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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to tell (adult) cyclists to GET OFF THE PAVEMENT!

253 replies

CelticPromise · 19/04/2012 13:21

On my run last night a man cycled up behind me and passed pretty close. I didn't hear him cos listening to music. I didn't plan to say anything but 'get off the pavement!' just came out of my mouth. He shouted back something about there being no space on the road.

He then waited outside (i presume) his house and asked if I had a problem, to which I said I did with adults cycling on the pavement. He seemed to think that he was perfectly justified in cycling on the pavement because 'there is no space'. This went into a minor slanging match and I just told him to grow up and ran off.

Now I am not proud of shouting and if I could do it over i'd apologise for that and quietly point out that what he was doing is illegal and dangerous. But AIBU to say something? Has is become acceptable to cycle on pavements? Am I in the wrong?

OP posts:
GrendelsMum · 19/04/2012 17:21

That sounds awful, Hiphopopotomus! I do think it's up to parents to be much more vigilent about how their kids are cycling, and to recognise that even kids as young as 12 can go very fast and do real harm to pedestrians.

BornToFolk · 19/04/2012 17:22

But in my town there is space to pass other people, with buggies, wheelchairs, or bikes if you're considerate to the needs of others. I don't understand what the problem with that is.

Have you read the thread Teddy? There are loads of examples of cyclists not being considerate to the needs of others.

It's a big problem in my town. I saw two bikes crash into each other at the corner of a road. Both were cycling on the pavement, of course and neither wearing helmets. They swore at each other, untangled their bikes and cycled off. Just lucky that it wasn't a pedestrian or wheelchair user that they crashed into, or it might have been more serious.

ivykaty44 · 19/04/2012 17:25

when I was in fiji we drove very very slowly through one village - we asked why and the explination was

there was a child killed by a speeding car and now the four piles of rocks at each end of the village are watched by the elders of the village and if a car speeds then they get rocks thrown at the vehicle - no one does anything they shouldn't when travelling through that village

Hiphop reminded me of this with her egg throwing threat - thing is it would most probably be the most effective way of dealing with this problem

Frontpaw · 19/04/2012 17:29

The worst are the gits who race over zebra crossings thriugh a red light. No, its those who cycle through the park on paths clearly marked 'no cycling'. NoN its those who cycle on the road when there is a cycle path available.

No. Its anyone on a flippin Boris Bike!

wannaBe · 19/04/2012 17:30

I was hit by a cyclist on a pavement in our local area about a year ago. He came round the corner so fast that there's no way he could have stopped in time and he went straight into me. He then proceeded to tell me I should have got out of the way! Angry at which point I pointed out that he should be cycling on the road. He still maintained that I should have got out of his way at which point I pointed out my ... erm... guide dog. And he said, "I didn't know it was a guide dog (it wears a harness, with a florescent strip on the front and a sign that reads "guide dog, please do not distract me.") at which point I'm afraid I pointed out that if he couldn't see a guide dog when it was right in front of him then perhaps he ought to think whether he ought to be in control of any wheeled vehicle. at all.

Cyclists on pavements are a bloody nightmare. And in London cyclists who cycle through traffic lights equally so. My dh cycled to and from the station in our previous town but he did so along cycle paths and roads. The excuse that cyclists "should be allowed on the pavements" just isn't good enough.

TeddyBare · 19/04/2012 17:32

hiphop, London is also the world capital for cyclist deaths is it not? Perhaps there is a link? I'm not surprised people feel unsafe on the road. I think mutual effort is required to make sure dc are safe on pavements. This means cyclists need to cycle very slowly past dc or a dog or anything else which might not be able to understand. It also means parents need to look out for their dc and teach them not to run out in front of bikes.

minipie, what is wrong with having to step to the side of the pavement when someone else is trying to use it too? If another pedestrian was walking in the opposite direction to you, would you continue walking in the middle of the pavement, or would you step to the side to make it easier to pass? I'm guessing you must step to the side, or you'd crash into other pedestrians whenever you met someone else who thought the same way. Why can't this same courtesy by extended to cyclists?

BorntoFolk, Then the problem is people being inconsiderate. I never said that being inconsiderate of other people is ok, just that you can considerately and safely share a pavement. If people are sharing inconsiderately then I agree with you that they are a danger and they should stop.

squoosh · 19/04/2012 17:38

Teddybare cyclists are are not allowed to cycle on the on the pavements. The law says so. Why does this anger you so much?

If you are frightened of the roads then walk or use public transport.

EldonAve · 19/04/2012 17:39

YANBU

squoosh · 19/04/2012 17:41

Countless anecdotes of people being hit by inconsiderate cyclists. WannaBE cannot believe how angry that must have made you. It seems as though any fool can get a bike and wreak havoc.

TeddyBare · 19/04/2012 17:45

Squoosh, I do walk, as I explained in a previous post. I am discussing a possible solution to a problem. It is currently not a problem which directly affects me, but that doesn't mean I can't have an opinion on it. Just because it is not current law doesn't mean it never could be, or that discussing it is illegitimate.

ToadsPornFrogsPawn · 19/04/2012 17:45

YABU for listening to music whilst walking. If you didn't have headphones, you'd have heard him
YANBU to expect an adult cyclist to go on the road unless it's a dual use footpath

springydaffs · 19/04/2012 17:48

My transport at the moment is my bike and there is no way I would cycle on most roads - drivers are so dangerous it is terrifying. I just don't trust them to be sensible and I don't want to find out the hard way that they are idiots. I cycle half road/half pavement but always very carefully on pavements - if the pavement is crowded or narrow I get off, and I always cycle very slowly away from exits/entrances and stop at corners.

There are women of a certain age, I'm afraid, who are very keen to give me a telling off - one woman actually drove her umbrella into the spokes of my bike, screaming like a banshee (on a very wide pavement with just her and I on it - I was about 6ft from her). I appreciate that some people don't like it and it's illegal but I'm a soft object, and my life is precious. I cycle very considerately on the pavement and I just won't risk my life on most roads.

A community police officer stopped me to tell me I shouldn't cycle on the road and I said the above ie too dangerous on the roads - and he agreed! told me a story of how he'd been nearly killed recently on the roads when on his bike. He said he didn't blame me at all but he had to do his job.

ChuffMuffin · 19/04/2012 17:51

YANBU. I ride on the road AND I stop at traffic lights and everything Halo.

However, I totally understand why people ride on the pavement. I was nearly hit twice in one week at the same junction by drivers who saw me, slowed down but didn't stop and pulled out right in front of me on to the main road. There are also lots of cycle lanes around by me but unfortunately drivers seem to mistake them as "please park here for free!" lanes so they're pretty pointless.

I do wonder about cyclists who ride listening to music though Shock

PuffPants · 19/04/2012 17:52

If it's too dangerous on the road, leave your bike at home and fucking walk like everyone else. Jeez, your post is exactly why I hate cyclists. And why I can never relax taking my 2 yr old for a walk as I am constantly on the look out for arrogant bastards who think the roads and pavements belong them.

TeddyBare · 19/04/2012 17:52

WannaBe, I missed your post. I hope you and your dog were ok. Did you report the guy? I'm not sure how much information you would need to be able to make a report to the police, but if he behaves like this regularly and the police get many reports about him, then maybe they could do something. I'm shocked that anyone would be so reckless and then be rude as well.
I don't think you're right to judge all cyclists by this one though. This guy was rude and dangerous but most people are not.

LadyClariceCannockMonty · 19/04/2012 17:53

Teddy, I don't hate cyclists and I suspect no one else on this thread does either.

What I do hate is the behaviour of cyclists who cycle on the pavement, or through green men.

And what I hate even more is the behaviour of cyclists who then shout at pedestrians who are 'in their way' as they perform these illegal manoeuvres.

As for communicating and helping each other out, well, as a pedestrian I am always more than happy to help out cyclists, along with motor-vehicle drivers, by waiting at the red man and keeping the way clear for them while it's their right of way. And I'll always stay out of cycle lanes. But I expect the same level of help back, and often it is not forthcoming.

springydaffs · 19/04/2012 17:54

shouldn't cycle on the pavement of course. duh

PuffPants · 19/04/2012 17:55

SpringyDaffs, your post is just breathtakingly arrogant. You are breaking the law and giving cyclists an even worse rep than they already have.

Get off the pavement you fool.

ArtexMonkey · 19/04/2012 17:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Frontpaw · 19/04/2012 17:56

I m in London and find that a lot of cyclists are rude, agressive and selfish. Part oif me isn't surpised as other road users are inconsiderate to them but when you have an incident at least once a week where some cyclist flies through a red light, whizzes past you on the pavment at breakneck speed, or knocks you over on a one way street (going the wrong way) you lose sympathy. I thinlk they shouild have to have some sort of test, wear helmets and highvis and have lights front and back.

springydaffs · 19/04/2012 17:58

I don't think you read my post puffpants

LadyClariceCannockMonty · 19/04/2012 17:58

springy, way to go tarring all 'women of a certain age' with the same brush.

And as for 'I appreciate that some people don't like it and it's illegal, even if you can't take pedestrians' safety on the pavement seriously can't you take the legal implications of cycling on the pavement seriously?

ToadsPornFrogsPawn · 19/04/2012 18:01

If cyclists should wear helmets, then so should pedestrians and motorists. Its just as dangerous to walk across the road as to cycle along it. I will never wear a helmet and resent (non) cyclists telling me I should. Helmets have very little benefit for competent adult cyclists. What we need is proper road infrastructure and more consideration from drivers.
Lights are pointless during the day.
And hi vis? You're having a laugh! I wouldn't tell you what to wear!

PuffPants · 19/04/2012 18:03

I have read it three times. What do you think I missing?

ChunkyPickle · 19/04/2012 18:04

Cyclists should not ride on the pavement, it is illegal for a reason.

You are perfectly at liberty to be on the pavement if you feel that the road is too dangerous - just push your bike while doing it.

Just as you feel that the road is too dangerous because it's busy/narrow/the traffic is going a lot faster than you, pedestrians feel the same about the pavement.