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?!

For every cyclist you see that annoys you, at least 2 or 3 die. Cycling on the road should be safe in this country. It's not - so perhaps be a bit more tolerant.

@Yidette86 I've also been knocked off my bike twice by careless driving - once when somebody overtook on a junction on a hill with a blind bend after it, another time when I was waiting to enter a roundabout and the driver forgot I was there.

No, it’s against the law. Get off the pavement. Why should my child be run over where she should feel safe.

There is no grey area because it’s against the bloody law!

If it’s too dangerous on a stretch of road then they walk their bike on the pavement. Not cycle along. But they rarely do that, such a hurry to get where they’re going they won’t inconvenience themselves for a short time.

My children are aged 8, 10 and 12 and I don't let them ride their bikes on the pavement. They ride on the road with me. The older two have done bikeability (cycling proficiency) and they all have good road sense. If for any reason I or they have to go onto the pavement briefly we slow right down with feet near the floor or even get off.

On mixed use paths though, I do get frustrated with some pedestrians. My kids have been taught to slow down, ring or ask politely for people to move and say thank you when people do make way. But some pedestrians look round, see a kid on a bike or scooter behind them and continue walking spread across the whole path, making it impossible for us to pass. They don't seem to realise it is actually really hard to ride a bike at walking speed and will likely make a child fall off. Plus, we invested time and money in buying bikes and teaching children to cycle do that we can move faster than walking speed.

Cycling on the road should be safe in this country. It's not - so perhaps be a bit more tolerant.

Walking on the pavement should be safe, too. You want to ride your bike on the pavement, ride it at walking pace. Then everyone's safe. You want to ride fast, ride on the road.

I'd love to take up cycling but the roads are too dangerous where I live and there aren’t enough cycle paths so I don’t do it.

I walk everywhere and I feel it’s only a matter of time before a pavement cyclist takes the feet from under me. Every day I have at least half a dozen near misses and now that I’m over 60 with arthritic knees I feel really vulnerable.

Considerate cyclists are well aware of the risk they pose to pedestrians and they cycle slowly giving priority to pedestrians. It’s the arseholes trying to beat their personal best that spoil it for everyone and that’s why there needs to be some regulation. Some way of monitoring, tracing and making accountable those who cycle irresponsibly would be a start.

This topic comes up fairly regularly on MN and someone always points out that pedestrians are statistically more at risk from cars...... How would we know? Have you ever tried reporting being knocked over by a cyclist? The police don’t want to know and how can you prove it when they just cycle off. Unless they actually kill or maim you for life, the police just aren’t interested.

My 6 year old was badly injured - sprained ankle, concussion, severe emotional trauma- by a teenager racing home on the pavement right outside our front gate. He did give us his name and address so I phoned the police. They told me he hadn’t broken the law and encouraged his parents to turn up with a bunch of flowers to keep us sweet!

I would encourage everyone, if pavement cycling is an offence, to report every collision and get an incident number. Let’s get this menace properly recognised.

Pollution from traffic fumes, poor lighting after dark, racing pavement cyclists and non existent bus services after 6 pm make being a pedestrian a very unpleasant experience these days.

Roads are too small and dangerous for cyclists, loads of people drug drive and use their mobiles. I'm not putting my life in their hands

As a fellow cyclist I don't blame you at all. But the answer isn't to put the danger onto pedestrians instead - it's to walk the bike along the pavement, except in those areas where there's a shared, usable path

bon

I don't blame you and I'd do the same, but do you know your 10 year old is breaking the law and technically old enough to be prosecuted?
It's unlikely to happen though.

Sorry, 10 and over, I meant.

The point of the matter is that it’s against the law to cycle on a pavement, if you’re not comfortable (don’t have the balls) to cycle on the road where you belong, don’t cycle! Simple!
I’ve had many near misses, and one serious collision with a cyclist using the pavement, not once was I apologised to, every time verbally abused and told to look where I was going! I’m on the bloody PAVEMENT!!!

Mixed path- no issue. On a pedestrian path, the pedestrian should not be impeded or intimidated by a cyclist using the path, and cyclist should slow down accordingly. Personally have bigger rage against the MAMILS that take up the whole sodding road in a group of 30 because it's their 'right' and don't give a feck they are blocking the road.

My almost 3yr old rides her balance bike on the pavement whilst I push my 8month old in the pushchair. She simply does not have the road sense to be on the road.
However, if we see people walking towards us (rather rare as we typically stick to quiet residential streets) I tell her to stop & wait until the people have passed us (I try to steer her towards the bottom of a driveway to give pedestrians as much room as possible, especially wheelchairs or pushchairs) & most people have said thank you as they've passed us. Once she's a bit older & has a larger bicycle with pedals she will be encouraged to ride on the road as long as either myself or DP are able to accompany her & someone is able to accompany younger DS either in a pushchair or on a balance bike.

Marta - walking on the pavement is safe

walking on the pavement is safe

Tell that to my very elderly, vision impaired, mobility impaired relative, who was knocked down by a cyclist riding at speed on the pavement.

I have an issue with the Mamils and Mawils riding on the road when the Council has provided a £8 million cycleway for them! Apparently they have to cross the main road at a couple of points and don’t like it! It’s astonishing. I think there should be a law that they must not be on the road when there is a cycleway. There are numerous bends on this road, quite a few accidents too. I think the cyclists are arrogant and actually want to dice with death and annoy motorists. As the county council is hard up, I know where I would cut spending!

I actually live on a bridleway where there are a lot of cyclists. Some have taken to throwing their bikes over stiles and using the footpaths too! I asked one to stick to the bridleway and was met with abuse. I wrote to all the village magazines and the local cycling club about it. It seems to have stopped!

I just think everyone should be reasonsble towards other travellers, be they pedestrians, cyclists or motorists. Obey the rules and use a cycleway if there is one! If a road is too dangerous for cycling, walk on the pavements and respect others.

Marta, I'm sorry that happened but deaths on pavements due to cyclists are incredibly rare. Deaths of cyclists are not. More people die due to dangerous drivers, not dangerous cyclists. Lets get this issue in proportion.

I just nipped out earlier in the car and the first thing I see, a 20 something man riding on the pavement

Francis Radford I agree. They just don't think that sometimes you're not ignoring the bell you just haven't heard it. It is entitled imo.

Daisypond Oh my God I audibly gasped, I hope s/he was ok!

Justtwomoresecs Yep, you nailed it. Just walk with your bike until you're back on the road.

If I have to cycle on the pavement (ie at a dangerous junction) I go very slow
Or dismount
I would not dream of doing what he did

After 1 year in the saddle I have realised in many ways that mostly male cyxlists pose the greatest risk to me

He was the cunt .

Cars are lethal, and statistically the biggest killer, yet a couple of bikes on the pavement gets everyone in a stew

It is illegal though and punishable by a fine. It's not illegal to drive a car on the road.

For every cyclist you see that annoys you, at least 2 or 3 die.

Bollocks. I see hundred of the lycra-clad yobbos regularly as they love our country roads, riding three or four abreast and passing me on both sides as I'm trying to turn into my gate. I've followed a group of them as they set off the speed sign at 38mph in a 30 area of the village and increase in speed as they carried on downhill along the main street; I at least was driving to the speed limit as they disappeared into the distance. I've had them come up behind me and the dogs on a road clearly marked as speed reduced for both walkers and cyclists and almost run us down. I've seen them cycle on the pavements in Edinburgh and then back on to the roads once past the red traffic light.

There would have to be a genocidal maniac for three times the number of annoying twats that I see to die. And I cycled to university across a major city every day - and never once on a fucking pavement.

I think one reason cyclists are killed is poor choices made by them. They are not always blameless. They weave in and out, get in lorry blind spots, don’t show awareness of other vehicles etc. Of course there are awful motorists and as a motorist I am aware I need eyes in the back of my head but some cyclists are extreme sport fans. And have no breaks!

Bubbles - I'm appalled at your victim blaming. The cyclists I know who have been killed were not to blame in any way. They were law abiding. And statistics back me up - not the anecdotal evidence on this thread

yet a couple of bikes on the pavement gets everyone in a stew

A couple of bikes on the pavement being ridden dangerously gets everyone in a stew. And if only it was just a couple.

I think one reason cyclists are killed is poor choices made by them. They are not always blameless.

I once saw two cyclists jump a red light at a busy junction and head the wrong way up a one way street. Many times I've seen them jump red lights at pedestrian crossings. Not all cyclists are a danger to themselves and other road users, but many are.