Cyclists on pavements

[origamiunicorn]

Ok, please tell me if I ABU.

What's your opinion on people cycling on pavements? I don't mean young children who are clearly learning or parents who are accompanying them but adults. Full blown, fully grown adults.

Where I live it seems common place and I don't get it. AIBU to say if you are an adult and aren't comfortable on the road you shouldn't be riding a bike. It always seems to be middle aged men too who whizz past, so not an adult learner or someone who is gaining confidence.

Just now I was walking home from work and I hear this bell ringing and as I turn around this man in his 40s? whizzes past me and shouts "out the way!" to which I throw my hands up in the air at him and tell him to get off the pavement and then as I walk past him further up the road at a crossing he says something, calls me the C word and rides off. I mean what?!

I actually feel a little shaken with the confrontation so AIBU in my reaction? I thought it was justified considering. I mean if you're going to ride on the pavement like a child at least give people a chance to get out the way and... should people even be on cycling on the pavement?!

[OffToBedhampton]

Before anyone says, I know it's illegal. But there's a tolerance locally due to no.of cyclist deaths and it's what a lot of the secondary school children need to do to safely get to school on busy roads (that run up to motorway junctions) in between cycle paths that stop and start in our town

[Bluelady]

One of my pet subjects! Our front door opens onto the pavement at the end of a cycle path. I seem to spend my life yelling "it's a bloody pavement" at cyclists as they almost mow me down. I tore a couple of kids new ones when they nearly ran over my elderly neighbour the other day. If you can't ride on the road where you belong, don't ride.

[Giggage]

I read it. Your implication was the potential disruption to you rather than care for the cyclist

Wrong again. But as you seem to be spoiling for an argument I'll leave you to it.

[PhilomenaButterfly]

And secondary school kids. 😠

[rainbowbash]

cyclists don't belong onto the pavement!

but the problem are shoddy cycle lanes which are littered with pot holes, parked cars etc and motorists who see anyone on 2 wheels also the enemy.

I don't cycle on pavements but when I am about on my bike, I never hug the curb, I use the street because I am part of the traffic, not accessory to it. The abuse I get from other drivers is horrendous.

I therefore don't blame cyclists feeling it able to ride on the pavement.

But the state of cycle facilities and the general attitude of motorists in this country is s disgrace. And I am saying that as someone who mainly drives.

[JacquesHammer]

Things that would assist the situation:-

Cyclists doing proper “courses” to increase confidence on the road/how to ride on the road properly including use of lanes etc.
Drivers learning patience and overtaking safely without risk to the cyclist.
Pedestrians being aware of where they’re walking when using a shared pavement.
Cyclists - if they absolutely must ride on the pavement - always deferring to other pavement users.

[JacquesHammer]

Actually another point:-

Councils maintaining road surfaces

[cuppycakey]

Cyclists absolutely should not be on the pavement.

My grandmother was knocked into a busy road by a pavement cyclist with one of those fucking stupid buggy things with flags on the back.

Cycle in the road or don't cycle at all.

[OffToBedhampton]

Agree with @Missmaisel

I think UK infrastructure could be better

The secondary school children who cycle on path here in between cycle paths stretches are very slow and respectful most of the time (if I cycle I go on road and avoid busy ones) as there's a large secondary school here and too many cyclist deaths as bloody ridiculous drivers haring off the motorway and not going down to 30mph. It's too late once a child or young adult has died or been iervabky injured with life altering brain or spinal injury, to say well the driver was speeding and will get prosecuted... 😕🤨 Even though the cyclist knew and was obeying road rules.

So I repeat, in our town on those dangerous roads -in stretches in-between where council can fit in cycle paths, which is main access to the school- cycling on path is tolerated. But only if slow and careful.

[OffToBedhampton]

*irrevocably, I meant

[MrDarcyWillBeMine]

I think it is what it is!

We live in a BIG cycle city but the council have seen fit to make some of the main roads incredibly unfriendly for cyclists!
As both a driver and cyclist I know that I have a choice, Significantly hold up traffic, or piss off a few pedestrians!

I’m sure you feel that your rights as a pedestrian out weigh those of drivers but frankly ...they pay their road tax and you pay your council tax so why does one take presidence!

And yes you can say ‘a cyclist could injure a pedestrian’ but trust me a car is much more likely to injure a cyclist!

[AgentCooper]

I don’t like it myself. My mum was knocked down by a cyclist on the pavement who didn’t stop. Today I had one nearly bash into me and my baby in the pram. But provision here (west of Scotland) for safe cycling is shite.

My friend’s husband was killed cycling on the road. He was a highly experienced, considerate cyclist and it was entirely the driver’s fault. That made me really think about how crap it is for cyclists here. The Scottish government goes on and on about getting on your bike, cycling to work, getting your kids cycling but there is fuck all decent provision. Most people’s routes to and from work are not through country parks.

[OvO]

I hate it so much that even if asked politely if I can move over by a slow going cyclist I refuse. I know, I know. But it’s a bloody pavement, I’m disabled, and I use a walker. If you’re a grown up on a bike on the pavement I won’t excuse you and you’ll have to excuse ME. Inconvenience yourself and wait/move/step onto the road.

I’m not abusive or shouty, I just say no. Some people huff and tut but they know they look like an utter cunt if they kick off at a wee disabled woman so they have to bite their tongue.

[lampygirl]

To all the people who have said you hate cyclists coming up behind you, passing too close and ‘aggressively’ ringing the bell, can you absolutely not see that this is exactly the same for the cyclist travelling legally on the road who get the big car roaring up behind them aggressively beeping their horn and then passing too close at best and run in you over at worst. Maybe this whole issue could be overcome by educating the driver...

FWIW I cycle on the road a couple of times a week and try to get at least 100 miles in. I do not need to cycle on the pavement but I can see why nervous people would move there after some of the abuse I have faced for daring to ride further than 6 inches from the kerb, and I can top 20mph on the flat if I try a bit so in residential type streets I’m close to the speed limit anyway hardly holding someone up.

[Herbyvor]

I hate any cyclist on the pavement, it’s illegal, no grey area. My dd is heating impaired and was hit from behind last year. They choose to cycle, they know the law, some seem to think they are above it though.

[Herbyvor]

*hearing

[RainbowWaffles]

To all the people who have said you hate cyclists coming up behind you, passing too close and ‘aggressively’ ringing the bell, can you absolutely not see that this is exactly the same for the cyclist travelling legally on the road who get the big car roaring up behind them aggressively beeping their horn and then passing too close at best and run in you over at worst. Maybe this whole issue could be overcome by educating the driver...

It isn’t the same. The cyclist and the car are both allowed to be in the road. Only the pedestrian is allowed on the pavement. I am not excusing the behavior of some car drivers, but that doesn’t give cyclists the right to illegally cycle on pavements and terrorize pedestrians.

Many drivers are equally as unpleasant to other drivers. It’s no excuse to start mounting the pavements.

[Femaleassassin]

I'd rather see a cyclist on the pavement than risk their life on the road. I know too many people who have been mowed down on their bikes. A little bit of tolerance goes a long way.

[irunlikeahipoo]

My flat has a car park for residents which is part of a cycle path and footpath
Practically every time I get in my car to leave and start to slowly reverse out a cyclist will come bombing along and then go around my car ( even if I have stopped ) rather than waiting and letting me reverse out
It’s almost like they want to play chicken or have a death wish
I also reported two police officers for not only riding on the pavement but going the bloody wrong way

[Bluelady]

Its very difficult to be tolerant when you get mown down stepping out of your front door. I feel no need to be tolerant when someone's breaking the law

[Yidette86]

I know someone that has been knocked off their bike twice by careless drivers so can see why they now cycle on the pavement. Unfortunately some car drivers are rather arrogant and have some weird hatred towards cyclists

But the cyclist should have not been rude to you and is a knob.

[redyawn]

Cyclists often go on pavements to avoid being killed.

It is of course against the law to cycle on the pavement...... but I do have sympathy with cyclists who do this in certain circumstances eg very dangerous road, wide pavement, few pedestrians. In the end, cyclists are much 'closer' to pedestrians than cars in terms of speed, weight etc.

Also, a very large proportion of car drivers overtake cyclists on the road in a dangerous fashion - legal and safe overtaking of a bicycle means to treat it as if it were the size of a car. There are certain roads where illegal overtaking of cyclists is much more likely to happen eg a narrow hill, a narrow A road.

[OnlyaMan]

I'd rather see a cyclist on the pavement than risk their life on the road. I know too many people who have been mowed down on their bikes. A little bit of tolerance goes a long way
This particularly applies to children on dangerous parts of the road, obviously.
A ringing bell is a warning-we pedestrians should not take offence at being warned.
If a cyclist actually said "Out the way!", (and I have never come across this), then he/she would get from me a gentle kick on his rear wheel, causing a wobble or even a "falling-off".
A bit of compromise does not do any harm.

[Herbyvor]

Then you don’t cycle, otherwise it’s whataboutery . It’s illegal, it’s for pedestrians and people who can’t see hear or walk properly get hurt.
I doubt even a tenth of cycling accidents get reported and recorded, my dds didn’t. She went flying because she couldn’t hear the cyclist behind her on a narrow pavement at dusk after school.