Cyclists on pavement

[Rentergob89]

So this week a lady has been riding her bike on the pavement whilst children and their parents are attempting to walk in the opposite direction. She does not stop for anyone and yesterday had knocked a small child over grumbled something and carried on riding her bike on the pavement. Today I could see her coming towards me so I stopped where I was and refused to move for her. She stopped and said I was an inconvenience and I should move my fat a### out the way. I replied " you should not be riding your bike on the pavement you should be in the road" she then rode off swearing and shoving her two fingers up at me. Charming!! Two other mothers witnessed this and said thank you to me for saying something another however said I was in the wrong for not moving out of the way for her.
The pavement gets really busy after school as its the only way children and parents can walk to either their cars or the bus stop. All I am concerned about is the safety of the children but she seems to only care about herself. Was I in the wrong??

[witchywoohoo]

People who do stupid things are stupid

Yeah but wouldn't AIBU be a really weird concept if people actually weren't allowed to be a bit more specific!

[TiggyD]

I'm aiming to bring this whole forum down by stating the bleeding obvious.

[thelostboy]

Some selfish arrogant dangerous twats ride bikes on pavements and should be fined if caught.

Some drive cars, and likewise.....

[witchywoohoo]

Haaa That phrase could actually be used be used in EVERY thread on mumsnet!

[WheelofPan]

Ah I knew someone would come out with the HC stuff. Despite the space for discretion. There you go.

[RunningLulu]

In London cyclists use light bikes and so a quick knock with a handbag soon gets them on the right track. Pavements aren't for cyclists ever.

[Oysterbabe]

I'm a keen cyclist. Pavements are for pedestrians. If you're too frightened to ride on the road then walk, cycling isn't for you.
It's a bit of a PR war and pavement cyclists and red light jumpers will make us lose. You might justify it to yourself by saying you walk if there are people or it was a pedestrian crossing and no one was there, but every passing car sees you and thinks "fucking cyclists" and we just don't need it.

[WheelofPan]

Trouble though is this notion of letting the side down in the eyes of motorists us a bit pathetic and ineffectual. No matter what one does the car is king attitude remains. So no, if stretches of road are safer for me to ride in the pavement than on the road as drivers cannot be trusted then that is what will happen. Appeasing dickhead drivers isn't top of my pops. Staying safe is.

[FullTimeYummy]

Hi Oyster

That's a pretty b&w interpretation IMO

I agree with your general sentiment, i.e. cyclist need to not bring any more wrath on themselves , but to take cycling at walking pace on the path as an example; does that significantly annoy anybody?

In several situations i can think of (e.g. pedestrian crossing islands) it makes much more sense to stay on your bike and stay narrow, rather than hop off and push and block everybody's way.

[WheelofPan]

So lulu you advocate assaulting people as well? Good for you.

[WheelofPan]

If you chose to try to hit me with a handbag lulu you'd get a smack in the face as a course of self defence. Seems fair?

[Oysterbabe]

cycling at walking pace on the path as an example; does that significantly annoy anybody?

It really, really does, even if that doesn't make sense. People get so angry about cyclists on pavements. It feeds into the prejudices they already hold about how all cyclists are Lycra Louts who think they're above the law. It's not allowed and you shouldn't do it.

[whatsthecomingoverthehill]

Oyster, this whole PR battle (which I agree exists) just highlights the problem to me. All cyclists get judged for the actions of the few. And the scary thing is that you see it in the way some people drive around cyclists. I don't know of other types of road users who get abuse simply by existing.

[FullTimeYummy]

Oyster

Genuinely surprised at that, as it doesn't align at all with my own experience.

(serious question) could lycra play a part here?

I wear (daamn fine) smart-casual on my yesteryear bike and have never to my knowledge had so much as a raised eyebrow.

[Oysterbabe]

You may not have noticed it Yummy but people will be thinking it

[FullTimeYummy]

Cheers dude, i shall look out for this tomorrow, as it's a negative conatation i wish to avoid

[Hedgehogparty]

Where I live there are plenty of designated shared pavements for cyclists and pedestrians
They have large painted cycles on them to indicate this.
I've still been told to get off my bike by people who dont understand this shared use.
Pavements can be shared.

[badg3r]

You WNBU, OP. Next time give her a good old nudge as she passes But seriously, she is being a complete wanker. I would continue saying something.

[FullTimeYummy]

Hedgehog, yes, it's like that here too, and yes some people don't get it.

Periodically there are bits of path that continue from the dual purpose bits, are just for pedestrians, but retain all of the topological features and characteristics of the shared pathways.

I cycle on those bits quite often, pass pedestrians semi-often and in my head they seem to like it.

I shall watch them more carefully tomorrow as I may be projecting my tastes on others and in actual they are just too polite to tell me I'm a dick

[badg3r]

Hedgehog yes I use these shared spaces too on my bike, but even if it was one of those setups, this woman has been seen knocking over a child!

[originalmavis]

The council in its infinite wisdom has built bloody bike super highway lanes all over near me.

Great big wide bike lanes so that the already crammed roads are squeezed into one narrow lane each way. Do the buggers use the lanes? In the main, not. They zip up the pavements instead but don't dare ride in the horse lanes for sone reason (probably don't want an army horses hoof up their jacksy). They cycle over the 'no cycling' signs in the park.

So they want us all to ride bikes then? How am I supposed to get my kid to the other side of the city to school then get back over the river to work? Am I supposed to stick granny on the handlebars when we take her out to the shops? How can I do the grocery shopping on a bike? Or pick my kid up from swimming 3 times a week after a day at work in the freezing cold? Or take him to fixtures the other side if the city st the weekends?

I don't want to ride a bike these days - I'm too old, too fat, too sweaty and I really can't be arsed. As I live in a flat and if you leave a bike chained out some bugger will nick it or stamp on your wheels.

[Hedgehogparty]

badgr my post wasn't defending someone knocking a child over, it was in response to people repeatedly stating that cyclists have no place on pavements

[SpookyRachel]

I don't mind cyclists on pavements if they are slow, considerate and understand that pedestrians come first. REALLY hate it when they whizz past, or ring their bell at you to get out the way. It's a voluntary courtesy to get out the way of a cyclist on the pavement, not an obligation.

But while I'm here, let me have a quick vent about pedestrians - the ones heading to my local school, in particular. Just lately I've been needing to use a walking stick sometimes. Jeez, it has opened my eyes: the parents round here just do not expect their children to move for anybody. It never bothered me before - I guess I was used to it - but now that manoeuvring out of the way of streams of nippers on scooters is actually a big deal, and painful to boot, it's really pissing me off. These parents saunter up the narrow pavement, two or three buggies abreast, children charging ahead, and just kind of stare at me vacantly until I step onto the road to let them past.

I hope I'm not like this with my own children - I'm very aware of teaching them to be aware of other pavement users and keep out of their way. But this temporary disability is making me dread growing old

[Ailicece]

Hedgehog we have those here too - extra wide pavements with half clearly marked as a cycle lane. I got quite annoyed at a cyclist this morning who insisted on staying in the road (in front of me). It really isn't safe - cars parked along born sides of the road, bus stops etc, meaning that there is just barely space for two cars to meet and really not safe with cyclists weaving in and out too. Hence the separate cycle lane! I get that it's frustrating that some pedestrians ignore the signs and walk in the cycle lane - but drivers are equally inconvenienced / slowed by cyclists on roads that aren't designed to accommodate them.