Page 5 | Cyclists have made my home city too stressful to live in any more

valianttortoise · 2025-10-12T10:51:31+00:00

Cycling on the pavement (on e-bikes, racing bikes, whatever) at speed, silently, no lights often, no pausing for pedestrians to cross at zebra crossings or even green men. An e-bike nearly hit me yesterday while a policeman was literally standing there watching (outside a government building in case you're wondering where on earth I saw a live one) and he did nothing, just looked at me like "wow that was close!" I can't handle it any more it's miserable. I can't drive so it's not a car thing it's a pedestrian safety thing. I also think seeing that it's fine to do this, in balaclavas often, is sending a message that crime and bad behaviour in general are ok. No one will stop you. Some men (boys? hard to tell in balaclavas) on e-bikes provided by the council took an angle grinder into a busy central square last week and just calmly cut out bicycles from stands to steal them (obviously a crime I feel conflicted about in itself but how long until they realise they can just mug pedestrians at knifepoint? It was 3pm, bright sunshine). I find it kind of hard to believe what we're just supposed to live with now. No safe spaces for walking - forget about it if you're visually impaired. If you live somewhere with no antisocial cyclists where is it please as I'd like to join you.

quartile · 14/10/2025 15:53

Locally an old lady crossing the road was killed by a car. It didn't make the local news. Because she is dead she can't go online and complain about cars, whereas people who've had near misses and minor collisions with bikes can. Not excusing bad cycling, but it's much safer for pedestrians than cars.

Redpeach · 14/10/2025 15:15

I imagine people felt the same when cars started taking over our streets, about 100 years ago, never to leave. The only difference being, these annoying cyclists aren't actually killing people in their millions.

SomewhereInTheMIdlands · 14/10/2025 14:50

Im wondering where you live? Completely different where we live

Peonies12 · 14/10/2025 14:44

Do you know how many car drivers kill and injure every day?? You need to get some perspective.

asrl78 · 14/10/2025 14:33

BruFord · 14/10/2025 13:46

@BrownTroutBluesAgain Yes, I know that what’s supposed to happen, I was just giving some examples of what people could do if they really feel that they need to be on the pavement on a certain street.

Cyclists or e-scooter riders not indicating that they’re right behind you can be horrible, I’ve jumped out of my skin on several occasions. Same with runners who obviously can be on the pavement-but running up behind a pedestrian without warning is a pain, especially when they’re walking a dog!

Dog walkers are notorious for having no spatial awareness combined with maximising space consumption. It would be good if everyone could try THINKING about what is going on around them and being a bit considerate of others, that would significantly improve quality of life.

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 14/10/2025 14:19

BruFord · 14/10/2025 13:55

@BrownTroutBluesAgain Oh I do give cyclists the evil eye if they pass me on the pavement. 😂

.
it was the best I could find 😆

SatsumaDog · 14/10/2025 13:58

To be fair to cyclists, they are running the gauntlet every time they go out. We have cycle lanes (Edinburgh), but they are so badly designed. You get a short stretch of cycle lane (sometimes shielded by a lane of parked cars so motorists can’t actually see you) and suddenly it ends and you’re spat out right into a bus lane and busy traffic. Then there are the cars and vans that continually park in them making them impassable. Not to mention the huge number of balaclava clad idiots on e-bikes and scooters who are quite simply a danger to everyone. I wouldn’t cycle on the roads either.

BruFord · 14/10/2025 13:55

@BrownTroutBluesAgain Oh I do give cyclists the evil eye if they pass me on the pavement. 😂

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 14/10/2025 13:49

BruFord · 14/10/2025 13:46

@BrownTroutBluesAgain Yes, I know that what’s supposed to happen, I was just giving some examples of what people could do if they really feel that they need to be on the pavement on a certain street.

Cyclists or e-scooter riders not indicating that they’re right behind you can be horrible, I’ve jumped out of my skin on several occasions. Same with runners who obviously can be on the pavement-but running up behind a pedestrian without warning is a pain, especially when they’re walking a dog!

Agree
I understand your comment was a kind and inclusive one
I just don’t want cyclists thinking it’s ok to tell people to just get out of the way when it’s them that should be doing that
💐

BruFord · 14/10/2025 13:46

@BrownTroutBluesAgain Yes, I know that what’s supposed to happen, I was just giving some examples of what people could do if they really feel that they need to be on the pavement on a certain street.

Cyclists or e-scooter riders not indicating that they’re right behind you can be horrible, I’ve jumped out of my skin on several occasions. Same with runners who obviously can be on the pavement-but running up behind a pedestrian without warning is a pain, especially when they’re walking a dog!

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 14/10/2025 13:36

BruFord · 14/10/2025 13:24

@LameBorzoi I imagine that you’re considerate towards pedestrians if you need to cycle on the pavements though and use basic manners like saying “to your right/left” when passing them and not suddenly cutting in front of them.

That’s what often happens where I live and it’s so frustrating- especially as we do have proper cycle lanes running alongside the pavements. Personally, I prefer to use the cycle lanes anyway as you can get up a good speed!

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They shouldn’t be on the pavements at all unless they are dual cycle paths

Cyclists should not be telling pedestrians to move out of the way.
That's for cyclists to do

BruFord · 14/10/2025 13:24

LameBorzoi · 14/10/2025 11:52

Well no, because walking won't get me where my bike will get me. The whole reason for having a bike is that I can go much faster and therefore further than on foot.

In theory. If there was anywhere safe to ride.

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@LameBorzoi I imagine that you’re considerate towards pedestrians if you need to cycle on the pavements though and use basic manners like saying “to your right/left” when passing them and not suddenly cutting in front of them.

That’s what often happens where I live and it’s so frustrating- especially as we do have proper cycle lanes running alongside the pavements. Personally, I prefer to use the cycle lanes anyway as you can get up a good speed!

Shotokan101 · 14/10/2025 13:23

ChestInflection · 12/10/2025 11:55

Your issue with people breaking the law.

Possibly also with poor active travel infrastructure and poor planning.

Not cyclists as a whole

Edited

What utter nonsense, making excuses for inconsiderate people, thugs and criminals, who only care about themselves !

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 14/10/2025 13:13

LameBorzoi · 14/10/2025 12:17

What cycle paths?

Ans walking isn't a useful form of transport above about 3 or 4 km. Bikes get you much further.

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Agree and I’m not denying that

I was pointing out the irony

LameBorzoi · 14/10/2025 13:08

YorkshireGoldDrinker · 14/10/2025 12:56

Cyclists act like they own the road, so I guess the roads belong to them now.

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Every time I've come across people complaining about cyclists "acting like they own the road" it's been about cyclists just taking up the space on the road that they are legally entitled to have.

Honestly, if you cycle on the road, it's "terrible cyclists holding up traffic".

Cycle on shared paths and it's "hooligan cyclists terrorising pedestrians".

You can't win.

YorkshireGoldDrinker · 14/10/2025 12:56

LameBorzoi · 14/10/2025 12:47

I don't think it's arrogant to take up your space on the road. A car has no more right to the road than a bike or motorcycle.

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Cyclists act like they own the road, so I guess the roads belong to them now.

LameBorzoi · 14/10/2025 12:47

YorkshireGoldDrinker · 12/10/2025 16:46

I think this concretes my theory that being a cyclist is a mentality. As in to be a cyclist is to be a certain way. It's to be a bully, arrogant, smarmy and intellectually bereft.

(I'm not including leisurely bike riders or the elderly who like to pop to the shops on their bikes.)

All of the traits that make for a miserable society. I think that cyclists and motorcyclists, basically anyone whose main mode of travel is on two wheels instead of four, became emboldened when the Highway Code changes took effect. That two wheels can legally sit in the middle of the lane and hold traffic up, because they apparently deserve to be higher up in the pecking order. More vulnerable road users because they chose to not surround themselves with metal.

Don't get me started on takeaway food riders, or as I call them slop couriers. I've had more than my fair share of nearly being knocked over by them or waxed across the street by them. They have no sense of direction.

Just my two pence.

Edited

I don't think it's arrogant to take up your space on the road. A car has no more right to the road than a bike or motorcycle.

TonTonMacoute · 14/10/2025 12:47

Your city sounds like mine. The issue isn’t cyclists, or cycle lanes. It’s rampant anti-social, and often criminal, behaviour from youths.

This! Why blame cyclists? Cyclists are told by police that if their bikes are stolen it's tough shit!

Criminal pond life are the problem in our cities, not cyclists.

LameBorzoi · 14/10/2025 12:17

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 13/10/2025 00:25

Quite tight
Cyclists saying they are too frightened on the roads should not be then endangering and scaring pedestrians

They need to Walk or keep to the roads or cycle paths

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What cycle paths?

Ans walking isn't a useful form of transport above about 3 or 4 km. Bikes get you much further.

LameBorzoi · 14/10/2025 11:56

WeNeedToTalkAboutIT · 13/10/2025 15:30

And another here wondering if you're talking about Cambridge. It's a lovely city and I live 10 minutes away but I avoid it like the plague. I'm generally a happy confident driver but I stopped driving into Cambridge in the evening sometimes (no park and ride late enough) because it was so stressful trying to avoid all the cyclists in the dark. I seemed to be much more concerned about avoiding injuring a cyclist than the cyclists ever seemed concerned about being hit!

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Excellent. Keep the cars out!

LameBorzoi · 14/10/2025 11:52

valianttortoise · 12/10/2025 22:50

It's so frustrating. If cyclists are too frightened to go on the road then answer is to walk not to ruin life for those on pavements.

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Well no, because walking won't get me where my bike will get me. The whole reason for having a bike is that I can go much faster and therefore further than on foot.

In theory. If there was anywhere safe to ride.

LameBorzoi · 14/10/2025 11:49

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 13/10/2025 21:51

That's a cunty thing to do and you know it.

I wonder what that makes you.

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Because it's impossible to ride on the roads.

If there were actual usable cycle lanes or paths (and 99% are not useable) then people wouldn't ride on the pavements.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 13/10/2025 21:51

Tortycatlover · 13/10/2025 21:47

I cycle on the pavements. There are too many potholes in the road - I feel my brain rattling in my skull. Also no cycle lanes. I do agree re the illegal e-scooters tho.

That's a cunty thing to do and you know it.

I wonder what that makes you.

Tortycatlover · 13/10/2025 21:47

I cycle on the pavements. There are too many potholes in the road - I feel my brain rattling in my skull. Also no cycle lanes. I do agree re the illegal e-scooters tho.

noodlebugz · 13/10/2025 20:30

rainylake · 12/10/2025 12:14

I’m a cyclist, a driver, and a pedestrian.

In each group there are some arseholes who behave anti-socially and dangerously and I absolutely do judge them.

I’mnot going to go around saying “drivers are ruining my life” and trying to whip up anger against drivers because I’ve seen two young men decide to race each other at 50 down our residential side street and recently someone else mounted the pavement and nearly hit my 6 year old. Those were awful irresponsible drivers but that doesn’t mean that most drivers are like that. Nor will I say I’m in two minds about people stealing or vandalising cars because of the bad drivers in our town (whereas you clearly are quite glad that all cyclists are being punished by bike theft - as long as they don’t mug pedestrians).

Last year a random person on the street spat at me and called me a stupid cow because I was cycling my kids on a clearly marked cycle path. Should I start posting about how pedestrians are ruining our town?

I disagree.

It feels rare and notable when you see a cyclist not behaving like a total bellend. E bike or road bike.

Going through red lights - particularly at pedestrian crossings
Using the pavements at speed
Expecting vulnerable pavement / path users to immediately get out of their way

the split for cyclists is only 50 / 50 dickhead to non - at absolute best! It’s no wonder they have a bad name whereas for drivers and walkers it might be 30 / 70.