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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To let DC cycle in a ‘no cycling’ park?

198 replies

RaisinFlapjack · 20/05/2021 15:38

Our school run (of 1 mile) takes us through a park which has a no cycling policy. Until recently DC have scooted, but eldest (6) has recently started to prefer cycling.

Lots of small children ride trikes etc through the park and it’s not at all uncommon to see older children on bikes too.

So..do I let DC cycle through the park in contravention of the ‘no cycling’ policy, tell them they have to scoot or take the long way round on the road, avoiding the park, so they can cycle?

OP posts:
UnlimitedChipsAndSalsa · 20/05/2021 22:11

@Ohdeariedear

If it says no cycling then it’s no cycling. If you let your child cycle, you’re just teaching them that they don’t have to follow any rules that don’t suit.
Yes, exactly! It's a no cycling park, not a no-cycling-unless-you-really-want-to park.
Thislittlefinger123 · 20/05/2021 23:06

Fair enough if pp say scooters wouldn't be included in a no cycling ban. I was putting them in the the wheeled self propelled vehicle category (and thinking that older children going at speed on scooters are not different to bikes) but happy to be corrected.

I still think YABU OP, if the rule is no cycling it's a terrible message to give your children to ignore it. If the council don't want the policy they'd cancel it surely?

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 20/05/2021 23:16

It's the same as a pavement. Big difference between adults cycling at full pelt and children learning.

Teach them to be respectful... Watching for pedestrians, dismounting if busy, and not squeezing past people.

^^
I agree with this.

Purpleweeks · 20/05/2021 23:25

I think a 5 year old cycling through a park is less dangerous than a 10 year old or over. However if you let them cycle at 5 at some point you will have to rescind that permission, so to avoid confusing them, I would keep to the rules.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 21/05/2021 04:37

@NewMatress

So it's never OK to question a rule or those in authority?

No women aren't allowed to vote
Jews must wear a yellow star
Gay sex is against the law....

I'm not saying a rule should always be broken if it doesn't suit us but it must be OK to question it, to ask people to consider changing it, to drive change if necessary.

Don’t be ridiculous! None of these are comparable to a no cycling in the park rule.
picturesandpickles · 21/05/2021 05:34

@mogsrus

its a good idea to teach your children that absolutely nothing whatsoever matters in your world,disobey everything is ok.
Agree, will probably become cannibals if allowed to cycle slowly in the park as a child. Must be very careful. This is how society fully breaks down.
NewMatress · 21/05/2021 05:54

Don’t be ridiculous! None of these are comparable to a no cycling in the park rule.

Of course they're not, but if children (people) are taught that authority and rules are never to be challenged, at what point do they start challenging?

picturesandpickles · 21/05/2021 06:15

@NewMatress

Don’t be ridiculous! None of these are comparable to a no cycling in the park rule.

Of course they're not, but if children (people) are taught that authority and rules are never to be challenged, at what point do they start challenging?

Yes this, the UK is policed by consent. What this means is we support the laws and the police enforce the laws. We are allowed to disagree/disobey and suffer the consequences.

I'm always intrigued by how authoritarian people are on threads like this, I don't know many people like this in real life.

bigdecisionstomake · 21/05/2021 06:18

@RaisinFlapjack

Well...just had a hunt online to see if there were any indications that our local council might change their policy, and there is are response from them to lobbying to remove the no cycling policy that says they “exercise discretion in enforcing the policy” and “don’t intend it to apply to young children”. So there you go, sounds sensible.
Let's hope the council have very clearly communicated that to all the vulnerable people choosing to walk in the park believing that they are safe to do so because it is a 'no cycling' area and there isn't a problem if they are unable to hear a bike bell behind them or move quickly out of the way if needed.

I have no issue at all with cycling in parks but there are some people who make deliberate decisions regarding their own safety to walk only in areas that are designated 'no cycling' so if an area is clearly signed as such then pedestrians should be able to rely on that being the case.

If the council change their mind about that then that's fine but it needs to be clearly communicated to everyone using the area, not just people 'hunting online' to find a get out for their precious little darlings.

rwalker · 21/05/2021 06:19

I'm very confused why you started this thread .
You have no problem thinking rules don't apply to you so highly unlikely to take advice from anyone that doesn't agree with you

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 21/05/2021 07:03

@NewMatress

Don’t be ridiculous! None of these are comparable to a no cycling in the park rule.

Of course they're not, but if children (people) are taught that authority and rules are never to be challenged, at what point do they start challenging?

You can challenge rules in the correct way. Start a petition, contact the council requesting a change, speak to your MP... You don’t teach your children to just do whatever the fuck they like if they don’t agree with the rules. Especially when those rules are about keeping others safe and don’t infringe on your own human rights. Cycling in a park? Not a right.
Original poster
RaisinFlapjack · 21/05/2021 07:31

@rwalker

I'm very confused why you started this thread . You have no problem thinking rules don't apply to you so highly unlikely to take advice from anyone that doesn't agree with you
You’re assuming I’ve taken nothing from this, but I’ve learnt that a lot of people take a much more black and white view than me on such rules and that’s influenced my thinking.

It helps that I know the park in question - there’s plenty of places where I wouldn’t doubt that ‘no cycling’ is intended to extend to all - I wouldn’t dream of taking a kids bike to, say, a national trust ornamental gardens that bans bike, for example.

However it’s clear from any visit to this particular park that ‘small children on wheels’ is completely normal (and I’ve verified that the council are happy with that). I do think we’re probably reaching the age when he’s not much longer a ‘small child on wheels’ and the ‘no cycling’ rule applies.

OP posts:
Original poster
RaisinFlapjack · 21/05/2021 07:40

As for teaching my kids that it’s ok to ignore rules.

I’d rather teach them a bit of critical thinking about why rules exist and what they’re intended to achieve.

I don’t think it’s particularly helpful to teach him that “no cycling means no cycling at all and all these families with little kids on trikes are terrible people”.

I’d rather teach him that “it says no cycling because there isn’t enough space for it to be safe for big people to ride their bikes here, but it’s ok for small children to learn to ride here as long as they are very careful and don’t get in other people’s way. When you get a big bike we will have to choose your scooter if you want to come through the park, because you aren’t learning any more.”

OP posts:
notanothertakeaway · 21/05/2021 07:50

OP - AIBU?

MN - Yes

OP - one person agreed with me, I'm in the right, you're all muppets for following the rules and encouraging your children to do the same

DifferentHair · 21/05/2021 07:53

Lol, it's ok everyone- OP is just much smarter than us 'black and white' thinkers due to her superior critical thinking skills.

Glad we sorted that.

PyjamaFan · 21/05/2021 07:58

Oh my God!

Why did you post for advice and opinions OP? You are clearly of superior intelligence to the rest of us and are going to ignore what everyone else thinks.

Grin
Thatisnotwhatisaid · 21/05/2021 08:00

Most parks are not against bicycles so there’s a clear reason this one is. Get off and push the bike.

NewMatress · 21/05/2021 08:08

@Thatisnotwhatisaid

Most parks are not against bicycles so there’s a clear reason this one is. Get off and push the bike.
No necessarily. Our park had been no cycling for decades, just because that's how parks were in the 1950s. Now cycling is seen as a good and necessary thing, they've changed it. .

The "reason" could be that no one's thought the change it. OP shouldn't just bend the rules to suit her, but if it's safe to have adults on scooters (which this park encourages by providing them) it must be safe to cycle and the council could/should be asked to consider changing the rule as part of their transport/environment strategy.

UpTheJunktion · 21/05/2021 08:12

This lockdown winter has made me HATE cyclists in parks.

But I mean the Lycra Menace, not 6 year olds.

It is such a shame that grown men hurtling along paths in parks at speeds over 25 mph lead to small children not being able to ride little bikes in parks.

Twickerhun · 21/05/2021 08:15

Oh thanks for filling me in on your critical thinking skills op. I’m glad you’ve taken away that I am black and white and you have a better approach. Good to be put back in my place. Thank you for this learning experience.

majesticallyawkward · 21/05/2021 08:19

@RaisinFlapjack

Does everyone who says a blanket ‘no’ think that young children shouldn’t cycle on pavements full stop?
Yes, I find most parents are equally entitled and oblivious to any dangers when their dc are cycling and fail to teach them basic safety and courtesy.

If children are taught to ride properly and safely I wouldn't have an issue with it, but every day I see so many cycling dangerously. I walk my dd to school and almost everyday the same family of mum and 2 dc (massive bikes and no helmets) fly round corners on the pavement and almost hit people walking then shout that people are in their way. They've come so close to colliding with my 5yo and an elderly lady who lives on a corner. It's the same if we go to the park, kids from 4/5 to teens race around without a second thought for anyone else and have caused real injuries.

Cyclists jumping between pavement and road without looking before, no helmets or safety gear, ignoring cycling paths and using pedestrian only areas, not signalling or giving way where they should. 2 different cyclists have ridden into my car in the last 6 months.

Bike should be kept for appropriate places, a no cycling park is not an appropriate place.

NewMatress · 21/05/2021 08:20

@UpTheJunktion

This lockdown winter has made me HATE cyclists in parks.

But I mean the Lycra Menace, not 6 year olds.

It is such a shame that grown men hurtling along paths in parks at speeds over 25 mph lead to small children not being able to ride little bikes in parks.

Really? Are there lots of "proper" cyclists in parks? It's really not where they'd chose to cycle. The ones that annoy me are family groups with adult bikes travelling at the pace of the 6yo and filling the entire path.
NewMatress · 21/05/2021 08:20

Where are children supposed to learn if not on the pavement and not in the park?

dottiedodah · 21/05/2021 08:34

Surely if it says "No Cycling" its for a reason! Trouble is you do it ,then parent B sees you ,thinks well I can do it as well and so on. Next thing park is closed off as above PP says . Surely you can walk with bike? There is a field near us and says "No Dogs" so obv dont take my dog there .So many people say well its OK in the evening .No one there! (Near a Nursery you see) So what is the point of all these signs then?

Beamur · 21/05/2021 08:42

Apologies, haven't rtft.
Is there maybe a design or layout here that could be introduced?
The fact that there are no cycling signs yet this yet this is obviously a good route to school seems to me that another approach would be to see if the Council could do something to make it safer for all users?
Getting kids to school without being driven is incredibly important for their future health as well as air pollution..
I'm aware of a park near where I used to live that did exactly that. There was a blanket no cycling rule. But there's a brilliant link through the park (to a high school too) which was an obvious cycle route. It can now be used by cyclists, on this route, but not everywhere in the park.
Rules can be changed.