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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To expect cyclists not to ride on the pavement and not expect pedestrians to move out of their way!

342 replies

ophelia275 · 22/06/2012 19:37

I am so sick of having to swerve the pushchair or move out of the way so that some idiot on a bicycle can avoid the traffic by cycling on the pavement and expect me to stand aside with my kids/pushchair/shopping so that they can ride past. Sometimes (when I am not with my kids) I stand firm and don't move out of their way so they have to get off or be patient and wait until I have walked past.

When I was quite heavily pregnant I was walking along and this guy on a bike came zooming up and shouted "move" and just pushed past me. Nob.

Grrr. Hate them!

OP posts:
Stinkyminkymoo · 26/06/2012 12:59

Pan, horse riders are allowed to ride 2 abreast if accompanying a young rider or a young horse (who will be on the verge side with the older, experienced horse on the outside) and this is perfectly legal and considered best practice.

No excuse for not thanking people, but it seems that's the norm nowadays Sad

echt · 26/06/2012 13:10

Hello, ariel. Calm down? Don't tell me what to do. Patronising don't you know. Nothing funny about having a pop at people for what they can't help being, in this case, middle-aged. And they wear lycra to be more comfy cycling.

Sirzy · 26/06/2012 13:12

Surely some of the onus should be on cyclists to make sure they are easily visible? Why is that a bad thing?

Pan · 26/06/2012 13:22

Sirzy - the onus should NOT be on cyclists to make themselves more visible!! There is a very short limit to just how far you go with that one - I wear reflective jacket, lights, helmet, big hybrid bike, am 6 foot, and STILL I get 'sorry mate didn't see you there' approx once a month - countless other times I make evasive decisions where others ( drivers) have utterly failed to observe what's going on around them. (and I ride defensively at all times)

The onus should be on careless drivers to not be so careless and actually actively take part in what is going on around them rather than sitting comfortably in a warm cage, separated from reality and look out the window like it's a computer game screen.

Franziska · 26/06/2012 13:24

ChameleonCircuit your DH's mate is obviously a dickhead, wonder why he'd be friends with him

Pan · 26/06/2012 13:26

I am saying cyclist visibility is not the problem when it comes to safety and accidents. For some drivers at some times (who are either bad drivers or are distracted momentarily) bikers will not be visible no matter what they wear.

Stinkyminkymoo · 26/06/2012 13:27

Agree Pan, but the problem is that once in a car, no one else exists. Hiviz or no.

(is this where cyclists & horse riders agree? Good lord!Wink)

Pan · 26/06/2012 13:30

Ha!

Also a bit curious as the the dynamic behind NOT seeing a 17 hands horse, but seeing the viz jacket on top of it.ConfusedGrin

Sirzy · 26/06/2012 13:46

Sorry pan SOME of the onus has to be on the cyclist to take sensible precautions. I have been driving in the dark before now and encountered cyclists with no lights on at all - that cyclist is stupid and should have taken some responsibility for his own safety.

Sometimes the cyclists visibility is exactly what the issue is.

Pan · 26/06/2012 13:54

The onus on cyclists to wear viz jackets for eg is absurd - lights in the the dark yes of course - but my point still stands, that it doesn't matter what you wear when faced with a poor/distracted driver.

Sirzy · 26/06/2012 13:56

No but it can mean a driver notices a second sooner which can make all the difference, it certainly can't do any harm!

Any precaution which makes you more visible to others has to be a good thing, certainly can't do any harm.

Pan · 26/06/2012 14:05

15 All!

ivykaty44 · 26/06/2012 17:38

I find it strange that so many mn'ers see cycles without lights on them - if they can see the cycles without lights, then what is the problem? Surely it is if you can't see them that there is a problem

Sirzy · 26/06/2012 17:39

Strange post ivy - I would rather see them before I have to slam my breaks on to avoid them, fussy I know!

suburbandream · 26/06/2012 17:49

Whenever I see an adult cycling on the pavement I'm tempted to say loudly "aaah, bless doesn't your mum let you cycle on the road yet" but I'm too chicken I'd probably get beaten up. Mind you, round our way there seem to be a lot of wobbly cyclists who pedal with their knees out at rightangles to their bikes with bags hanging off their handlebars, they are tricky to overtake - maybe they'd be better on the pavement! I prefer the streamlined racing types Smile

ivykaty44 · 26/06/2012 17:51

Perhaps they are on a suicide mission - but so many mners see the bikes without lights - but they never ever mention all the bikes they do see with lights. Then they never mention the cyclists that stop at red traffic lights - I saw 5 cyclists stop at red traffic lights tonight on my way home from work, I have seen one go through a red light in the last year.

Then again I think the cars on the way home where travelling really slowly, three times I pulled up along side the same car at the three sets of traffic lights, I was in the cycle lane and at the last set of traffic lights the car indicated to the cars turning right towards us to turn right on the green light - meaning that all of a sudden I had cars driving towards me (I was on the cycle lane) the car had to stop I had to stop - goodness knows where they thought I was going and just because a car driver indicates you to turn right in front of them doesn't mean you do when a cyclist is going straight on and legally on the inside in the cycle lane. Fortunately as all the cars were travelling so slowly - I think they get up to about 5mph - no harm was done

Ithinkitsjustme · 26/06/2012 17:52

I am a nervous cyclist and at times I jump onto the pavement to avoid impatient drivers trying to overtake on an unsafe strech of road. However, if there ANY pedestrians at all then I remain totally stationary until they have passed. I also wear hiviz and use lights, wear a helmet and generally try to inconvenience both car drivers and pedestrians as much as possible.

Frontpaw · 26/06/2012 17:59

What freaks me out is on the 'mixed use' bollocks initiative in the park near us, the is a lovely, wide broad walk next to the pond, the playpark, nice gardens... And bloody phalynxs of tourists on boris bikes charge up and down, left, right and middle of the path, swerving around toddlers and pedestrians.

Why can't they just 'drive' on the left like proper traffic?

Don't get me started at bikes jumping the list at crossings. They should be stoned given a strong telling off.

ivykaty44 · 26/06/2012 18:13

never seen a list in the highway code?

jumping the list

sounds a bit weird to me I have never done any jumping on my bike? Perhaps I am missing out here

Frontpaw · 26/06/2012 18:15

Doh... Jumping the lights. The buggers are always jumping the lights here - flying at you from nowhere!

Thistledew · 26/06/2012 18:32

I had a rather amusing encounter with a car today when I was cycling home. I was cycling along at a decent pace, nicely tucked into the side of the road. Suddenly, a small van appeared at my right shoulder as I came up to a left turn. He had his indicator on, and started moving left, as if he was about to make the turn. By this point, I was already starting to cross the mouth of the junction, but rather than hang back and make the turn behind me, he edged his van closer and closer to me, all the while staring at me. I maintained my course, and he ended up stopping past the turning to the left lane, and across the right hand lane, blocking the traffic that was trying to join the main road!

I had a quiet chuckle to myself as he got resoundingly hooted at, but WTF was he thinking? That he could intimidate me in to non-existence?

I also saw a car go through a red light at a pedestrian crossing. He stopped to let the pedestrian across, but then drove off whilst the light was still red. I waited for the light to change before catching him up in the traffic ahead and giving him a Hmm look.

I also had a driver wind down her window as she stopped next to me at the lights and say "Do you know that there is a cycle path over the bridge [that we had both just crossed]?". I don't know if she was just trying to be helpful or making a dig that I didn't use it, as the lights then changed and she drove of, after I had replied "Yes, thanks". I am well aware of the path, that is right next to a busy footpath, so that people are always stepping into the cycle path without looking behind them. I like to go far too quickly to make it safe for me to use the path, so would rather take my chances with the road traffic, which has two lanes in any event.

I didn't see any cyclist disobeying the highway code.

ivykaty44 · 26/06/2012 18:43

I can't get the bike to jump - it must be an awesome trick - next time can you ask how they jump so high?

mistlethrush · 26/06/2012 20:09

Ivykaty - no comment on the legality of cycling on public footpaths and admitting that its illegal?

Pan - with all the sports you do you should have a cape to go with the lycra Grin

ivykaty44 · 26/06/2012 20:29

I gave you a link and you read it and copied and pasted parts of it, here is a part that you copied and pasted

So it?s very difficult to know in advance whether you?re allowed to cycle on a path which is away from the road

if it was clear that all footpaths where illegal to ride on with a bike as you stated - then this wouldn't be stated, as it would be illegal on all paths so not difficult to know in advance

ivykaty44 · 26/06/2012 20:31

TBH I thought you had worked that out and where copying and pasting to show that it is not clear nor illegal on all footpaths

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