To be sick of cyclists making pedestrians feel unsafe

[OptimismvsRealism]

Life is so much worse than it was ten years ago in cities precisely because of this

I think it's exactly the same as it was ten years ago.

Cyclists have always shown entitled behaviour.

Pedestrians have been run over on crossings when cyclists go through red lights and fail to stop.

Also, there are shared pavements, where pedestrians are in great danger.

I honestly don't think it's any worse than ten years ago.

It’s worse now with just eat and deliveroo cyclists. They have electric bikes and just whizz by on the pavement with no regard for safety.

I agree it’s incredibly annoying.

Everywhere, people are cycling on the pavements.

Even worse - now people are on motorised vehicles on the pavements, electric bikes and scooters. Often going quite quickly.

I have a dog and young child and it makes it far more dangerous.

I also daily see cyclists running red lights etc.

The issue is that there are zero consequences for it, so it has become normalised.

I am frankly terrified of cyclists, when I am a pedestrian or a driver. They swerve in and out through traffic and where I live lots of them have carts on the front for young children to travel. I find their unpredictability just terrifying, and I know as a driver I will always be blamed if I clip them, even though they often turn without notice or wobble on to the lane.

Just had an altercation with one who tried to cycle past me on the pavement. He insisted it isn't illegal to cycle on the pavement (it still is). Classic middle class arsehole trying to make out I was the unreasonable one for asking him not to "it's a SUNDAY morning" in that enraging patronising tone. Day. Ruined.

I cycle to work every day. 18 miles a round trip. I don’t ride on pavements. I always stop at red lights because I’d quite like to live. I’m sick of feeling unsafe thanks to inconsiderate drivers who feel it’s necessary to jump red lights as I am trying to turn right at a junction leaving me stranded in the road facing oncoming traffic. I’m sick of stupid inconsiderate pedestrians who walk in a world of their own wearing AirPods who are completely unaware of my existence, have music on too loud to hear my bell, don’t keep their dogs on a lead and step out in front of me because “sorry mate I didn’t see you”.

Just thought I’d even things up a bit. We’re all trying to get somewhere.

I also daily see cyclists running red lights

Yes. But the pro-cyclists brigade will be along soon to claim that only 1% of cyclists run red lights, when we all know that it's really 99% of them.

I was waiting on a public path at a side of a layby once for a lift when got off at vilage station. Cars pulling on and off. Husband pulled on so I walked forward. Obviously didn't look to left to see if a bike was coming on the path. It was. She slightly hit me with it and fell off and nearly hit a big posh car. Had the cheek to shout at me. Few people told her it was her fault. The best thing was a week later it was the same time and she was on thr path again and stopped and told me her bike cost her 100.00 to get fixed and I was liable. Also me being in the way could have caused more damage to the car she nearly hit. I did rta claims then so knew I wasn't. Cheeky cow. Had a bit of a row with her. Never once asked how I was. Told her she was lucky I wasn't suing her. For about 6 months I saw her randomly still driving fast along the path.

Pedestrians come first. Some of us are deaf or visually impaired. Even without that it's hard to sense a cycle coming compared to a normal vehicle. If you can see a pedestrian anywhere you should be ready to stop.

(I discovered recently that in Germany pedestrians can be fined for not giving right of way to cyclists and Germany is on my wtf never going back there list now)

Of course there are people on bikes that are nuts and entitled but IMO we have become too accustomed to people driving cars aggressively and without thought for anyone else.

I cross a road every day and have to stand and wait at traffic lights. I guarantee that it's a very very unusual day when cars don't speed through the lights at red when they should be stopping for pedestrians.

@treacledan71 you can't come on here and have a go at female cyclists it's not allowed!

😂
Btw all my issues have been with female cyclists on push bikes. I think male cyclists are automatically afraid of running over a child, whether on a bike or not, if there are witnesses. Deliveroo and Uber riders bikes are mainly illegal mopeds.

Helmets road tax blah blah.

You must have an issue with electric cars also.

Lots move around with no noise and if you don't look carefully will run you over.

I was walking near King’s Cross station in London yesterday, and was crossing the road with a few other people at the green light when two men came whizzing straight through us at top speed on their bikes, which I think were electric, so they couldn’t stop easily.

One of the cyclists just shouted ‘sorry!’ at us as he passed, which I thought was awful - it came across as a non-apology apology, because by speeding right through our group, it seemed like he just didn’t care at all about the rights of pedestrians to cross the road safely or about possibly injuring us. Luckily no one was hurt.

I do find them dangerous but... Car drivers tend to respect their responsibilities more than cyclists. Cyclists think they can do what they like.

I know your post wasn’t directed at me, but it’s much easier to spot a car on the road than a cyclist as they’re obviously much bigger, and there’s also no risk of them coming up behind you, out of nowhere, along the pavement and knocking you over.

I am so unbelievably sick of people cycling (and using e-scooters) on pavements - often these are able bodied, fit young men and women who are perfectly bloody capable of cycling on a road. Some are relatively careful, but some just weave in and out of pedestrians on the pavement at speed and are really bloody dangerous.

Groups of pedestrians in central London are annoying.

They think they own the road. They do not get out of the way for other pedestrians let alone check their own safety around other types of traffic.

Tell that to the Audi I saw driving down a shared cycle lane/ pavement at at least 10mph over the speed limit

We were crossing at a green light, which is exactly what we were supposed to do. What else should we have done? I get that pedestrians can sometimes be annoying, but we were doing exactly what we should have been in this situation.

Difference between the Audi and a cyclist is that the Audi is registered and the driver can be held to account. Cyclists make my life frightening and unsafe and absolutely nothing will happen to them even if they break my bones or kill me.

No it isn't on side streets with haphazard parking.

Some electric car drivers oddly mostly Uber drivers don't care who they have a bear miss with.

Nothing happens to most drivers either.

As the standard used is compared to other drivers. So if they have a good solicitor...

I'm not a cyclist but I think we do need a better infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians. Cycle networks and lanes are badly connected and dangerously combined with traffic or pedestrian routes in many places. We'd be a much cleaner, healthier and connected society if we invested more in pathways and cycle routes than roads.

A deliveroo cyclists came out of a little Tesco car park the other day and almost hit my little dog who was on his lead just about a foot in front of me. Yet it's my fault for walking on the pavement and not his for not minding where he's going.

Tbf, it's has ever been thus.
I have a memory of walking as a child and almost being knocked into the road by a man on one of the 'racers' with the curly handlebars. I remember it because it reminded me of a Bulls Horns. That was 30+ years ago.