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

Drivers are arrested every day for road traffic offences. Made to sit in the back of the van for jumping a red. If they drove at pedestrians on a pavement there could even be an armed police response. Cyclists make it scary to be outside in a way cars don't.

I've never driven a car so I have no bias in favour of drivers.

I agree! Just because cyclists don’t feel safe on the roads, doesn’t mean they should be pushed into pedestrians’ space.

There needs to be proper infrastructure for cyclists, not a patch job of bits of the pavement taken up.

It would help if pedestrians didn't walk in clearly demarcated cycle lanes, or take over the entire pavement on shared routes including by having their poorly controlled dog on a long lead.

Oddly people with young children are more predictable. As young children are known to randomly walk or run out.

Not long go, Hilda Griffiths, aged 81, regents park. Cyclist hit her, faced no punishments at all, she died a couple months after being hit.

If enough drivers jump a red light they just put a camera on it to collect fines.

The police are too busy doing other things.

I'm sure the overall percentages are minor but there are untaxed & unregistered vehicles on the roads.

There are very few pavements where I live and very rarely see anyone cycling on them apart from under 12 kids riding without an adult or learning.

We do have quite a few cyclists on the road though for commuting and probably mainly leisure/fitness. So there are more problems with car drivers than pedestrians.

If cyclists bleat that they don't feel safe on the roads, the answer is not to cycle on them. The roads were not designed for cyclists.

Surely it isn't acceptable for them to take over our pavements and knock us down on them?

@Reugny ”take over the entire pavement on shared routes including by having their poorly controlled dog on a long lead.”

Oh no not people walking their dogs on a lead on footpaths!!! How dare they!!

I live next to a lovely footpath and on more than one occasion have had some middle aged bloke f-ing and blinding because they’ve had to slightly slow down to avoid colliding with me and my dog.

IMO in a shared space cyclists should be going very slowly. If they want go fast and without pedestrians (and their dogs), they should cycle on the road.

It's inexplicable. They act like they have more rights than a blind person does to safely navigate their way to the nearest shop.

That isn't quite the whole story.

Witnesses state she walked out in front of the cyclist not giving him sufficient time to brake and stop.

All wheeled vehicles have a stopping distance.

And pedestrians always, always come first. The other cyclists with him did manage to avoid her. He didn't bother.

Actually roads are designed for horse riders, horse drawn carriages, pedestrians , cyclists, scooter riders, skaters and skateboarders.

As none of these methods of getting around need a license.

Me again. I am a non driver so walk a lot. I think generally though some pedestrians and car drivers are not aware of the rules or don't think. I noticed if I cross a road that goes off from a big island, quite a few people don't indicate or do it last minute. Helps me judge if I can cross or not. Also I work near a big college and big road to cross there with a pelican crossing. Makes me laugh as some of the students just stand there on their phone and don't even think you need to push the button or they just take the risk and go.

Maybe if cyclists paid a tax, there would be better infrastructure. My DH is a keen cyclist so I'm not being one sided.

So you admit being a menace to other people on foot with your long lead?

Yes other people walk faster than you or are going in the opposite direction and your long lead is a danger.

The electric bikes are terrifying. They really should be treated the same as mopeds as they travel just as fast.

Cyclists like other road users pay taxes that are used on the roads.

They are mopeds if they go over approximately 15mph however the police are generally to busy to deal with them.

So just screw the planet then?

I agree with you about delivery cyclists OP and yes there are some bad cyclists out there but not all.

Whenever I get public transport to work and walk the last 20 mins, I very rarely encounter problems with cyclists but every single day I cycle to work there are idiot pedestrians who cause problems, not just to me but other road users.

Step into roads without looking, usually on their phones
Cross the roads on pedestrian red lights when road users have the green light
Walking on cycle lanes, not shared paths but designated cycle lanes
Have a go at cyclists who are stopped at red lights, telling them it’s a red light and they have to stop. Whilst they are stationary!
Not keeping their dogs and children close by on shared paths or near cycle lanes

They don't pay a specific tax for their vehicle, and you know it.
I'm sick of people saying that because cyclists pay taxes, that somehow absolves them from having to tax their own vehicles.

Imagine if car drivers said that! There would be an uproar.

Oh lord, not this old chestnut again.

Statistically, cyclists don't kill people. Motorists do.

Ditto x 10 - groups of pedestrian tourists in Oxford!

I was wondering when someone would bring out this old chestnut.