Target pavement cyclists, say MPs

[ufkacbln]

Just live and let live.

Or in this case let me live and potentially let others live with a diminished and compromised quality of life.

 

[ufkacbln]

I can think of some examples where we could let them off. I wouldn't fancy cycling on a motorway for example, however much cycling provision is installed.

There was a quality argument that the hard shoulder on the motorway is in fact potentially a better design model than the 12" facility on an urban dual carriageway!

 

[rh100]

There was a quality argument that the hard shoulder on the motorway is in fact potentially a better design model than the 12" facility on an urban dual carriageway!

Let's hope this post is ironic

Have you ever been on a hard shoulder and felt the turbulence from passing vehicles, or had HGV's drifting over the line towards you? On a bike? No thanks.

 

[J4CKO]

There is cycling on the pavement, that is making your journey exclusively on pavement, occasionally foraying onto the road, usually with no lights in the dark, in a hoody on a rattly old MTB or a BMX with no brakes, possibly a Raleigh twenty with a home made box on the back.

Also, there is moving a bike on the pavement, you can do it, at walking pace, unclip and make it clear by going at walking pace that you are observing others safety, I do this for one 50 yard stretch to avoid an evil junction, I have tried this junction and car drivers give you no quarter so I have no qualms, I cause nobody any problems as effectively I am a cyclist with a bike under me, not cycling, not doing 15/20 mph like I would normally, proper cyclists dont do anything that endangers peds, it peds themselves, but on bikes.

 

[jimboalee]

Let's hope this post is ironic

Have you ever been on a hard shoulder and felt the turbulence from passing vehicles, or had HGV's drifting over the line towards you? On a bike? No thanks.

I've ridden a few 'National speed limit' A road dual carriageways.

The turbulance from passing trucks is a welcome help.

 

[HJ]

Thank F**k for the M40.

If the M40 wasn't there, I'd have thousands of tons of articulated trucks whizzing past my right ear.

Ach, you should try cycling in Aberdeen then...

 

[Norm]

Law preventing cycling on pavements is not ridiculous, as long as it enforced in the way it was originally intended.

Sadly, as with much legislation in this God-forsaken land, the original intention means squat all to the power-crazed who enforce a law for the sake of enforcing the law. I got pulled up a few weeks ago in a quiet ped zone, I was cycling the same speed that people were walking but I still got some young punk in a uniform trying to throw the book at me.

Intelligence and logic seem to be missing from the syllabus in Hendon and Sulhamstead.

 

[wafflycat]

I've ridden a few 'National speed limit' A road dual carriageways.

The turbulance from passing trucks is a welcome help.

Having ridden dual carriageways (A11, A47) I have to say the experience was not bad as due to the presence of the extra lane, overtaking traffic gives wide berth. You just have to be clear and assertive about your cycling, especially in terms of road positioning. Indeed, most of the roads round me are national speed limit and are NOT dual carriageway but are winding country lanes. IME those ones have a danger all of their own as traffic can go by too close and at too fast a speed for a winding country lane. Never mind the fact the road is narrow, winding & has reduced sight lines... the sped limit is 60, so as close to that and above it too many motorists will go.. I've also found that in my neck of the woods, the HGV drivers are some of the most courteous drivers about, giving me loads of room, overtaking only when safe to do so, show loads of patience, and generally living up to the 'knights of the road' adage.

 

[marinyork]

Sadly, as with much legislation in this God-forsaken land, the original intention means squat all to the power-crazed who enforce a law for the sake of enforcing the law. I got pulled up a few weeks ago in a quiet ped zone, I was cycling the same speed that people were walking but I still got some young punk in a uniform trying to throw the book at me.

Intelligence and logic seem to be missing from the syllabus in Hendon and Sulhamstead.

I get pulled up quite a few times every year for cycling in a contraflow cycle lane (yes I was going the correct way). I've even got queried on a shared use area where the signs have been greatly clarified after myself and a few other people pointed out the problems the police might have there .

As for dual carriageway national speed limit A roads, I don't really have a problem with them, biggest problem is drivers doing the ton on the ones I don't go on very often. At that kind of speed there is very little margin for error with other traffic around. Well I say little trouble, that said one often gets honks from horns on 40/50/60/70 DCs.

 

[hackbike 666]

What I see of cycling on the pavement in this country is it cannot be generally be done responsibly.How many times have a been a pedestrian and had some idiot on a bike passed me too closely at speed on a bike on the pavement?

Christ,we can't even follow the rules of the road so what chance have we got on the pavement.

I support plod on this one if they pull up cyclists for cycling on the pavement.

 

[rh100]

I've ridden a few 'National speed limit' A road dual carriageways.

The turbulance from passing trucks is a welcome help.

I'll take your word on that one Jimbo

Having ridden dual carriageways (A11, A47) I have to say the experience was not bad as due to the presence of the extra lane, overtaking traffic gives wide berth. You just have to be clear and assertive about your cycling, especially in terms of road positioning. Indeed, most of the roads round me are national speed limit and are NOT dual carriageway but are winding country lanes. IME those ones have a danger all of their own as traffic can go by too close and at too fast a speed for a winding country lane. Never mind the fact the road is narrow, winding & has reduced sight lines... the sped limit is 60, so as close to that and above it too many motorists will go.. I've also found that in my neck of the woods, the HGV drivers are some of the most courteous drivers about, giving me loads of room, overtaking only when safe to do so, show loads of patience, and generally living up to the 'knights of the road' adage.

I've not had too much experience of being passed by HGV's whilst on my bike to be honest. I was thinking more of my experience driving on motorways (and being stationary on the hard shoulder). I don't know the statistics, but I used to do a lot of driving at night, and it was always when on the motorway I would notice that occasionaly a HGV would start wondering across the solid line onto the hard shoulder - motorways are a whole different ball game with how the traffic behaves IMO.

 

[Vikeonabike]

Sadly, as with much legislation in this God-forsaken land, the original intention means squat all to the power-crazed who enforce a law for the sake of enforcing the law. I got pulled up a few weeks ago in a quiet ped zone, I was cycling the same speed that people were walking but I still got some young punk in a uniform trying to throw the book at me.

Intelligence and logic seem to be missing from the syllabus in Hendon and Sulhamstead.

Sometimes it is not the fault of the power crazed law enforcers. Since the introduction of Policing Panels the police are at the mercy of the priorities set by the local population. If one of those priorities is nasty cyclists riding on pavements then the local policing team will have to deal with the issue and then report back in 3 months time on the results of that issue. If the Public require evidence...176 tickets issued to persons cycling on pavements is evidence. Unfortunately these are mainly handed out to locals who then complain to the police about heavy handed enforcement in the area!
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Sometimes it is not the fault of the power crazed law enforcers. Since the introduction of Policing Panels the police are at the mercy of the priorities set by the local population. If one of those priorities is nasty cyclists riding on pavements then the local policing team will have to deal with the issue and then report back in 3 months time on the results of that issue. If the Public require evidence...176 tickets issued to persons cycling on pavements is evidence. Unfortunately these are mainly handed out to locals who then complain to the police about heavy handed enforcement in the area!
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Some people can't see the wood for the trees though.

 

[ufkacbln]

We had a local Councillor who as part of her role on teh Road Safety Committee organised a clampdown on local kids cycling to school on the pavements, but didn't see a need to deal with the 50 or 60 illegally parked cars that fill the same pavements whenthe same school has a car boot sale.

 

[very-near]

I can't believe I am seeing so many so called law abiding people posting on here that they break the law with impunity citing all sorts of feeble justification, whilst in other threads, they demonise others for their indiscretions.

Pot and kettle....