Saw a cyclist on the pavement today...

[CarcerDun]

...being reprimanded by a policeman. Most probably because its illegal.

AIBU to have smiled at the policeman as he walked past me afterwards?

I would much, much rather those mad ones were on the pavement,TheChandler, they scare me as a driver.

No one appears to have the logic of not cycling on an empty pavement, but having a county cycle way on a canal towpath -just as wide-with lots of pedestrians -or tell me why I should not cycle on the first when I am supposed to cycle on the second!

It's not the case that pavement cycling is always going to result in a ticking off, the guidance is for the enforcement of the fixed penalty issued to pavement cyclists to be highly discretionary:

"The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required."

It makes sense that, if a cyclist has the choice between a busy road and an empty pavement, they should be able to choose the pavement as long as they cycle carefully and considerately as that is just safer for everyone.

Why aren't they on the cycle track??

I can't speak for the cyclists near you, but round our way the off-road cycle tracks are pretty lethal at the moment. There's a build up of wet leaves, which makes them slippy. Most mornings there are ice on the leaves, which makes them slippy enough to be treacherous. Even once the top layer of that melts (going slushy) the bottom layer is frozen. It actually makes for very dangerous riding. When they start clearing the cycle paths and crucially when they start gritting them (I'm not holding my breath and yes I do phone the council to ask them to do that every year) I'll use them again in winter. Until then, you'll just have to put up with me on the road.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll My Apologies - I had not read your post thoroughly

So TheChandler you 'drive' to work but consider urban walking not strenuous enough for you?

I live in quite a hilly place and nearly always push my 32 pound 3 year old up very steep hills for the school run as in total this is 8 miles a day and she wouldn't be able to walk that much in a day. Believe me it is much more strenuous than sitting in a car!

And the hill I go up with my 3 year old and pushchair is much more of a work out than cycling it with just myself to mobilise!

So would any of the cyclists care to explain why they can't get off and push if they're on the pavement? It is extremely selfish to cycle on the pavement when there are people are using it. I appreciate some of you only use it when empty, but it's not there for you, especially if they have pedestrians on them, so how can you justify not getting off your bike if there are? As a horse rider I completely sympathise with having to use the road on a non-engine-driven vehicle, as it were, but that doesn't make using pavement with pedestrians on any them less of a dick move. It can intimidate people walking and make them just as nervous as drivers may make you.

Were you bu to smile at a Policeman? No. Was he hot?

But I totally understand why someone would cycle on a pavement. It doesn't give me the rage at all.

I wouldn't get off and push if the pavement was empty What would be the point? I do cycle very slowly if I need to go on the pavement though, and myself and the kids stop and wait if a pedestrian is walking past.

I scowl at them stopping slow cycling cyclists who are avoiding hideous junctions whilst they ignore all of the cars encroaching into the bike box at junctions!

I don't mind slow considerate use of pavement to avoid dangerous traffic, but fast cycling where they expect people to move is wrong.

If you smile when you see a bikists being 'reprimanded' for committing an offence, do you also scowl each time when you see a driver committing an offence and not be 'reprimanded'?

Or do you wish to just trigger (yet another) bike bashing thread?

I don't think I have ever come across any cyclists bombing down the pavement at speed with no thought for pedestrians. Apart from once, but they were children.

Seems to be usually all of these lunatic, life-threatening riders are only magically seen by bitter, anti-cycling MNers.

It's almost as if they are exaggerating. Or just making stuff up.

Yes, but you can't do it as a competitive sport Goldenbear, so I'm not interested in urban walking. I do a competitive sport, and if I was had knackered legs from walking about on pavements all day I'd have to give it up, or no longer play to my usual level. If I wanted to increase my fitness for tennis, I'd run more, not walk.

If I do something active, I require it to be (a) fun (b) productive and (c) enjoyable. I don't want to spend my entire day slowly walking to work, working and coming back from work. Whats the bit about 8 miles you don't understand? Or walking being slow? even though you will no doubt tell me you are the current UK racewalking champion

Admittedly, the pushchair would be useful to carry documents in, but I'd be mortified if any of my clients or work colleagues saw me. If they saw me commuting on a bike I'd be happy, its considered a positive as many business clients are now into cycling and triathlon, etc..

Ach no worries, BMW6 apology accepted.

Muffinino I guess I justify not getting off because I don't cycle at a great speed when I am on the pavement. I give any pedestrians I do encounter a wide berth. Believe it or not I don't want to injure anyone.

I really think that unless you have cycled on roads and have nearly been mown down, cut up or worse still actually knocked off then you can't possibly know how frightening it can be. I'm sorry I'm on your precious pavements with my bike but it feels safer for me there. I am considerate unlike the dickhead motorists who don't want me on their precious roads either.

And yes, I am aware it's illegal to cycle on pavements before anyone comes along to tell me but until dickhead motorists stop trying to mow me down that's where I'm staying.

"Pretty petty expecting a 4 year old to dismount from his Thomas Bike! Do you have children? Children under 10 are a totally different category - any reasonable person would think that!"

So where Goldenbear where was I supposed to go? It was alongside a busy road? Oh yes I forgot, I am supposed to go in the gutter and hope that the cars don't hit me. Lots of mums with kids/prams/scooters seem to think that's fine.

And yes I have a son who is now 12. If we have cycled on the pavement we have always got off our bikes if we have come across pedestrians.

So not petty at all. Please think before posting.

I wouldn't get off and push if the pavement if it's empty what would be the point?

Yes, what would be the point? It's EMPTY. No pedestrians at risk and safer than a road with lunatic drivers who are far more dangerous than cyclists.

TheChandler, then why don't you run to work?

Do you not see the irony in preaching about people not doing enough exercise and yet 'you' drive to work?

Goldenbear TheChandler, then why don't you run to work?

Since I suppose theres no hope in asking you to stop trying to interfere in people's lives, I will try to explain patiently. Its 8 miles. That's 16 miles there and back. Now, you are obviously an Olympic racewalker/Champion pushchair uphillpusher and now World Champion Marathoner, but I am not. I do usually run to work once or twice every fortnight and get a lift back, but I'm not training for a marathon. I've done two of those and got shin splints. Now when I run, its for 25 minutes on a nice trail, not along an A road with no pavement, across a motorway and over several busy roundabouts while breathing in carbon monoxide.

I would love to cycle to work. There are no cycle paths. There barely any pavements. Our infrastructure in this country is terrible. Therefore I sympathise with people who don't lose all ability to think for their own safety and occasionally resort to pavements.

Can I ask you if you have ever had such a thing as a job, in a city, where you are expected to be smart and maintain a certain image?

Please, no more stupid questions tonight. Its late.

No one has yet told me the logic of me keeping off an empty pavement to then get on and cycle along towpath that is full of pedestrians and is a designated cycle way, with signs saying so, and a footpath.
I also can't see the slightest point in pushing my bike along an empty pavement when I could ride at the same speed.

Some of our cycle paths are pavements and only some are divided by a line, others have no distinction between where cyclists should be and where pedestrians should walk. On those I always give way to pedestrians but I still feel uncomfortable having to use them. Where the path is divided by a white line I still have to give way to pedestrians as often they walk on the cycle path and are not prepared to move over.

But surely the answer's in what you've written yourself, Mehitabel ? If the towpath's a designated cycle route then unlike on pavements (which aren't generally designated for cycles) those on it can reasonably be expected to watch out for passing bikers - maybe keeping largely to one side, for example? Obviously I don't know the particular one you're referring to, but most towpaths I've been on don't tend to have places people can suddenly appear out of either, so most users can generally see who's about and act accordingly

They do not watch out! You approach from behind and they are totally oblivious! Children dart out, as used earlier as a reason not to cycle on pavements. They certainly don't keep to the sides, they walk 3 abreast often with dogs. The vision is exactly the same as the pavement.
It means that cyclists have to cycle with care and be able to stop suddenly, all the skills they have and use on the pavement.
No difference as far as I can see- except the pavement is safer as it is much emptier.

It would be lovely if people on the towpaths kept to the side and watched out for cyclists- but it doesn't happen!