thoughtless or entitled?

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

I was out unusually early this morning and witnessed the following:

A little girl on her micro scooter scooting along to the primary school on our road. She was about 5, I'd say, at a guess. Her parent/carer, a man on a bike, was following her on the pavement. This is a typical London side street of terraced houses, the roads were quiet because it was early and before the school run (it was 8am, so they must have been on their way to breakfast club).

Actually, I think my thread title is bollocks, come to think of it. The parent couldn't possibly think it's ok to cycle on the pavement, so he decided to do it because his little girl was scooting.

I conclude ... an entitled twit!

You say the roads were quiet but what were the pavements like?

If they were fairly empty and he was cycling carefully, I couldn't get fussed about it.

Given that it is illegal to cycle on a pavement (or footway, as it would actually be called) then no, I don't think YABU. He can still cycle on the road beside the child safely.

That said, I don't think I would personally care if I saw it myself. But this is MN so you'll either be told you're overreacting way too much or are deathly in the right to be annoyed.

sorry I think you are overreacting. you said yourself it was early in the morning. I've lived in London for 12 years, cars are parked on the sides of a lot of roads - if he was on the road cycling past parked cars, it would have been difficult for him to see her on the pavement and watch for cars in driveways etc. I don't think its great that he was cycling on the path, he should really have been walking his bike, but not something I would have given much thought to.

even after this disturbing event, somehow the world kept turning

I also think you're overreacting. If the pavements were quiet and he was being considerate about pedestrians I couldn't get worked up about it. Technically he shouldn't do it of course but unless he's cycling too fast or not getting out of people's way he's probably less of an obstruction than a giant buggy.

Lowest form araiwa

Oh chill.

I'd have had a word with him if I was that bothered.

It gets on my wick that people feel they have the right to bend the rules because their precious child is involved though.

Why couldn't he walk his bike along the pavement?

Entitlement, that's why.

At first, I read this as the girl scooting on the road and him cycling on pavement

But on a quiet street, both on pavement, probably not going to get too worked up. I'd trust him to be able to control his bike more than a small child can control a scooter so I'd have my eye on her and my ankles, not him.

What problem was he causing?

If none because the pavements were more or less deserted the YABU.

If half a dozen pregnant ladies had to jump into the gutter to avoid him, then YANBU.

No, it's not a biggie but since when has Mumsnet been about biggies?

The roads were quiet, the pavement not so much - people walk to school and the bus stop to commute into work. Very few people drive to school or work in London.

Huh? That depends entirely which part of London you live in.

The roads are chokka block here during school run times.

Well ehrm, you seem to be very pissed off about this. I'm a bit meh about it too, he was just sticking close to his child. No harm was done.

I can't get worked up about this to be honest.

He is an "entitled twit" because he is following his 5yr old on a pavement... Ha!

He might cycle to work after drop off and he'd be an idiot for being on the road and not to be beside her: London pavements can be uneven and she could easily trip. Get off your high horse op.

I witnessed a young girl getting run over by a truck on a London road some years ago. Pavement is best for v little ones.

Of COURSE she should be on the pavement JoJo.

And he should be walking with her, not cycling.

I bloody love Mumsnet AIBU! Of course its fine for an adult to cycle on the pavement, that is the conclusion of this thread.

It was before school run Worra, 8am. But, anyway, I'm talking about my area of London, not yours.

Yes, pretty much the conclusion of the thread. No biggie for him to be riding the bike to follow his daughter as opposed to pushing it.

I can't say this would even have registered in my brain, what a lot of fuss about fuck all! h

classic aibu

-aibu?
-yes!
-no, im not

You should have knocked him off with your broomstick!

I imagine as he was keeping pace with his little girl he wasn't likely to be going at a speed that's likely to win him a yellow jersey in the Tour de France.

So what's the harm really?

If it's any consolation by this point, OP, I don't think YABU. Cycling on a footway is breaking the law but of course, most of Mumsnet is ok with that.

Also in some parts of the country (including where I live) cycling is allowed on certain pavements.