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!

I'm not really arguing that it's legal (although I suspect there is leeway in extenuating circumstances). Just that I couldn't get worked up about someone breaking the law in this fashion, providing they were apparently safe doing so.

Right but you said, Very few people drive to school or work in London.

So I assumed that's what you meant.

Adults cycling on pavements is a big bugbear of mine. And you say "The roads were quiet, the pavement not so much", so his choice to cycle on the pavement could not be justified - he would have been safe on the road, plus could cause problems for pedestrians. So YANBU.

The only non-arsehole reason he could have for being on the pavement could be that if he were on the road, his 5-year old might join him, thinking she should. But even then, he should have been walking his bike.

If he's going at the pace of his dd on the scooter, he's effectively walking so wouldn't be safe on the road. Man pushing bike on pavement is probably less manoeverable than man astride bike on pavement, not to mention all the stopping, turning round, saying "come on" to child, etc, that would be bad in the road.

For comparison, mobility scooters that can go on roads have to be using their 8 mph setting - if they only do 4 mph they have to be on pavements. So I figure a bicycle going under 4mph is best on the pavement.

Lots of parents with bikes accompany their scooting/cycling children in my part to London, usually on the pavement for at least some of the time. Mostly works. Now, the car drivers who used to park half on the pavement but now park 100% on the pavement since they put double yellows round...

A bit of both I'd say. We have pavements suitable for bikes here but plenty aren't and many cyclists have taken it to mean that ALL pavements are fair game and passively aggressively ring their bells at pedestrians, they could shock horror go around or the road where they're supposed to be!

A friend of mine used to cycle on the pavement with her daughter on the way to school. She hit an old man coming out of his house. While I sympathised with her about the shock of the accident, we did have a discussion about how it was illegal and it was her fault.

YANBU, I agree it's entitled and a poor example to the child.

I've been run over by cyclists on the pavement (once when stood looking in a shop window, he'd have rode into the shop if I'd not been there) I'd have been annoyed.

He should have been pushing his bike if he needed it later.

It honestly never ever bothers me people cycling on the pavement. I simply stand to the side and let them pass. No big deal.

Going against the grain but yanbu. I have a thing about adults cycling on pavements. He should use the road or push his bike if he was continuing with his commute after dropping her at school. Tool.

Maybe not entitled but just not thinking? If the pavement was quiet I wouldn't think twice either I'm afraid!

I've been run into by children a few times when they have been cycling or scooting on the pavement. Not a big fan.

I gave someone a death glare for exactly the same thing while I was running to work this morning - a mother on a bike on the pavement with two children on scooters in front of her on a relatively narrow section.

Anyone over the age of around 10 should not be on pavement on a bike. Full stop.

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

I do understand that it is illegal to cycle on the pavement, so no one could really argue, as ultimately you are in the right, bibbity, and the cyclist in the wrong ... but ... I do think it would have been far more obstructive if he had been pushing his bike along the pavement, while walking beside it (twice as wide) and at the same time rushing to keep up with the child on her scooter.

YANBU. I hate it when people cycle on the pavement. Pavements are very narrow where I am and I'm often forced onto the road by some twat going 100 mph on his bike (often while texting) because he can't be arsed negotiating road traffic.

This pisses me off so bad too OP!! I once got shouted at by a woman cycling on the path around a blind corner because she hit DDs pram!? Was not happy to say the least.

neither of them should be on the pavement. Wheels on pavements should be pushchairs or wheelchairs. Scooting children with no sense are a menace.

So as it is unwise for kids to scoot in the road, how about they walk?

Op you are scraping for something to be miserable about. How does this affect you?

Was he causing a danger to you - or anyone else?

I cycle alongside ds2 and his friend on their scooters, but on the road. I rarely have to slow down to walking pace. Far from being a London road though, it's a village with occasional too fast cars. I'd imagine if there were frequent obstacles (parked cars, etc) which meant the dad had to be too distanced from the scooting little girl, he'd probably consider it worth the risk of cycling on the pavement next to her for short periods, so that he was near enough to her should she fall or scoot too close to people?

I know it won't happen but I'd like to see all adults caught cycling on pavements made to take and pass Bikeability Levels 2 and 3, at their own expense. Kind of the equivalent of dangerous drivers taking speed awareness courses.

YANBU. There's a plague of children on scooters here every morning, which is bad enough when trying to get to work, but there's always a couple of parents also scooting / on bikes / walking with buggies 3 abreast and generally blocking the pavement like complete dicks.

Having a child with you does not mean you own the road.

rant over

Are there cars parked on drives on this streeet or only on road parking? If the former, I can see why you'd want to ensure reversing cars had seen you when they wouldn't be able to see a 5 year old on a scooter who'd be below the boot level of the car. If cars observed the highway code and reversed into drives so they drove out onto the road it would be less necessary.

I am guilty of cycling on the pavement on he way to school behind DS (6) who will absolutely not be cycling on the road for a few years yet. The pavement is about a 50 metre stretch leading from a cycle path/alleyway to the next bit of cycle path leading directly to school. I don't go on the road as I would have to go off a steep kerb onto it so would have to get off my bike as I'd probably fall off and would not be able to keep up with DS and cars speed terribly up that stretch of road.

We wait behind ignorant people if they won't move a bit to the side when they are perfectly able to and would have to if someone was coming in the opposite direction.

My bugbear is people who block the whole cycle/walking path and then huff and give us evils when I have to ring my bell or shout excuse me (don't like using bell as I think it's rude for some reason). Or let their kids run off in front and stop dead in front of you. So many idiots around who have no awareness of others around them.

My dh always uses the path on his bike. Obv he will use a cycle path when he can but the lack of care and respect from motorists can leave riding on the road just too dangerous. He's obviously very careful but the dangers to passers by are obv minimal to the dangers to him on the road!