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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think if you're going to let a small child ride a bike on the pavement, have some control over them? (TRIVIAL)

10 replies

GruffaloGirlie · 07/10/2015 00:08

Incident on the way back from school today. DS (5) saw a girl from his year riding her bike home so he ran ahead to keep up with her. Crossing nearby and girl races ahead to it with DS who I shouted at to stop (he's unpredictable and who knows if he will stop). All OK they both stop. Girl's mother is about 30 feet behind, obviously she trusts that she will stop.

We all cross. I hang about a bit on the crossing to make sure the girl does not cross until her mother gets there.

On the other side is a path with quite deep dips in filled with rainwater. I tell DS to move over to let the girl ride past us, so he steps in the puddle Hmm. Girl decides to follow him into the puddle instead of going round it and hits DS with her front wheel in the back of his shoes. As she is alongside me, as a reflex action I tap her shoulder and loudly say 'careful' as she is wobbling and I thought she would knock DS over and fall off the bike herself (no stabilisers).

Mother then comes alongside and I say 'Sorry'. I mean WTAF did I say that for Hmm? She then glares at me and strides ahead without saying a word. I also felt a bit bad that I touched the girl and barked at her a bit. I initially felt that DS caused the issue and tell him that he needs to watch out. He ended up with soaking wet shoes. A few minutes later, I wised up and apologised to him as he did not need to move, the girl's mother should have had hold of her to go round us.

I have no problem with small DC riding on pavements, mine have, but wouldn't you be alongside them making sure they go round people on the pavement and don't almost knock people down?

OP posts:
Mmmmcake123 · 07/10/2015 00:14

Yep parents should be more on board but when it comes to cycling imo a lot of parents are of the 'learn by mistakes' position. Freaks me out tbh

KoalaDownUnder · 07/10/2015 00:22

Eh, I don't know. Isn't this just a 'life happens' kind of thing? I don't think someone always has to be at fault.

MinecraftWonder · 07/10/2015 00:24

It's not really a laughing matter but dh and I were walking up a hill in town today and nearly got run over by a 5 year old on a bike coming down, completely out of control and laughing like a drain, with her dad racing along beside her trying to stop her.

The mum was doing a semi-run about 20 feet behind, pushing a double pram, clearly looking embarrassed, harassed and worried.

She pasted a smile on her face and tried to look casual as we went past and said 'Oh sorry! Kids on bikes eh?'. We turned back a minute later and they were at the bottom of the hill, with mum giving dad proper shit for being such an irresponsible fool and the dad looking more shamefaced than the kid. Made our day Grin - was a lot funnier than it sounds!

lunar1 · 07/10/2015 00:29

Small children shouldn't be riding on pavements at all. They need to be taken to parks where there is space to learn to ride a bike. Our school run is a fucking nightmare with out of control kids on bikes and scooters who have feckless parents who set no boundaries.

I used to pass an elderly lady every morning with her guide dog walking out to get her milk. I'd not seen her for a while so asked the newsagent, one of the kids knocked her over as she couldn't react quickly enough to get out the way of the bike. She's lost her nerve and is having her milk delivered.

APlaceOnTheCouch · 07/10/2015 00:42

YANBU - on one school run there was a DM on her bike whilst her 5-yr-old DD followed behind on her bike. The DD was very wobbly and the school is in the city, surrounded by busy roads which they were cycling across when they reached them. All the drivers were very much compensating for the DC whilst the mum cycled on oblivious.

leedy · 07/10/2015 01:15

"Small children shouldn't be riding on pavements at all. They need to be taken to parks where there is space to learn to ride a bike."

But what if they already can ride a bike? Are they not supposed to ride a bike to get to school/go to the shop/whatever (accompanied) until they're big enough to cycle in the road?

DS (5) is perfectly competent on his bike, I just don't want him actually riding it in traffic. He doesn't run amok on it and I generally don't let him cycle on busy pavements, just the quieter ones round our estate.

Sighing · 07/10/2015 02:36

During the school start/ end the pavements are too busy for children on bikes (particularly those who expect everyone else to move). I am gobsmacked by parents who let their child race on ahead forcing parents/ children into roads etc.

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 07/10/2015 02:39

As the uk is not set up for safe cycling I'm not prepared to let my 7 year old ride on a road - and he already can ride a bike so I'm also not going to limit his cycling to round a park. He cycles on the pavement with me alongside him but he knows how to behave when there are pedestrians/crossings. We live in a quiet residential area, I wouldn't take him to a city centre and let him ride on a pavement!

Baconyum · 07/10/2015 02:44

I agree I think the real problem is lack of provision for cycling. I lived in Europe and its much better there especially Netherlands.

sproketmx · 07/10/2015 02:58

Oh god no. They need to learn to get on with it. I can't say I've ever ran alongside any of mine when they're on their bikes.

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