Pedestrian fringe benefits of cycling

[thefollen]

Went for a nice run last night. As is often the case the mind tends to wander and I was considering that aside from the obvious fitness,enjoyment and cost, there are a few less obvious benefits gained from being a cyclist in London.

Often I marvel at people's inability to walk in a straight line down the pavement (assuming there are no obstacles) and the lack of any traffic/people awareness or anticipation. When walking I find my subconscious continually planning the next move or reading the situation and the best way to continue my journey with maximum efficiency and minimum affect on others. Oh yes, I always shoulder check before changing direction too!

You must've encountered those awkward moments where you find yourself head-on with another person and do a funny waltz round each other. I find myself noticing the person early, and picking a side not in their direct path. Of course this often doesn't stop them often dopily veering into my path... but I'm ready for them. There are lots of little situations like this.

Also when crossing roads and dealing with traffic you can read a road in an instant, and cross or act safely. Many people when crossing a road in London don't do the bike or motorbike check if they're in a situation where they must emerge through parked or stationary traffic (we can't use crossings all the time, after all).

Many of these basic awareness/anticipation skills are concurrent with good driving also, but I believe cycling really aids awareness in busy areas, and very accessible to those without or looking to train for a driving licence. Not to mention that as a result you can walk faster, have greater spring on the legs if ever in a tight spot and it makes you a demon going up stairs!

 

[chevron]

>Oh yes, I always shoulder check before changing direction too!


Haha, yep. Sometimes I signal as well.


On a slightly more mischievous note, on pedestrian crossings when I can see a cyclist is waiting for me to pass before jumping a red light, I'll make a point of 'suddenly remembering something' and stopping in the middle of the road / veering off in an unexpected direction into their path. Haha.

 

[Pisquee]

I am similar to the above, although my observations are more to do with the other peds.

Watch the other peds, how they wander aimlessly, not really looking where they are going, narrowly missing each other, sometimes crashing into each other. After watching them do this, it dawned on me, that people wander around town in much the same way that they drive cars.

I then did some more thinking along these lines, so people see transports in a way as to think about them in the same kind of mindset.

So, if a pedestrian sees a bike as a replacement to walking, then this may explain why they seem to think it normal to ride it on the pavement. Whereas if you view a bike as a vehicle, or replacement for a motorised vehicle, then you obviously see it as belonging on the road.