Loitering on crossing

[Matthames]

I had some bigoted flat cap wearing old man have a go at me for "flouting" traffic regulation. I was coming up to this zebra crossing which had a couple of pedestrians on it. The crossing was some way in the distance and I had judged that if I slow down to a slow pace I could roll up to the crossing in time for the pedestrians to have finished crossing. However one of the pedestrians was this bigoted old man, who for some reason stopped dead in the middle of the crossing and waited for me to come close. As he was stood still on the approach I gestured him to keep going, he did not budge. So to comply with traffic regulation I came to a stop, which then commenced the extremely patronising lecture about me "flouting" traffic regulations and pedestrians having right of way on zebra crossings (That is why I had stopped), etc.... The only thing I regret is to come back at him and tell him that he has absolutely no right to lecture anybody about breaking traffic laws to somebody who hasn't when he is breaking one himself.

18
At all crossings. When using any type of crossing you should

• always check that the traffic has stopped before you start to cross or push a pram onto a crossing
• always cross between the studs or over the zebra markings. Do not cross at the side of the crossing or on the zig-zag lines, as it can be dangerous

You MUST NOT loiter on any type of crossing.

Glad I got this off my chest. Pity it wasn't recorded on my camera though

 

[ferret fur]

You get old men like this. I remember once coming up to a pelican crossing with a staggered island in the middle on a dual carriageway. This old bloke had reached the island from the other carriageway, obviously saw me coming and noticably increased his pace to get to the pedestrian request box button which he pressed just as I got to the lights. Given that I was doing about 20mph at this point and was about 3 feet away from the crossing, strangely enough I didn't lock my brakes up trying to stop and I went through the lights just as they changed to amber. Seeing as he was on the far side of the dual carriageway there was no chance at all of hitting him had he stepped out (or even if he had belied his years and sprinted into the road.) As I continued I could here a tirade of abuse being hurled at me. Obviuosly he had been desperate to get me to stop for him just to give himself a sense of power or to p*ss me off.

Just put it down to the raging against the dying of the light & move on

 

[potsy]

Maybe he was WVM in his younger days and still has the hatred for all things 'bike'

 

[fossyant]

No....you have it all wrong....

Old folk can cross a road, without looking, and all traffic has to stop for them.........

 

[ManiaMuse]

No....you have it all wrong....

Old folk can cross a road, without looking, and all traffic has to stop for them.........

I had an old lady pull out on a mobility scooter without looking right in front of me once - had to slam on the brakes and swerve to avoid hitting her.

When I suggested that she should look before pulling out she launched a tirade of abuse at me.

I couldn't be doing with any argument so I just left her for dust at slightly more than 4mph.

 

[snorri]

.

Old folk can cross a road, without looking, and all traffic has to stop for them.........

I have to say it gives me a good feeling inside when I see an older person eventually lose patience waiting for a break in the traffic and just step out on to the road waving a stick in front of them and defying the motor traffic, which always stops for them, well so far anyway.

 

[hackbike 666]

I would have said "oh bugger off you old fart".

 

[Tynan]

an old man?

I had 6'4" of broken nosed Polish thug do the same to me in Leytonstone a few months ago, he actually ran backwards to get into my way and howled into my face as I emergency stopped 'you're supposed to stop', I mildly pointed out that I had stopped and he was supposed to cross.

He called me a self-gratification artist or some such as he walked off, I tossed over my ahoulder with considerable sarcasm 'and you're such a hell of man'

and then got lively on the pedals as he howled with rage and gave chase, to give up with a cry of 'that's right, ride off', which I did

he had a same sized but less homicidal friend who seemed to find the whole thing amusing

 

[hackbike 666]

Sounds like he's learning the ways of Londoners.

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

Yes he’s wrong to loiter and lecture you, BUT, he probably thought you were one of the thousands of inconsiderate, selfish, and shite cyclists out there who do zoom and weave across zebra crossings every day. He’s probably one of the growing number of peds who has little patience for a group that includes idiots who piss him off.

If I was crossing a zebra crossing, especially with my children, I’d be extremely cautious if a cyclist was approaching and would expect them to ride over it, not giving a shoot about us. We as a group make our bed...

Similarly, most of the grief I get as a cyclist is because of the piss poor manners of many of our fellow cyclists – I don’t like it, I'm not saying that’s right, but what do you expect? We all get tarred with the same brush...

 

[slugonabike]

People don't turn into angels as soon as they get old (despite what the meeja would have us believe). A young, bad tempered tosspot will simply turn into an older one!

 

[PBancroft]

The other day I had a woman step out into the road without looking and then stop in the middle. She had a dog on an extendible lead which she let run on in front of her which meant that I had to go round the back of her to get past safely. I confess I shook my head as I did so.

After I had gone past, she yelled at me to "watch where you're going!" I confess I flipped her an over-the-shoulder bird as I did so.

Do I feel bad about the situation? Yes, I shouldn't have given her the finger. However I feel more remorse about the older chap on his bike who overtook me ten seconds later. He overtook me again as I neared work - he told me he had stopped to let his chickens out en route. Scalped twice... the shame!

 

[StuartG]

I do believe it is an offence to loiter while using a zebra crossing. So if anybody was being naughty it was him. Age or the colour of his hair is irrelevant.

IMHO zebra crossings are a great thing. The pedestrian, as they should, are able to claim their priority on the road by crossing when they want. It is seldom of a problem for the cyclist as, in your case, you can usually anticipate the pedestrian and speed up or slow down so as to pass safely and not intimidatingly in front or behind without them having to change their pace.

Sadly zebra crossings are anathema to traffic planners in congested areas as they do not maximise the flow of motorised traffic. Hence Pelicans et al. A real nuisance and hold-up for pedestrians and cyclists alike. We really ought to be working together to fight for the continued displacement of zebras for controlled crossings.

Except most peds and cyclists are also motorists and we are oft to forget all other when behind a wheel ...

 

[Crankarm]

Was it this guy?

 

[magnatom]

I expect when I'm old I will be one of those men......


(Magnatom awaits the inevitable, 'You are already one of those men' comments. Mmm. I wonder who will make that comment first.....)