Would you do this with your child?

[dfthe1]

There's a big thread raging on our local Facebook page about this picture. The majority of people think the dad's crazy (oh, and some people think that all bikes should be banned, everywhere, all the time!)

It's a 50/60mph, single carriageway road: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...2!3m1!1s0x4870dac7fa2c915f:0x87e4502fd095917d

Instinctively, I want to jump in and say, why shouldn't he do this? It's the drivers' responsibility to take care around all road users, and the girl is no more vulnerable than any other cyclist.

But there's no way I'd ever do this with my children until they're much older than this.

Thoughts?

 

[arch684]

I think the father needs his head examined

 

[Drago]

Only on a quiet residential road and I'd adopt the fend off position with respect to my charge. Being righteous is all well and good, but it doesn't heal broken bones or raise the dead.

 

[night cycler]

Probably the most precious thing in that man`s life........

 

[I like Skol]

Context! It may be a national limit road but it could also be a quiet road or at a particularly quiet time of day. They also might just be crossing the road and turning into a side road. Yes it might instinctively look irresponsible but without being there and seeing more than some motorist's snapshot then it is impossible to pass judgement. I also seem to be struggling to match up the initial image with the street view provided in the Google maps link, is it the same road or a different part of the road from the junction that is linked to?

To be fair, the father and daughter should be able to have a reasonable expectation that on a fairly straight road with decent lines of sight that they will not be ploughed into by a speeding motorist.

PS. I am writing the above as a father of two children that I have taught/am teaching to ride on busy roads in an urban rush hour environment.

 

[glenn forger]

"It's a busy road!" says some doofus in the comments, beneath a picture that shows twice as many cyclists as cars.

 

[glenn forger]

twitter and facetube is full of morons who wet their pants and take photos every time they see a cyclist doing nothing wrong. It's a hobby, I guess:

 

[winjim]

I sort of feel that I would wait until the child was able to properly control the bike on their own, ie without the aid of stabilisers. I would also be riding further behind the child. I hope that I will be brave enough to ride on the roads with my daughter at a young age, although I suspect I may chicken out.

But as @I like Skol points out, we really don't know the circumstances. The driver of the car from which the photo is taken appears to be able to avoid running the child down.

 

[I like Skol]

The driver of the car from which the photo is taken appears to be able to avoid running the child down.

^^^^^ THIS

If it was a tractor, or a milk float (remember them?), a pedestrian crossing the road or a horse rider then nobody would bat an eyelid, drivers would slow down to miss a collision and everybody would be happy. Because this involves cyclists then everyone goes ape!

I have a confession to make, although it is no secret and I have said this many times on cyclechat, I'm a bit of a petrol head. I like powerful cars, a 1.0ltr fiesta isn't my cup of tea. I like 4x4s and own a Land Rover because I enjoy working on it and occasionally playing in the mud (at private sites). I was for a long time a van driver, a proverbial 'white van man' (except it was green) where miles was money and time mattered. It would seem on the face of it that I am public enemy #1. Except I am not. Lets recap; I like to get there quickly{tick}, I enjoy the driving experience{tick}, I may not necessarily drive in the most economical manner at all times{tick}. But the most over-riding, imperative, absolute rule of all my driving is don't f'ing drive into anyone/anything. This above all else curbs my enthusiasm, limits my speed and controls all my decisions when behind then wheel and if every driver follows the same mantra then it should be entirely possible for a bright pink 4/5yr old to cycle along the correct side of an A-road in complete safety.

 

[bonsaibilly]

"It's a busy road!" says some doofus in the comments, beneath a picture that shows twice as many cyclists as cars.

They don't say that. BB

 

[400bhp]

Farcebook is full of fools.

There's an IQ test going round where basically you do the test and Farcebook posts your IQ. It's feckin genius, people are posting up their IQ's. It's an idiot detector.

 

[bonsaibilly]

^^^^^ THIS

If it was a tractor, or a milk float (remember them?), a pedestrian crossing the road or a horse rider then nobody would bat an eyelid, drivers would slow down to miss a collision and everybody would be happy. Because this involves cyclists then everyone goes ape!

I have a confession to make, although it is no secret and I have said this many times on cyclechat, I'm a bit of a petrol head. I like powerful cars, a 1.0ltr fiesta isn't my cup of tea. I like 4x4s and own a Land Rover because I enjoy working on it and occasionally playing in the mud (at private sites). I was for a long time a van driver, a proverbial 'white van man' (except it was green) where miles was money and time mattered. It would seem on the face of it that I am public enemy #1. Except I am not. Lets recap; I like to get there quickly{tick}, I enjoy the driving experience{tick}, I may not necessarily drive in the most economical manner at all times{tick}. But the most over-riding, imperative, absolute rule of all my driving is don't f'ing drive into anyone/anything. This above all else curbs my enthusiasm, limits my speed and controls all my decisions when behind then wheel and if every driver follows the same mantra then it should be entirely possible for a bright pink 4/5yr old to cycle along the correct side of an A-road in complete safety.

Did having kids change your priorities or were you always on the good side of billy whizz? BB

 

[400bhp]

And I would do that with my child, albeit (TMN) never with stabilisers.

 

[bonsaibilly]

Farcebook is full of fools.

There's an IQ test going round where basically you do the test and Farcebook posts your IQ. It's feckin genius, people are posting up their IQ's. It's an idiot detector.

I tried that and as my IQ generally comes out in the "not an idiot" bracket I don't think it necessarily follows that it is simply an idiot detector.

It would be more appropriate to declare that the world is full of fools and some of them frequent Facebook.

Mind you, I couldn't get the IQ test app to actually tell me my result let alone share it, so I must actually be completely stupid. BB

 

[400bhp]

I tried that and as my IQ generally comes out in the "not an idiot" bracket I don't think it necessarily follows that it is simply an idiot detector.

It would be more appropriate to declare that the world is full of fools and some of them frequent Facebook.

Nope. It detects idiots. It also detects clever people too. That what the score does.