Bicycles on pavements - why are they not being ridden on a road?

[FinallyMovingHouse]

I've only moved to near the centre of a town in the last 6 months and hence hadn't really noticed this where I used to live, which was more rural.

Can someone tell me why it seems now to be acceptable for people; all ages from schoolkids to 60 odd, to ride their bikes on the pavements and never seem to go on a road? I was trying to explain to my youngest DD (20) how my DH and I would have been shouted at by police and pedestrians if we'd tried that 30 years ago and definitely when we were teenagers (we're mid 50s).

Many have been very polite, waiting for me to notice them and then saying thank you when I've moved for them, but I've also had bells rung at me endlessly from a distance away until right behind me or the handlebars tapped to move me out of the way on a narrow pavement. So far I've stopped myself from retaliating but I do feel an overwhelming urge to shout "get off the effing pavement" more and more.

I do appreciate that yes, the roads are dangerous etc, etc but they're making the pavements dangerous, especially when you can't see them or they're going too fast. It's also illegal.

AIBU or am I just getting old and crabby?!

So I don't know where you live but in my city there are very many shared pavements that look exactly like the pedestrian pavements they once were but are actually designated as shared. All that indicates this is the occasional blue sign about the size of a small dinner plate mounted on lampposts etc. No markings on the floor/pavements at all. I frequently get yelled at by frustrated pedestrians, but frankly it's the councils failing.....I cycle slowly in these areas and use my bell as I know most pedestrians don't have a clue they're shared.

Are there a lot of shared paths in your town op? Because in my town most paths are shared so cyclists are so used to riding on the pavement they also do it on the paths that aren't shared.
It's not a problem though because everyone is used to cyclists on pavements and cyclists and pedestrians coexist and make room for each other.

🥱 you're late to the party with that one.

We need better cycling infrastructure here.. I went to the Netherlands and it was a dream. Completely separate bike lanes on every single road, blocked off from the traffic and the pavement and totally safe all round.. if we had that it would be so much easier for everyone.. as it is, I wouldn’t feel safe advising my son to cycle on the road here. The traffic is terrifying.

Still unable to explain why there is any problem with a cyclist carefully using an empty pavement next to a busy road, especially when the home office themselves say it's fine to do.

But no, came up with some nonsense about minis using hard shoulders instead.

Yet you did respond with a whole load of nonsense about the poster saying things they had said about your analogy.

Was the OP referring to normal pavements? No matter how much you try and resist, legislation affords pedestrians, safety, on general pavements.

That guidance from Mr Boateng, issued in 1999 said: “The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so.

I know that and as I said earlier, it's an exception. Note the word "sometimes". Stretching, again.

Where are you reading that it’s an exception

sometimes means occasionally
exception means not usually allowed

And as I said, that was literally my point to start with, that I have no issue with cyclists on the pavement if it's safer for them to be there and they have consideration for pedestrians.

Poor reading comprehension, again.

My dream invention for this situation is a giant net that swoops down, picks up the offending cyclist and bike, dumps them somewhere isolated and hilly with no traffic lights.
Problem solved.

Thanks again for all the comments. To repeat, about the shared pavements/paths; I've looked very carefully at the pavements I'm talking about and they're definitely not shared - looked for signs on the pavement surface, on lamp-posts and on the road....just a pavement and no sharing at all. The pavements I'm talking about directly abut the road on 1 side and have either shops or houses on the other, so lots of unexpected appearances by pedestrians/dogs; narrow, busy and pretty central to town.