I went out this afternoon and i'm not embarrassed to admit that i used the pavement twice. The first time was when i came to a main roundabout that has junctions leading onto and off a motorway. No way would i go round it, i just don't trust motorists to signal correctly or give me time to swap lanes etc. To their credit the council have fitted lights with signs telling pedestrians AND CYCLISTS whether they can cross safely or not, so i presume that they expect cyclists to use the pavement and not the dangerous roundabout.
The other time was when i was approaching some lights after a knackering climb. I didn't have the stamina to get to the lights before they changed to green, so i was there trying to go straight ahead but the impatient idiot behind me was revving like mad, i didn't trust him so i pulled up onto the pavement where i got off my bike and used the "Safe to cross"lighting system.
I always assume that the fat, cyclist hating,couldn't ride a bike to save his life but thinks he's so macho because he has a big engine in his car, slob is not going to bother about my welfare, so i choose the safest way of crossing major junctions, which sometimes means having to use the pedestrian crossing.