Woman convicted of manslaughter after swearing and gesturing at 77 year old cyclist.

[KnittyNorah]

I have to say that there are several shared paths round here that I THINK are shared but I could be wrong - and anyone could be forgiven for thinking they are not

It's like that in several places where I cycle.
When the shared path, or the what-I-think-is-a-shared path (signs in one direction missing, no apparent change in path width and no 'end of route' signing but suddenly only ped. tactile paving at crossings, etc etc - all very vague stuff) is not as wide as it should be, or wide as I think it needs to be, and I'm approaching someone pushing a pram, holding a toddler's hand or similar (ie a 'wide' pedestrian) I will often stop for a moment, then there's (normally!) a friendly exchange of words including thank yous all round and I pedal on.

I think my reaction to approaching and being approached by a flailing and gesticulating ped might initially be - or have been - similar (but without the 'thank you'). If I was not familiar with the person by repute or otherwise, I might even have stopped out of concern for their welfare - until I became aware that what they were shouting was directed at me! Then I'd just want to get past them ...

 

[notmyrealnamebutclose]

riding on the pavement can be quite risky at times. There's a stretch of road just out of town that I have
to cycle on that is terrifying as cars let rip to speed up. Sometimes I bottle it and ride the pavement instead
if it's really busy, but the pavement it narrow and cars are flooring it prob less than 2 - 3 feet away now
which makes me v uncomfotable, possibly more unsafe than actually riding on the road

 

[KnittyNorah]

A small part of the police interview with the killer:

View: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64966865

 

[All uphill]

The oddest thing about the whole incident is that neither the police or the council could state in court with any certainty whether the pathway in question was a shared one or not. Surely that would have been a very pertinent point in question for the evidence either way.

There's a pedestrianised street where I live where the signs clearly say that cars, lorries and cycling are not allowed, however, no traffic order has ever been made by the local council to ban them.

Legally there is nothing to prevent you driving your car there, but you would have passed signs instructing you that you are not allowed entry.

Maybe this is a similar situation.

 

[T4tomo]

A small part of the police interview with the killer:

View: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64966865

I saw that the other day. Interesting viewing, she knows she thumped an old lady into the road to her death and has no excuses to offer.

 

[KnittyNorah]

I saw that the other day. Interesting viewing, she knows she thumped an old lady into the road to her death and has no excuses to offer.

I know we all show our emotions in different ways, and some of us find it difficult to show them much, if at all, but even though the killer found it the easiest thing in the world to express her emotion of anger, both verbally and physically, it appears she has shown little, if any, evidence of remorse or sorrow for having caused the death of another woman - and I find that chilling.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

The very short interview bit above does give the impression that she was just saying whatever she thinks will lessen the problem - and the Police were doing their job and giving her a chance to come clean and give a full and honest account.
But she was saying things that they could then prove were untrue - like revealing there was sound showing what she actually said - after she had tried to minimise her accountability by saying something else

And, of course, there seems to be absolutely no evidence of remorse until it became clear - or at least likely -that she was going to be found guilty
The latter point must have really told against her
after all - someone died and she was closely involved!!!

I would say that - based on the VERY little actual evidence I have seen and my very minimal knowledge of the subject - it does look like she has a minimal ability to understand other people's view and the effect of her actions
but the professionals seem to have found no reason to believe this is the case - and they know a damn site more than I do and have actually interviewed her

 

[Milzy]

I can’t believe all these do gooders saying she’s a bit special so should have less punishment. 🤯

 

[HMS_Dave]

It's always amazes me how many adults revert back to being lying little children that are trying to worm their way out of trouble when they've been caught with their hands in the cookie jar, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Sadly, it's adults that always get into worse trouble...

 

[simongt]

It's always amazes me how many adults revert back to being lying little children that are trying to worm their way out of trouble when they've been caught with their hands in the cookie jar, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Sadly, it's adults that always get into worse trouble...

And when they are challenged for a wrongdoing, aggression is usually their first tactic. By doing so, they hope that the accuser will back off.

 

[All uphill]

And when they are challenged for a wrongdoing, aggression is usually their first tactic. By doing so, they hope that the accuser will back off.

No I don't, that's a lie and you can't say that!

 

[MontyVeda]

...
Debate that needs to occur is how counsels sign shared paths and what the minimum standards are and how well they need to be maintained
Something like needing to have a 'shared use' sign (of some kind' every x yards - the same way as you have repeater signs for speed limits.
...

Which we generally don't have. Certainly not in built up areas where the limit is 30mph.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Which we generally don't have. Certainly not in built up areas where the limit is 30mph.

No - just in areas where the default is not the situation - like a 40 in a built up area or a 50 on a country road

so, if we assume that the default is that the pavement is for walkers - then a cycle path should have some sort of sign every x meters

of course - that will cost time and money
probably starting with trying to find out what paths are cycle paths and which as not from the look of it!!

 

[Mike_P]

I hoped onto a new shared path cyclepath this afternoon and without any warning it plainly become a pavement only

 

[Drago]

Interesting photo from twitter – was she pushed
View attachment 680149

Watching the footage many times my personal feeling is that she did push the lady on the bike...but we'll never know for sure and it's done and dusted now.

If she did she sure got lucky with the CCTV placement as it was.