mark is much worse, IMO, than the previous video we were discussing.

 

[clarion]

That was utterly unnecessary IMO.

 

[Bollo]

<sarcasm>Who'd have thought that kids would be in a park?</>

Plenty of time to anticipate, ease off the pedals, check for traffic and avoid with no harm or stress for anyone. Prick.

 

[Matthames]

He was riding too fast for the conditions. When approaching pedestrians on a shared use path, I always slow to about 5mph when going around them and give them as much space as I can. This guy demonstrates the reason why.

I was wincing when he nearly ran over that kid.

 

[Jezston]

Then he does it again!

Ringing a bell means "hello I'm a bicycle". It does not men GETOUTTAMYWAY!

 

[ianrauk]

A complete and utter selfish peanut.
That path is always busy with peds. He should have been riding with that in mind.

 

[schlafsack]

Ringing a bell means "hello I'm a bicycle".

Unfortunately in London, from my experience, that is seldom the case.

 

[BentMikey]

Unfortunately in London, from my experience, that is seldom the case. And how would a pedestrian know the intent of the ringer?

With hindsight and experience, it's easy to tell the good cyclists from the bad, purely by the way they ring their bells. Bad ones ring a lot, and furiously, perhaps like the one in this video.

 

[John the Monkey]

Bad ones ring a lot, and furiously, perhaps like the one in this video.

Ah, "Fire Alarm Guy" - we have one of those on the Whitworth Park Path.

It's a product of our road culture generally, I think. People who were allowed to be tw*ts in cars see no reason that they shouldn't be tw*ts on bikes.

 

[JoysOfSight]

It's for this reason mainly that I don't have a bell - I don't feel comfortable with the idea that I should be, effectively, beeping my horn at people on approach (and would hate it if motorists did the same to us as we are supposed to do to peds).

Sometimes this means that I have to slow down to walking speed and use my voice (an evolutionary asset for social communication if ever there was one) to let the peds know I am there. Seems fine to me.

I agree that "lucky that guy's not in his car" isn't a bad way of looking at it though

 

[gentlegreen]

I call it the "Cavendish effect" - a shame some of these fair weather idiots can't appreciate the privilege of being allowed into shared spaces. And the pleasures of slow riding in a peaceful green place ...

I think I always knew I would end up Youtubing more cyclists than car drivers ...

 

[John the Monkey]

It's for this reason mainly that I don't have a bell - I don't feel comfortable with the idea that I should be, effectively, beeping my horn at people on approach (and would hate it if motorists did the same to us as we are supposed to do to peds).

Arg.

Get a Crane Bell Suzu (preferably Brass). They have a delightful, sonorous tone. Sound it from a distance - thank people who move aside as you pass.

It's easy really, and not at all like the angry parp of Mr. Toad.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Then he does it again!

Ringing a bell means "hello I'm a bicycle". It does not men GETOUTTAMYWAY!

I had a canalboatman comment to me "your bell doesnt mean move y'know", I stopped and we had quite a nice chat about how I was ringing for precisely the opposite reason - "hello please dont be suprised by me!"

In my book in the vid theres no excuse for intimidating or scaring a child....

 

[BentMikey]

It's for this reason mainly that I don't have a bell - I don't feel comfortable with the idea that I should be, effectively, beeping my horn at people on approach (and would hate it if motorists did the same to us as we are supposed to do to peds).

Sometimes this means that I have to slow down to walking speed and use my voice (an evolutionary asset for social communication if ever there was one) to let the peds know I am there. Seems fine to me.

I agree that "lucky that guy's not in his car" isn't a bad way of looking at it though

I'm with you - I don't have a bell either and also prefer to use my voice. Didn't need to here, and I was only going a little bit slower than he was.

I have an airzound though, but that's mostly for use on car drivers.

 

[DrSquirrel]

Shoot me - but I don't reckon cycling should even be allowed in places like this.