Pedestrians on shared/segregated cycle paths
- Thread starter BenM
- Start date
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HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
GrasB said:Try telling that to an irate motorist as you cruise along in the 20-25mph area.
I don't think the GrasB was criticising Gaz, he was just present a general tongue in cheek comment about some drivers, in that they expect you to be out of their way (on the cycle path) regardless of what speed you are doing. That's how I interpreted it anyway.jonesy said:
Gaz's comment was not only sensible advice but in line with official guidance on the use of shared use paths. wtf has the views of an 'irate motorist' got to do with how fast it is reasonable to cycle on a shared path?
GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
I agree with Gaz's advice however you'll get motorists who will deliberately endanger your life or be abusive because you're not on the cycle path regardless of the fact it's against general guidance, & common sense, for the speed one is travelling at.jonesy said:
Gaz's comment was not only sensible advice but in line with official guidance on the use of shared use paths. wtf has the views of an 'irate motorist' got to do with how fast it is reasonable to cycle on a shared path?
hackbike 666
Guest
Yeah agree with that...become part of the traffic.
In general yes indeed, but when said traffic consists of angry sun burned drivers with cars full of screaming kids driving around junctions where the roundabouts have been dug up and replaced with cones (reducing visibility) the slight inconvenience imposed by peds is, IMHO, worth it. I just wiish they would keep their part of the bargain
S.
Rhythm Thief
Veteran
GrasB said:
Is it only me who has never, ever encountered this? In longer than I care to remember commuting around the West Midlands on a bike, no one ever said "get on the cycle path!" or similar.
martint235
Dog on a bike
- Location
- Welling
Must be a West Midlands thing then. Happens all the time in London. Was once told by a cabbie near Elephant and Castle that I should be on the cycle path. After a quick look around it turned out that the cycle path in question was a few hundred yards (as the crow flies) to the west and not even on the same road I was on. Apparently it had cost a few thousand pounds to build and how dare I use any road with 3 miles of it.
It was quite funny though as the more times I told the cabbie that I was entitled to just as much of the road as he was, the more apoplectic he got, he was red in the face by the time I left him!
Ravenbait
Someone's imaginary friend
- Location
- The Seventh Level of Hell
Rhythm Thief said:
Really? It used to happen all the time in Exeter. Hasn't happened since moving to Edinburgh, though. Get a whole other kind of abuse up here.
I don't use cycle paths. They terrify me. Not only that, but the more people who use the paths the fewer there are on the roads and the more likely it is that cyclists on the roads will become invisible (see selective inattentional blindness).
Sam
goo_mason
Champion barbed-wire hurdler
- Location
- Leith, Edinburgh
Happened to me for the first time in 4 years a few weeks ago - I think I wrote about it on here. People-carrier tried to overtake me on a narrow stretch of road, but had to pull in when they saw a car coming fast the other way. Unfortunately they pulled in on me, forcing me closer & closer towards the pavement. I was level with the passenger's window, screaming "You're too close! Too close", fearing they'd just keep coming. Rather than move away from me, the woman passenger rolled down her window and politely said "You should be on the cyclepath!".
My gast was well and truly flabbered!
My gast was well and truly flabbered!
BenM said:In general yes indeed, but when said traffic consists of angry sun burned drivers with cars full of screaming kids driving around junctions where the roundabouts have been dug up and replaced with cones (reducing visibility) the slight inconvenience imposed by peds is, IMHO, worth it. I just wiish they would keep their part of the bargain
S.
Bargain?
Rhythm Thief said:
I've never been told to use the cycle-lanes, cycle-paths, footpaths &c. (That's almost a pity because I'd usually have a pretty good comeback.) However, it's clear that this does happen and the case of Daniel Cadden (aka Ed O'Brain) shows the extent to which the right cyclists have to ride on the road is being challenged. Isn't Telford in the West Midlands, btw?
Strangely enough...
I was riding along the path which follows the Midland Metro tram line.
I approached a lady with her two grandchildren ( they were appropriate ages ).
The lady said to the kids "Mind this boy on his bike". Well that filled me with hope,,, "BOY" on his bike.
When I passed slowly and said 'Thank you', she looked at me, saw I was an adult and said "Aren't you a bit old to be riding on the path?"
nilling
Über Member
- Location
- Preston, UK
The shared path I use is split-level with a hard curb. The cycle lane is the lower of the two lanes. It does mean having to be extra careful. But as it's the start/end of my commute I dont really mind.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I'm glad to hear that 'use the cycle path' isn't too common. IIRC I've only had it once on the road and ironically there wasn't one even if I had wanted to use it. Off the bike it has arisen in general conversation quite a few times but I tend to ignore the comment.
