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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:
Minnie16889 · 17/02/2021 09:27

There is absolutely nothing wrong with what you did, it certainly was not safe for you to walk along the cycle lane.
Hope you are okay and take it easy Flowers

FrancesHaHa · 17/02/2021 09:28

Of course you were in the right. If you'd walked in the cycle lane you'd have been in the way of cyclists and caused more issues as they'd have to swerve round you. You were clearly a pedestrian.

Just think that this was all about her issues and forget about it if you can.

Rubyupbeat · 17/02/2021 09:29

Oh wow, you poor thing, hope you heal quickly.
I feel you were a pedestrian in this case, and would have caused a Jane in the cycle lane.
This woman really over reacted in how she treated you, but......there are some , many in fact, really horrible cyclists out there, who are abusive and careless, I wonder if she had been on the receiving end of one before.
I am a driver and a keen cyclist, I have seen many a mean cyclist, even abuse aimed at other cyclists.

PattyPan · 17/02/2021 09:30

YADNBU - if you’re walking then you’re a pedestrian and you belong on the pedestrian side! Her behaviour was totally uncalled for. Hope your injuries heal quickly Flowers

Rubyupbeat · 17/02/2021 09:30

Jam not jane

Cam2020 · 17/02/2021 09:35

You were fine to be there as you were walking with your bike.

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.

But bloody hell, that miserable woman must have seen you'd had an accident and still decided to have a go? She must have a happy life!! She was unreasonable and some.

GreenlandTheMovie · 17/02/2021 09:37

The woman sounds like a nutcase. There's no nerd for her to act like a juvenile delinquent because she sees something that annoys her. Any normap person would have recognised that you were visibly injured. Perhaps the other people recognised her due to her behavioural problems and moved her away from the situation?

The British hate cyclists. Because exercise is so alien to many of them, some if them automatically associate anyone on a bike with being a thug. Rather than it being an occasional thug who was riding a bike at the time.

JofraArchersFastestBall · 17/02/2021 09:38

You were a pedestrian, she was a knob. Hope you're feeling better soon and you don't have the misfortune to run into that miserable person again any time soon.,

Covidcorvid · 17/02/2021 09:39

I think the best response to this would have been "fuck off twat". There's no point trying to reason/explain with idiots. Hope you feel better soon.

FourTeaFallOut · 17/02/2021 09:44

Yanbu. What a horrible woman, I bet her dd was mortified by her batshit behaviour. Hope your wrist heals quickly, op.

Nnameechanged · 17/02/2021 09:50

YANBU, yes there are many inconsiderate cyclists out there, but we wouldn't judge all pedestrians on her behaviour (luckily). You did the right thing, it's even more bizarre that she looked right past your obvious injuries. I hope you're feeling better soon, and that the woman feels ashamed when she (hopefully) realises how rude and pointlessly aggressive she was.

Mochudubh · 17/02/2021 09:51

You were right, she was the arsehole.

To be honest, most of my walk to work (in normal times) is along a wide, split pedestrian and cycle path but the pedestrian bit is closest to the main road so I often walk on the far edge of the cycle path, closest to the verge.

I've never been shouted at by a cyclist because I'm not an arsehole and I always stay right at the edge out of the way of cyclists but it annoys me that the Council set the pavement out that way as it's proven that emissions are higher nearest the road so why force pedestrians to walk there rather than cyclists who will be there for less time?

ScrapThatThen · 17/02/2021 09:56

People who have a go at other people have their own issues, often they are reactive because of their own negative life experiences, it gives them a temporary kick or release laying into someone when they spot a perceived threat or someone 'transgressing' the rules, but having worked with them they often feel remorseful later or when they gain more insight into their reactiveness. She was horrible, you were in the right.

girlofnow · 17/02/2021 09:57

Some people are just aggressive bullies that need to take their inadequacy out on others. There's no point trying to understand her point of view about why it was ok to shout at you because most reasonable, kind people wouldn't understand. I hope that you are ok.

Cam2020 · 17/02/2021 10:07

The British hate cyclists. Because exercise is so alien to many of them, some if them automatically associate anyone on a bike with being a thug.

Oh seriously!! Angry

IEat · 17/02/2021 10:10

The world is fucking mental. The shit you had to put up with beggars belief

PickAChew · 17/02/2021 10:12

Our council is into shared footpaths and cycle paths and I hate them. I have every sympathy for op, though. And her bike was taking up the space on the footpath that is required for social distancing, anyhow, so is hardly a problem.

Boxtroll · 17/02/2021 10:23

It sounds like the woman has some issues! Unfortunately over opinionated twats like her don't have the capacity to reflect on their own actions or behaviour.

You were walking, not riding the bike. You did nothing wrong.

ellenpartridge · 17/02/2021 10:25

You haven't done anything wrong here. Hope you're feeling a bit better now.

Original poster
BlackBucketOfCheese · 17/02/2021 15:36

Thank you all for your replies!

OP posts:
RightOnTheEdge · 17/02/2021 15:48

Oh OP you poor thing! What a rotten thing to happen.
You did nothing wrong and she was a total arsehole.
It's really sad that you met the wrong person instead of someone normal who might ask if you are OK and need any help.

I don't care what kind of experience she might have had previously with cyclists it gives her no right at all to be so vile.
I can't believe some people are trying to excuse her behaviour.

I hope your ok now and are being kind to yourself Flowers

Glitterblue · 17/02/2021 15:52

You were right, and she was awful to have a go at you, especially when you were visibly hurt! It all sounds very painful, I hope you are OK Flowers

TooMuchYarn · 17/02/2021 15:54

You should not be in the cycle lane if you not cycling. She wasn't just a twat, she was wrong. Hope you are OK.

BlackeyedSusan · 17/02/2021 16:00

You came into contact with two twats in on day. Hope you get well soon.

goochface · 17/02/2021 16:03

I saw a cyclist at the weekend riding on the pavement and as they approached two pedestrians they started furiously ringing their bell

Obviously they didn't realise bikes aren't meant to be ridden on the pavement. I've raised it with a few cyclists in the past when I've been out with dd in the pram. You just get this glazed over look. Deadhead springs to mind