Pavement Cyclists

[fiftiesfresh22]

Probably done to death.

Pavement cyclists are a menace on the street on which I live (reasonably busy road, narrow footpaths (not shared) wide verges both sides. There are several alternative quieter roads very close by which cyclists could use if they feel unsafe/not confident to ride on the road down here, all of which end up on the same main road at the end, literally a minute away from each other. But still some choose to ride on the even narrower pavements down those.

So todays offering...walking my dog on the footpath, on his non-extendable, standard lead as always, from behind me come two cyclists who I did not see or hear approaching obviously, who ''buzzed'' me {passed very close at speed) and made me jump. Thankfully my dog was on the other side of me, and as I startled I said ''FGS''. To which one of them turned & said ''FGS? you should have your dog on a very tight lead...'' along with something else which I could not hear as they continued riding away. I guess it was probably along the lines of ''so that we can pass''.

The arrogance of some cyclists (who we are led to believe are in the minority) who believe that the footpaths are their domain if they see fit, pedestrians are in THEIR way, and it is the pedestrians responsibility to walk looking over their shoulder/with eyes in the back of their head etc in order to facilitate the cyclists illegal journey., all without challenge. So many times I see elderly/mobility scooter bound/parents with toddlers & prams/dog walkers being passed at speed & close quarters. This of course is facilitated by the fact that the law is interpreted, not upheld, and pavement cyclists are completely ignored, even when witnessed by passing police, both on foot or in a vehicle and now of course we also have electric scooters.

Wouldn't mind a proper shared pavement or cyclists even very carefully going on a pavement in some situations but I would object to someone close passing and making me jump on a normal pavement or expecting me to give way to them.

I do cycle myself and wouldn't dream of cycling through where I live on the pavement - the pavements are narrow and it's just a normal, mostly not very busy A road with a 20mph limit, there is no reason other than laziness or rudeness to cycle on the pavements there. There are also no streetlights- one time I crossed the road safely walking home from work but then and someone in dark clothing on an unlit bike nearly took me out on the opposite pavement - I was only because I had a torch and reflective strips on clothing that they saw me in time, I certainly didn't see them. They were also cycling in the opposite direction to traffic flow on the road.

What wrong with the bell? I don’t mind cyclists ringing the bell and moving across so they can pass safely? Why do people not like that?

Where do you suggest we walk with this perfectly legal use of a pavement? I do if it's safe step into the road with my dog or cross over, or dive into a gateway or gap. I have to walk down short stretches of narrow pavements to get to other wider off road footpaths.

If they shouldn't be there in the first place, they should be in the road, not dinging a bell at a pedestrian walking on the footpath.

Because the cyclist has no business being there, let alone ringing their bell at pedestrians. The same way that motorists shouldn't hoot at cyclists.

Because they shouldn't be on the pavement in the first place, let alone demanding people move out of their way.

Similarly I hate cars beeping at me when I'm cycling on the road. Although at least the cars are actually allowed on the road.

Cars can wait for a safe place to pass a cyclist, all cyclists should expect that. If a cyclist decides to cycle on a pavement (where they shouldn't be!) they can bloody wait for a safe place to pass the pedestrians. Or, you know, pass the pedestrian on the road that is right there.

I suggest you exercise them somewhere they don't have to pass closely to other people. Your own property would be great

Just to clarify...these pavements are NOT shared spaces. There are a couple of those nearby, they seem to work absolutely fine in the main.

I suggest you exercise yourself on your own property if perfectly normal, reasonable, everyday and legal activities upset you.

😂😂🤣

great joke.

I had a cyclist ding their bell at me to get out of the way today when I was in the process of getting on a bus!

How would you feel if you were walking down the road and a car came up behind you, honking for you to move out the way?

I'd rather a cyclist use their bell a good distance away from me, rather than just behind me or not having one at all. I don't think of the bell as an order to move, more a heads up they are there. We have a shared cycle way and foot path near us which some cyclists think is a race track and seem to go as fast as they can despite the signs saying being aware of pedestrians.

I can't let my toddler walk home from nursery (she has to go in the buggy) because half of our route home is on a shared route and it's not safe for her to share space with cyclists. (Primarily because she's prone to toddling off to look at every passing beetle.) I hate shared spaces like this, it just doesn't work. Much better to have a bike lane on the road and then there's no question about where the bikes should be.

It’s also a problem for adults and children with learning difficulties, and particularly autism. They usually have their ‘preferred’ part of the pavement to walk on, and a lot have sensory issues as well, which can make having a cyclist suddenly appear very distressing. They don’t expect to see one on a non-shared pavement.

And parents who walk behind their kids riding a bike on the pavement (fair enough) and encourage them to ring the bell and ring it again,therefore teaching them that pedestrians must get out of their way at all time. So much for teaching them to share the pavement.

You think bike lanes on the road would be the answer but it's proven otherwise.
Everywhere you go around here the roads have been narrowed to accommodate bike lanes on either side, those bike lanes are empty while the cyclists peddle in the main lane with scored of cars behind them if the oncoming lane is busy.

It's pretty ridiculous and life threatening when there isn't even room to move over to let emergency vehicles through if traffic has built up on both sides.
The cycle lanes have stupid divider things along them which means you can't move over to let them through.

What wrong with the bell? I don’t mind cyclists ringing the bell and moving across so they can pass safely? Why do people not like that?

Because they're on the pavement that is meant for pedestrians and it's bloody arrogant to ding your little bell at people who are occupying that space as pedestrians and assume they should move out of the way when you have no business being on the pavement in the first place. And especially not charging down it like the Tour De France finish line is in sight like they do in my town. Arrogant tossers.

I’m both a driver and cyclist in a major cycling city.

Cyclists should not be on the pavement agreed. However I find the rest of your post quite typical of anti-cyclist MN sentiment.

If I get in my car right now and come back in 10 minutes I could catalogue multiple violations by car drivers, as we all experience every day. Why is it just the cycling ones that seem to attract attention from MN.

If you mean me I don't give a toss about how you find it. I've lost count of the times I've narrowly missed being ridden into on the pavement by idiots on bikes. Funnily enough I've never had to avoid a car driving along the pavement - although don't get me started on the ones who think the red light at the pedestrian crossing is optional.

The cyclist hate is caused by inconsiderate people as is the car hate and every kind of hate. Until people dump the entitlement nothing is going to change.

Where I live Sustrans have funded more cycle lanes and still cyclists persist in cycling on pavements. Where there aren't cycle lanes and the pavements are narrow ones rather than do the sensible thing of dismount and walk they barge through.

No you would jump up and be about to give the cyclist a mouthful of abuse until you realise the cyclist is a 4 year old child so can't cycle on the road.

If I get in my car right now and come back in 10 minutes I could catalogue multiple violations by car drivers, as we all experience every day.

This is clmpete irrelevant to a thread about cyclists on pavements.

Why is it just the cycling ones that seem to attract attention from MN.

There are multiple threads complaining about motorists.

There needs to be better infrastructure so all road users can travel safely. I'm lucky to live somewhere where its almost entirely wide shared paths, plenty of room for both pedestrians and cyclists to travel safely, the only gripe locals seem to have is that not all use their bells to warn when they're coming up behind you. Not even the electric scooters so many kids have are a problem, because they built all the paths with enough space, and people tend to be considerate (wide paths won't help with inconsiderate cyclists though!)

If anyone on here lives in Scotland you might be interested in this from the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. I have now stopped getting off narrow paths to stand in undergrowth at the summons of a little dingy bell and will have great delight in quoting this at the next entitled twat on 2 wheels who thinks s/he has right of way.

“On narrow routes, cycling may cause problems for other people, such as walkers and horse riders. If this occurs, dismount and walk until the path becomes suitable again. Do not endanger walkers and horse riders: give other users advance warning of your presence and give way to them on a narrow path”