Was I being unreasonable, footpath vs cycle path

[NinaPersson]

I was out running earlier , we have lots of footpaths through our villages which is great as can usually avoid crossing main roads on my circuit. Most of the footpaths have parallel cycle lanes.

A large group of cyclists then come towards me crossing paths. They are cycling 3 abreast and encroaching the footpath. I moved over as far as I could but they were not leaving me much room so I put my arms out and shouted move over to your side.

They seem oblivious to other path users, and entitled. Are they allowed to do this?

Picture of path included. It’s not very even and have to be careful with footing. The section I was in had a flooded grass verge so if I’d have gone into there I would have ruined my trainers and not been able to carry on

YANBU. Did they object to your request?

They should have moved over, but some people are oblivious and / or dickish whichever mode of transport they’ve opted to use. It’s not something I dwell on: as a walker and runner I occasionally have to dodge cyclists on footpaths, as a cyclist I often see groups of people walking in a line across a cycle path - often letting their children play on them seemingly unaware of the danger.

No, everyone should stay their side of the line. It only works when people respect the line, cyclists and pedestrians alike.

Entitled, rude, ignorant.

Path etiquette can be really bad in some places. Where I live the vast majority of people know that when there's a central line like this, you keep on your side and do not cross it. The same way you wouldn't randomly drive down the wrong side of the road or straddling both lanes.

In other places you'll see groups of cyclists encroaching on the other lane, people with dogs and kids wandering all over the path, people walking straight down the middle of the path looking at their phones. It's like they don't realise that everything will be much nicer for everyone if people behave in a standard and predictable way.

I'm a cyclist and a stickler for staying in the correct lane. Other cyclists piss me off the most because we're going at speed and we know that we're the ones who need to slow down and give way and make space for the simple reason that we're in a far greater position to cause injury to others and ourselves if we ride like dickheads. They were being dicks, OP. It takes a second to just 'slow your roll' and take a little time to be a decent, respectful rider. But I'm in London where the cycle lanes are usually The Asshole Express. Box bikes are a menace to society because those cyclists have the London Land Rover mentality of "My bike's bigger, it costs more, and my children are perfect. I have every right to mow you down."

They didn’t move over. They were probably too fast to react.