whats the law on people walking in middle of road?

[Angelfishsolo]

In my experience, not many - although my experience is mainly to do with rights of way on footpaths and bridleways and whether interfering with bloothirsty savages intent on setting their dogs an other animals was outside the "passing and repassing"

Attempts were made to press charges based on those definitions of the legal use of a right of way

Although usually that ended up with a "Section 5" arrest followed by a hasty* release - at least until the CJ & POA 1994 allowed arrest and conviction as soon as any public right of way was left

*North Yorkshire tended to be less hasty, preferring to let us relax in their hospitality as long as possible. Unfortunately Melton Mowbray were too hasty, given that in the earl;y 90s they developed a reputation for being quite generous with their catering for vegan & vegetarian diets so we used to hope we'd be in long enough to qualify for a meal - yes, it surprised me given the association with meat pies!

May I shake your hand through Cyberspace for taking such direct action against knobs like that.

 

[CopperCyclist]

"willfully and without lawful authority or excuse" iirc. I'd be interested to learn of any case where this has actually gone to Court and what the outcome was cos i'd have thought that the right to pass and repass is about as fundamental a lawful authority as it gets

firstly, I too read the OP's post as walking directly down the centre of the road, rather than crossing it.

Secondly, I said I'd move them out of the centre of the road, and said if I had to use legislation to do it, that would be the one. I didn't say I'd take them to court for it!

And lastly, the only time I've actually seen it used (and yes, successfully) is at large disorders when groups try to stop themselves being moved by switching to 'passive resistance' and sitting down in the street - after being given a lawful order (in the circumstances of disorder) to move.

 

[the_mikey]

Chill out and relax man. They don't need to be buzzed, that would make us as bad as the worst of the car drivers.

+1

 

[John the Monkey]

i quite often meet people walking along the gutter way on my short section of road commute , cant understand why they dont just step up on to the pavement

Pretty common in winter, as the council is about as bothered about gritting pavements as it is about gritting bike paths (i.e., not very).

 

[XmisterIS]

I do recall a "fashion" amongst chavs for deliberately walking down the middle of the road, about 4 or 5 years ago, which didn't seem to last very long (thankfully!)

I remember one incident in Southampton where a group of about 5 lads were doing it, walking along in the middle of the road (deliberately, apparently), shoulders back, swaggering like chavs do, with an ever increasing queue of traffic behind them. A guy on a scooter came past and they tried to push him off, then I went past in the inside of them on my bike and they shouted a whole load of abuse at me.

They must have been as thick as pigsh*t though, because as soon as I'd found a reasonable stopping place I phoned the police and gave them descriptions of all of them, including what they were doing, plus they were walking through an area that had plenty of CCTV. I imagine that the police would prosecute under those circumstances.

Luckily though, as I said, it would seem that that particular "fashion" has gone away now.

 

[Digital_Cowboy]

just wondering what the law is for when people just walk in the middle of a busy road.

Had a near miss when some guys/idiots were walking very very slowly across the middle of a busy road then as they saw me continued to walk stupidly slow so that i had to avoid them and move out of cycle lane into main left lane, apon shouting "cant you walk quicker" i get a load of abuse...

i understand people walking across road but at least walk fast enough so that it isnt taking the piss, unless the law allows you to walk this slowly and cause near misses?

Sadly, there are those here who think that pedestrians have the "right" to be as slow or in the way as they please, and to hell with everyone else. As according to them pedestrians "never" bring any risk. It's always the other guy who brings the risk.

What I'd be interested in knowing is, does that just apply to public roads or does it apply to private roads as well?

 

[Digital_Cowboy]

Fit a 'death race 2000' contraption on your wheels and take em down by the ankles!!!!!

I love that movie. In the original Roger did a lot of the driving as they didn't have permission to film on a lot of the streets that it was shot on. Plus most if not all of the cars were kits VW chassis'.

 

[Dan B]

firstly, I too read the OP's post as walking directly down the centre of the road, rather than crossing it.

Secondly, I said I'd move them out of the centre of the road, and said if I had to use legislation to do it, that would be the one. I didn't say I'd take them to court for it!

And lastly, the only time I've actually seen it used (and yes, successfully) is at large disorders when groups try to stop themselves being moved by switching to 'passive resistance' and sitting down in the street - after being given a lawful order (in the circumstances of disorder) to move.

Yes, well obviously sitting down in the middle of the street is neither passage nor repassage, so that's not really the same thing is it?

 

[Jezston]

Sadly, there are those here who think that pedestrians have the "right" to be as slow or in the way as they please, and to hell with everyone else. As according to them pedestrians "never" bring any risk. It's always the other guy who brings the risk.

What I'd be interested in knowing is, does that just apply to public roads or does it apply to private roads as well?

That's because in the UK at least pedestrians DO have right to do what they please.

We don't have such abhorrent concepts as 'jaywalking' over here.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Can we please also note that the OP stated

just wondering what the law is for when people just walk in the middle of a busy road.

Had a near miss when some guys/idiots were walking very very slowly across the middle of a busy road then as they saw me continued to walk stupidly slow so that i had to avoid them

 

[John the Monkey]

Sadly, there are those here who think that pedestrians have the "right" to be as slow or in the way as they please, and to hell with everyone else. As according to them pedestrians "never" bring any risk. It's always the other guy who brings the risk.

They could be infirm, injured - they might just not feel like scurrying timidly to the other side of the road. Hooning at them at top speed, or getting angry with them is, for the most part, dreadfully bad manners.

I don't mind pedestrians, mostly - despite commuting throughout freshers' weeks here, I'd be lying if I said they were the most worrying, or most dangerous road users I encounter heading into or out of Manchester centre.

 

[MontyVeda]

i quite often meet people walking along the gutter way on my short section of road commute , cant understand why they dont just step up on to the pavement

I walk on the road a lot in wet weather because down my street... they have this York stone paving, and loads of sycamore trees. The slime falls from the trees on to the pavement and makes them slippery when wet... so me and loads of others just use the road instead.

I keep meaning to get onto the council about it, but knowing I'll be completely ignored I see little point.

 

[Digital_Cowboy]

That's because in the UK at least pedestrians DO have right to do what they please.

We don't have such abhorrent concepts as 'jaywalking' over here.

How is the concept of jaywalking "abhorrent?" Over here we're taught to cross at the corner on the green, not in between. Given the potential for the collateral damage that can be done by a motorist trying to avoid a jaywalking pedestrian I think that it makes a lot of sense.

Just recently and about a month or so before I saw two men who are damned lucky they weren't hit by anyone.

The first one about a month or so before opted to lie down in the middle of the path in one of the parks I ride through to do is stretching exercises. Even though there was plenty of open grassy areas and beach area for him to do so.

The most recent one happened after the sun had set. A man (I'm pretty sure it was a man) in dark clothing laid down across the path through the last park I ride through and had all of his fishing gear around him. He was dressed in dark clothing and was very difficult to see even with the lights I have on my bike.

But I'm guessing that according to most of you here that both of them were within their rights to pose a hazard to everyone around them.

 

[Digital_Cowboy]

They could be infirm, injured - they might just not feel like scurrying timidly to the other side of the road. Hooning at them at top speed, or getting angry with them is, for the most part, dreadfully bad manners.

I don't mind pedestrians, mostly - despite commuting throughout freshers' weeks here, I'd be lying if I said they were the most worrying, or most dangerous road users I encounter heading into or out of Manchester centre.

I understand that they could be injured or infirm. I lived with and took care of my Paternal Grandmother the last few years of her life and we would go walking on a daily basis, weather permitting. And those I have the utmost respect for. It's the ones who are moving as "slow as molasses going uphill in January" just "because" they can that and no one had better say anything to them are the ones that I have or would have a problem with.

When I'm riding through the park(s) that I ride through most days it seems like I am the only one who is looking out for pedestrians of all ages and dogs. And am slowing down for them. Everyone else is blasting through the park(s) as if they're running their own personal Tour.

And just to clarify something that I had said in another thread that some here are unfairly judging me by. The gal who hit my handlebars, did so as we passed each other, it was NOT as they've assumed a head on collision. Rather her hitting my handlebars as we passed, which is something that I thought would/should have been clear, but I guess it wasn't.

 

[Digital_Cowboy]

I walk on the road a lot in wet weather because down my street... they have this York stone paving, and loads of sycamore trees. The slime falls from the trees on to the pavement and makes them slippery when wet... so me and loads of others just use the road instead.

I keep meaning to get onto the council about it, but knowing I'll be completely ignored I see little point.

Point out that it's a safety hazard and someone could get sued over it.