Target pavement cyclists, say MPs
- Thread starter Occam's Razor
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Fair play, I think most here would like to see enforcement, but the artle mentions nothing of RLJ and certainly nothing of women getting cruched to death by large trucks.
Then again if you kill a cyclist you'd probably have less of a chance of prosecution and more lenient a sentance than a pavement cyclist.
Then again if you kill a cyclist you'd probably have less of a chance of prosecution and more lenient a sentance than a pavement cyclist.
Alien8
Senior Moment
- Location
- (A little bit north of) Cambridge
I think it's the usual old tosh - written by the brain dead for the brain dead.
ComedyPilot
Secret Lemonade Drinker
- Location
- The Kingdom of Yorkshire
Hello, welcome to the site, hope you enjoy your stay.
I think if you have a search around you'll find that 'real' cyclists views on pavement riding are quite strong - we don't do it.
I think if you have a search around you'll find that 'real' cyclists views on pavement riding are quite strong - we don't do it.
John the Monkey
Frivolous Cyclist
- Location
- Crewe
Enforcing traffic law is never a bad thing.
However, I'd put other traffic offences higher up the list of priorities, personally.
However, I'd put other traffic offences higher up the list of priorities, personally.
ComedyPilot said:
Although we don't all condemn it as harshly.
Its worth remembering that the fixed penalty notices brought in to target this were never meant to be a blunt instrument. They aren't there for plod to stake out streets where this is known to happen and have a crackdown, they're not there to target cyclists scared off the road on busy sections full of fast, terrifying (to the inexperienced especially) traffic. In fact guidance to the police force when they were introduced was specifically to be lenient in such cases.
If someone is cycling on the pavement slowly, causing no harm, then frankly I don't care. Technically they're breaking the law so should plod get 'em they're fair game. But it is not the case that pavement cycling is necessarily problematic or 'antisocial'.
And, lastly, theres a lack of this committee having a sense of proportion. Who kills more pedestrians on the pavements, motorists or cyclists? By how many?
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
I'm happy for them to do this, but I do wish they'd target all other road users equally, such as the thousands and thousands of pavement drivers found in London.
BentMikey said:
It would be so easy to do so too. They're there, the car parked on the pavement, they didn't drop it there with a crane, they're pavement drivers. They do more harm to people and to the pavements than bikes do. So, why is there never any kind of concerted effort to tackle this?
rh100
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Committee member and Tory MP David Curry said some were "irresponsible and arrogant road users" and said many people believed they took no notice of red lights and believed traffic cones were "not for them".
"The only time I have been knocked down in my life was by a cyclist going like a bat out of hell outside the House of Commons," he said.
"We seem to regard cyclists as living in some sort of superior moral category when they actually do not have any."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ho hum......why so scared of cyclists they have to attack them. Is it because it makes them think about there own wasteful use of vehicles I wonder? If they quoted someone who had clear experience of cycling, then I would listen.
Committee member and Tory MP David Curry said some were "irresponsible and arrogant road users" and said many people believed they took no notice of red lights and believed traffic cones were "not for them".
"The only time I have been knocked down in my life was by a cyclist going like a bat out of hell outside the House of Commons," he said.
"We seem to regard cyclists as living in some sort of superior moral category when they actually do not have any."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ho hum......why so scared of cyclists they have to attack them. Is it because it makes them think about there own wasteful use of vehicles I wonder? If they quoted someone who had clear experience of cycling, then I would listen.
WimbledonCyclist
New Member
Quote from the article:
Committee member and Tory MP David Curry said some [cyclists] were "irresponsible and arrogant road users" [...]
"The only time I have been knocked down in my life was by a cyclist going like a bat out of hell outside the House of Commons," he said.
"We seem to regard cyclists as living in some sort of superior moral category when they actually do not have any."
I fully agree that pavement cyclists are a menace. But look at the article in more detail and the story slightly changes. David Curry MP has been hit by a ferocious cyclist - and he lived to tell the tale. So we've got a bunch of annoying cyclists whose behaviour makes others feel unsafe, and who sometimes crash into people, who then live to tell the tale.
Now read a few paragraphs before this:
In 2007 more than 30,000 pedestrians and 16,000 cyclists were injured, while 646 and 136 respectively were killed on Britain's roads.
This doesn't paint the wider picture, which would show that between 2,500 and 3,000 people were killed in traffic every year over the past few years.
I would put the menace cyclist in the same category as other annoying, anti-social louts/ladettes who cause trouble. The police should enforce the law when the situation demands so.
It needs stating again: focus our tax, police and intellectual resources where they make the greatest difference. In this case, on general traffic safety and bringing down the number of road deaths. I would like the committee members to devote their energy, my tax money, police time on precisely that.
Once they've sorted that out, they can fill in the details on menace cyclists who cause a general "perception of danger".
Committee member and Tory MP David Curry said some [cyclists] were "irresponsible and arrogant road users" [...]
"The only time I have been knocked down in my life was by a cyclist going like a bat out of hell outside the House of Commons," he said.
"We seem to regard cyclists as living in some sort of superior moral category when they actually do not have any."
I fully agree that pavement cyclists are a menace. But look at the article in more detail and the story slightly changes. David Curry MP has been hit by a ferocious cyclist - and he lived to tell the tale. So we've got a bunch of annoying cyclists whose behaviour makes others feel unsafe, and who sometimes crash into people, who then live to tell the tale.
Now read a few paragraphs before this:
In 2007 more than 30,000 pedestrians and 16,000 cyclists were injured, while 646 and 136 respectively were killed on Britain's roads.
This doesn't paint the wider picture, which would show that between 2,500 and 3,000 people were killed in traffic every year over the past few years.
I would put the menace cyclist in the same category as other annoying, anti-social louts/ladettes who cause trouble. The police should enforce the law when the situation demands so.
It needs stating again: focus our tax, police and intellectual resources where they make the greatest difference. In this case, on general traffic safety and bringing down the number of road deaths. I would like the committee members to devote their energy, my tax money, police time on precisely that.
Once they've sorted that out, they can fill in the details on menace cyclists who cause a general "perception of danger".
My mom rode on the pavement most of the time when she was in her sixties and seventies.
I can remember back when I was at school following my mom home, the two local beat Bobbies waved and said a cheerie "Hello Winnie" as we rode past on the opposite pavement.
I have said before on this forum Solihull police turn a 'blind eye' to cyclists on the pavement who are not causing any disturbance. i.e. Ladies and young children, the elderly and a Middle aged man on a BSA 20 going to Sainsbury's.
I can remember back when I was at school following my mom home, the two local beat Bobbies waved and said a cheerie "Hello Winnie" as we rode past on the opposite pavement.
I have said before on this forum Solihull police turn a 'blind eye' to cyclists on the pavement who are not causing any disturbance. i.e. Ladies and young children, the elderly and a Middle aged man on a BSA 20 going to Sainsbury's.
rh100
Well-Known Member
ComedyPilot said:
So in the absence of any kind of safe cycle path, for users too new - nervous - lacking in skill etc, where are they going to ride?
What is really the problem if someone is safe and responsible and dismounts in busy pedestrian areas like a high st etc?
I understand that training a rider to go on the road is a possible solution, but who will go to lessons enough times to get confidence to go on the road before they can go anywhere else?
Confidence comes with time, it would be irresponsible to go straight on the road from day one. If you want more people to cycle, then we have to put up with some people on the pavement whilst they find their confidence in handling the bike. Yes, there are those that clearly show no sign of wanting to do things properly (I'm thinking of the obvious chav), but it's not black and white.
I have to ask, at what point did you start to ride on the road?
Chamfus Flange
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Woking, Surrey
I agree with jumbo. If there are no peds on the side walk then what's the problem. Most pavements don't have anyone on them in surrey: waste of tarmac. There are far more interesting issues to deal with: drivers leaving the scene of a crash; speeding in residential areas. If you're found cycling on the pavement with peds then it's obvious to one and all you being a pain.
.
.
It pees me off when I see other cyclists sail past me through red lights when I'm observing the letter of the law (especially when they are dodging a line of traffic coming through from another way to get across and forcing them to take evasive action).
I uses the lights as an excuse to catch my breath, and those who ride on pavements are just wheeled pedestrians. They don't deserve the title of 'cyclist' !
Don't tar all with the same brush.
I uses the lights as an excuse to catch my breath, and those who ride on pavements are just wheeled pedestrians. They don't deserve the title of 'cyclist' !
Don't tar all with the same brush.