The Pedestrian is King?

[Little yellow Brompton]

People are very prone to crossing with their ears, the trouble is going to come with the increase in the popularity of electric cars. My partner test drove an electric Smart car a couple of months ago, it was totally silent. I think I make more noise huffing away on my Brompton . Unless they're going to add an artificial noise to these cars, people will be busy texting, not hear anything then get slammed into by one of these as they step off the kerb...

Darwin bites back?

 

[Davidsw8]

Oh dear

I know there's a natural instinct to freeze but it'd be easier if people wouldn't do that; if you're gonna run in front of traffic, commit to it and just go.

 

[BentMikey]

FWIW, I'm a fan of us slowing down and avoiding the pedestrians, no matter how sheeplike they might be.

 

[Davidsw8]

FWIW, I'm a fan of us slowing down and avoiding the pedestrians, no matter how sheeplike they might be.

I'm definitely a fan of avoiding hitting pedestrians; doesn't stop me telling em off if they've been dozey or inconsiderate though...

 

[Mallory]

I've only had 1 accident involving another person and you've guessed it. A bloody lemming pedestrian.

The gut is walking down a grassed central reservation, he is walking with his back to me. He turns and sees me (so I think) turns his back towards me again, then just I get within a mtr of him HE CROSSES!!!!


Ouch!!!!! Both of us go flying and he gets quite a tirade of language from me!!!

I did apologise for the swearing after why were both sure that no lasting injuries occurred.

 

[Hitchington]

Bracing myself for a bit of an attack on this one but I've got a bee in my bonnet this morning so I'm throwing caution to the wind

I had several encounters with pedestrians on my commute to work today, some just rude and inconsiderate, one potentially dangerous:

The dangerous one is on Horseferry Rd in London where loads of peds get off the buses, stream across the road between traffic and stand in the central hatched road markings. I have to come off Lambeth Bridge, down Horseferry, get in to the right of the lane and turn right to go down to Smith Sq. As I cycle down, I've got buses stopped on my left, cabs, vans and everything else behind me and so I'm edging right (looking over my shoulder repeatedly) so I can safely make my turn but then I'm faced with a group of peds just stood there right in my path waiting for their chance to sprint. So, I can either plough through them or take primary and stop the traffic behind me until I'm ready to go.

I could understand this madness if there was no where to cross but there's a light controlled crossing 500 ft west and a zebra crossing 300 ft east of this spot (I looked it up on Google Maps). If these peds don't mind getting hit for the sake of walking 300 ft that's fine by me, but I don't want to end up under a bus - and the alternative routes around this have their own challenges so I don't have a choice.

The other encounters are the usual 2 types:

1. Those that don't look and cross. I'm coming round a square and need to turn left off it, I'm approaching the turn and 2 middle-aged women start to cross the junction with their backs to the flow of traffic, I dinged my bell a few times and one of them glanced over as they were nearly all the way over.

Highway Code - Rules for Pedestrians: 'At a junction. When crossing the road, look out for traffic turning into the road, especially from behind you. If you have started crossing and traffic wants to turn into the road, you have priority and they should give way.'

2. Those that look but cross anyway. In a one-way system, I'm cycling up a road and need to take a right, I've got my arm outstretched indicating my intention, I'm turning the corner (no stop lines as it's one-way) and a man in his 20's looks right at me as he nears the kerb, doesn't break his stride and continues to cross right in to me - missed him by a foot!

Highway Code - Rules for Pedestrians: 'If traffic is coming, let it pass. Look all around again and listen. Do not cross until there is a safe gap in the traffic and you are certain that there is plenty of time.'

I know some people say that the pedestrian is the most vulnerable and all traffic should stop to let them cross the road wherever they like but I do wonder why we waste money creating crossings if they don't need most of them. I don't behave this badly as a ped and I don't feel like my journey's are any longer for simply doing the right thing...

Sorry for the rant and I don't know what the solution is but seriously, what the F is wrong with people?

You know what, it's like that when I ride through Victoria Station first thing in the morn, but it's all part and parcel of riding a bike to work in an overcrowded city like London. I do have a few alternative routes to get to work but there's always some part of the journey where pedestrians stream across the road away from the "official" crossings. It is madness but I've realised there's no point worrying about it so I just accept it take my time in these areas.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I had to give a polite call to a woman today who decided not to look before she crossed the road, luckily I had plenty of time to avoid her.

 

[HLaB]

I've had someone come sprinting out of a door and straight into me when I was walking down a footpath. He landed straight on his bottom. Not really an injury but still. That said if I was an articulated lorry he'd have been knackered.

Not an artic but I've seen a ped run off the pavement into the side of a Double Decker bus! Although he knocked himself out he had a lucky one the bright purple bus was in a queue of other buses (a bus only street) and was near stationery.

 

[gaz]

You know what, it's like that when I ride through Victoria Station first thing in the morn, but it's all part and parcel of riding a bike to work in an overcrowded city like London. I do have a few alternative routes to get to work but there's always some part of the journey where pedestrians stream across the road away from the "official" crossings. It is madness but I've realised there's no point worrying about it so I just accept it take my time in these areas.

I quite like the crossing by victoria station. It's like the parting of the red sea, a stream of pedestrians strung across the road with no clear way to get through. I approach at a steady and sensible speed. Say nothing, make no gestures or noise and a gap just appears for me to cycle through. Fantastic!

 

[Hitchington]

I quite like the crossing by victoria station. It's like the parting of the red sea, a stream of pedestrians strung across the road with no clear way to get through. I approach at a steady and sensible speed. Say nothing, make no gestures or noise and a gap just appears for me to cycle through. Fantastic!

Haha, good description gaz!

 

[Davidsw8]

Three great examples of stupidity/selfishness in the space of 10 mins this evening, maybe it's a full moon?


View: http://youtu.be/qLh_bxyX96U

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Three great examples of stupidity/selfishness in the space of 10 mins this evening, maybe it's a full moon?


View: http://youtu.be/qLh_bxyX96U

That 3rd encounter would have been illegal in Australia - for the cyclist. Over here, if a vehicle is doing a left/right turn and a pedestrian is crossing the road into which the vehicle is turning, then the pedestrian has the right of way.

 

[boydj]

No need to go to Oz. Our Highway Code says the same.

 

[stowie]

That 3rd encounter would have been illegal in Australia - for the cyclist. Over here, if a vehicle is doing a left/right turn and a pedestrian is crossing the road into which the vehicle is turning, then the pedestrian has the right of way.

In the UK a pedestrian has right of way if they are already crossing the road. So the pedestrian in this case should stop. But it looks a close run thing, and my belief is that one should anticipate, and be generous and polite, to pedestrians. Not least because they use the road space in the largest number yet are often the most neglected. On the first one with the pram, having had to wheel a pram around several years ago, I can attest to the fact that there are good reasons why taking to the road may be necessary. The pavement looks narrow and rubbish, and this can be a nightmare for people pushing prams. I frequently had to use the pavement simply because there wasn't room to push a pram (often due to poorly parked cars). The second one - well the driver should have found a proper place to park as opposed to wait in the middle of the road.

 

[Davidsw8]

That 3rd encounter would have been illegal in Australia - for the cyclist. Over here, if a vehicle is doing a left/right turn and a pedestrian is crossing the road into which the vehicle is turning, then the pedestrian has the right of way.

I was already turning, he stepped onto the road behind me forcing the car behind me to stop and let him cross. The point is, he was paying more attention to his music than to his safety or anyone elses.