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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To walk with my bike in a pedestrian area?

63 replies

BlackBucketOfCheese · 17/02/2021 08:47

Yesterday I fell off my bike and hurt myself quite badly. I also caused some damage to my bike.

As I was fairly close to home I decided to walk the bike home. A portion of the walk home is taken up by a path which is separated for cyclists and pedestrians.

Because I was on foot I walked down the pedestrian part of the path (I also didn’t feel confident walking my bike in the cyclist section because people really whip through there on bikes) but as I turned a corner a woman walking in the other direction with her family shouted “oh bike! You’re on the wrong side!”, to which I replied “yes but I’m not riding the bike”.
I’ll spare you the details but she really laid into me and I think because I was in shock from coming off my bike, I burst into tears. Eventually a younger woman with her (I assume her daughter) had to point out the blood on my face and arm and they walked off with the original woman shouting back to me about being irresponsible.

Was I being unreasonable to push my bike in the pedestrian lane?

OP posts:
randomsabreuse · 17/02/2021 08:49

If you're walking the bike you are a pedestrian, end of.

TeaandHobnobs · 17/02/2021 08:50

Not at all unreasonable, you were walking! What an unpleasant woman. I hope you are ok today OP?

MyLittleOrangutan · 17/02/2021 08:51

You were walking, so were a pedestrian, she was a bitch.

PinkFondantFancy · 17/02/2021 08:51

Wow there are some strange angry people out there. YANBU OP, I hope you're ok

Original poster
BlackBucketOfCheese · 17/02/2021 08:52

I am ok today thank you! Broken wrist and I’ll have a scabby face in a few days but it could have been much worse.

OP posts:
sashh · 17/02/2021 08:56

The first answer is correct.

RaidersoftheLostAardvark · 17/02/2021 08:56

Actually I have less sympathy for you here- you are taking up a lot of the pedestrian side of the path with your bike. I'd also wonder if the woman had been on the receiving end of bad behaviour and verbal abuse from cyclists. As a pedestrian I would see daily examples of stupid behaviour by cyclists (like running a red light on a pedestrian crossing whilst I'm walking across) and if you say anything to a cyclist you typically get sworn at. As a result I have minimal sympathy for cyclists & don't support funding for cycle ways- so often they want pedestrians to share space and it just doesn't work. Legally pedestrians always have right of way over a cyclist, but try telling a cyclist that!

itsgettingwierd · 17/02/2021 08:59

Well your were a pedestrian.

And she's a twat!

I hope you're feeling a little better today both physically and emotionally? Thanks

NewScone · 17/02/2021 08:59

No need for her to be so rude! I hope you are ok.

I think you were fine to walk on pedestrian side. I probably would have tried to wheel my bike on the bike side and walked next to it in the people side. But then I would have got yelled at for not being in one side or the other. Please give this rude lady no more thought. Flowers

Toomanyparsnips · 17/02/2021 09:01

So what is an I hired cyclist supposed to do, since with a broken wrist and shock, she's even more vulnerable than an ordinary pedestrian? Take her chances in the bike lane and cause another accident? Of course you were in the right, there is some real anger out there at the moment. Hope you're feeling less sore today.

itsgettingwierd · 17/02/2021 09:01

@RaidersoftheLostAardvark

Actually I have less sympathy for you here- you are taking up a lot of the pedestrian side of the path with your bike. I'd also wonder if the woman had been on the receiving end of bad behaviour and verbal abuse from cyclists. As a pedestrian I would see daily examples of stupid behaviour by cyclists (like running a red light on a pedestrian crossing whilst I'm walking across) and if you say anything to a cyclist you typically get sworn at. As a result I have minimal sympathy for cyclists & don't support funding for cycle ways- so often they want pedestrians to share space and it just doesn't work. Legally pedestrians always have right of way over a cyclist, but try telling a cyclist that!
She's fallen off her bike broken her worst and had a bleeding face - and because some cyclists in the past have been twats you have no sympathy Shock

Clearly this thread shows that pedestrians are just as bad in some cases.

Perhaps try realising it's usually the people not their mode of transport that makes them an arsehole.

Original poster
BlackBucketOfCheese · 17/02/2021 09:01

Well I’ve never run a red light as a cyclist. There are undoubtedly some terrible cyclists out there, much as there are some terrible pedestrians nipping across roads and some terrible people driving cars.
I came off my bike because a car turned out of a one way road the wrong way.

If it helps the path I was walking down is a disused railway and the width of the walking area is about three times the size of a regular footpath and I kept well to one side.

OP posts:
Toomanyparsnips · 17/02/2021 09:01

FFS *an injured

wishywashywoowoo70 · 17/02/2021 09:03

You didn't do anything wrong.
She's an awful cow
Hope you're ok.

TheCovidHalfStone · 17/02/2021 09:04

Completely agree with everyone else. You are no danger to anyone walking along with your bike, you would be a nuisance in the bike lane. Hope you’re okay.

EmpressWitchDoesntBurn · 17/02/2021 09:05

I'd rather have cyclists wheeling their bikes on pavements than all the local pillocks who think it's ok to ride on them. Poor you.

ShinyHatStand · 17/02/2021 09:08

You did nothing wrong.
I had similar abuse when standing waiting at a pedestrian crossing with my bike (because I needed to walk into the train station on the other side of the road). A woman wasn't looking where she was going and walked straight into my stationary bike. I got a mouthful of abuse.
Some people just automatically assume that anyone with a bike is a twat and love the excuse to vent all their accumulated cyclist-related rage.

UnconsideredTrifles · 17/02/2021 09:12

The bike taking up space is a red herring - I took up more with my double buggy. You were walking, you were a pedestrian, she was nasty.

I hope you feel better soon!

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 17/02/2021 09:12

You were walking. Pushing a bike is no different to a pram, a wheelbarrow, a suitcase etc...

In some areas the signs specifically day cyclists dismount.. i.e. to become pedestrians.

Aprilx · 17/02/2021 09:13

@RaidersoftheLostAardvark

Actually I have less sympathy for you here- you are taking up a lot of the pedestrian side of the path with your bike. I'd also wonder if the woman had been on the receiving end of bad behaviour and verbal abuse from cyclists. As a pedestrian I would see daily examples of stupid behaviour by cyclists (like running a red light on a pedestrian crossing whilst I'm walking across) and if you say anything to a cyclist you typically get sworn at. As a result I have minimal sympathy for cyclists & don't support funding for cycle ways- so often they want pedestrians to share space and it just doesn't work. Legally pedestrians always have right of way over a cyclist, but try telling a cyclist that!
I have seen and experienced far too much poor road behaviour from cyclists to really have much sympathy left too.

However the OP, definitely did not do anything wrong in wheeling a bicycle on the pavement. People sometimes take up pavement space with other large items, or as, trolleys, suitcases etc. It happens, it is allowed.

MotherWol · 17/02/2021 09:15

I'd also wonder if the woman had been on the receiving end of bad behaviour and verbal abuse from cyclists.

That makes no sense - she might also have had bad experiences with pensioners or Asian women but it doesn’t justify yelling at anyone she sees.

As a result I have minimal sympathy for cyclists & don't support funding for cycle ways- so often they want pedestrians to share space and it just doesn't work.

The best way to keep people on bikes off the pavement is to build good cycle lanes. You sound very bitter and like you have a real problem with people for some perceived wrong.

LongDistanceClaret · 17/02/2021 09:19

You came into contact with one of the world’s arseholes. Don’t let this pathetic woman ruin any more of your thinking time. She was in the wrong. I bet she wouldn’t have said anything to you if you were a man.

roundtable · 17/02/2021 09:21

Op Flowers she was unkind.

You were fine to be walking on the pedestrian side. Her family are probably mortified by her behaviour. Hope you heal up soon.

Raiders - give it a rest with the I've seen an awful cyclist so you must be too. There are people on the other end of a screen you know. Don't take your unhappiness out on them.

AlwaysLatte · 17/02/2021 09:23

It's a shame there isn't a lane for ignorant twats. You were in the right as you were a pedestrian. It didn't help your horrible experience of falling off Thanks

Brainwave89 · 17/02/2021 09:25

Firstly I hope you are okay and recover quickly. Flowers. The lady was being ridiculous. You were walking and were a pedestrian. I know that Covid is sending us all a bit batshit, but she was off the scale.