Bicycles and scooters on pavements and shared walking spaces

[PerhapsPerhapsMaybe]

AIBU to think that scooters and bicycles on pavements is out of control and it’s time there were laws to protects pedestrians

Shared spaces for pedestrians and bicycles are not great, pedestrians walking with a dog on a lead stretching across the entire path are so dangerous. People walking in lines taking up entire soace

councils are responsible for this, it was a cheap tick box exercise and shouldn’t ever have been allowed to become the norm

Maybe so you dont make a silly right turn without looking and nearly cause an accident 😂

The issue is that in so many areas the council thinks providing cycling infrastructure is slapping up a ‘shared use’ sign on an established footpath. If you want to cycle safely on the infrastructure provided by the council you’re battling oblivious, entitled walkers - and their effing dogs - who expect you to slow down, making trying to cycle anywhere at a speed that gets you where you want to go in a practical amount of time impossible. And when you ring your bell you get a mouthful of abuse.

Kids are allowed to cycle and scoot on the pavements. E-scooters and illegally modified e-bikes need to be confiscated and destroyed en masse. And no adult should be cycling on a pavement ever.

Exactly.

If the space is shared there needs to be a line down the middle of the footpath. One half for bikes and the other for cyclists. So many people walk 2 abreast taking up the entire footpath. And dogs and people walking with headphones need to be banned from them.

not forgetting the mobility scooters, many seem determined to cause an accident.

Doesn’t make any difference if a line is painted, a dog doesn’t understand what the line means and lines along with markings fade

presumably the dog is with an owner and on a lead

People need to be able to walk 2 abreast/able to pass, surely we shouldn't all be walking single file. It is annoying enough to have to go single file to pass bins, parked cars, overgrown hedges. If trying to control a child you want to be able to hold hands with them. There are so many footpaths here that are room for single file only for the reasons above and it just results in people walking on the road.

Decent cycle lanes are the answer but car drivers hate those.

I have been nearly taken out twice with my daughter on the school run with e-scooters on the pavement.

Also, school run: too many kids on scooters and bikes whilst the parents just amble along, oblivious to what their child is doing.

FYI I do have children but they have always been told to be respectful when they used them and not think that they had the right of way because they used the bell.

Sorry

I’m convinced that cyclists rejoice in finding the most inconvenient places to cycle and to leave the fucking things.

We have cycle lanes coming out of our ears round here.

Cyclists treat them as challenge to try as hard as possible to avoid using them.

As long as they are slow, don't ride on busy pavements, get off at corners and are aware of people who may not be able to hear well then it doesn't bother me.

As a pedestrian I would rather people cycle sensibly on footpaths (keep active, eco friendly) than risk their lives on our roads. Mind you, as most of our lazy town need a car to do even a 1m trip it's usually just a tiny handful of us using our legs and a few others on bikes so the footpaths aren't busy. Most of them are driving everywhere. I would never cycle on a road, just the quiet footpaths.

If they are using wheeled transport, that is exactly where they should be.

So you think a 5 year old on a scooter should be on the road? You’re crazy.

They are totally oblivious

Not on shared use paths. If it’s shared, you share. If you want to walk 2 abreast or walk with a dog, use a different path.

Children are allowed to ride non electric scooters on pavements unless there are local bylaws preventing it, I have no objection to children riding cycles on pavements if there is no one around. I always told my children to dismount and push their cycle if they met any pedestrians.
I have told this story a couple of times on here before:
I was walking along the pavement at the start of a long country walk and had a walking pole with me. I always take a walking pole as I am scared of uncontrolled dogs that jump up at me. This pavement was narrow and a cyclist cycled fast towards me, expecting me to jump out of his way into the road. Up went my pole. Walking poles have a metal point at the end and the cyclist came to a screeching halt, nearly coming off his cycle.
Then followed a row about why he expected me to get out of his way. Needless to say I stood my ground and he had to get on the road.

All the pavements in my town are shared use paths and its not an issue at all, people get out of each other's way without fuss and both cycling and walking are very popular, in all age groups. Some e scooters but not as many as there used to be, not enough to be an issue (unlike in the cities where they have the hire ones, those are a problem) though I don't like them myself.

What helps is having paths that are truly wide enough and people being careful and courteous on all sides.

It’s the cyclists who are dangerous for the pedestrians. The cyclists are the wheeled ones.

I agree that’s it’s a cheap way for the councils to add cycling lanes and to squeeze pedestrian spaces into oblivion.

totally disagree with this opinion

pedestrians should be walking 2 abreast and not single file. Cyclists should be mindful of people using a shared path in much the same way id like motorists to be aware of cyclists using a road

shared paths could be segregated - just like cyclists want segregation form drivers with bollards etc and made wide enough to be social

I'm torn on this one. Parents can't win can they? Drive your child to school you'll be criticised for clogging up the road. Put a 5 year old in a pushchair you'll be criticised for babying them. Get them on a scooter or bike, someone still wants to criticise.

Cyclists also can't win re bells. Ring your bell, you're called aggressive. Don't ring your bell, you're told off for sneaking up on them.

My kids cycled to school from reception onwards, and when they were old enough on the road (supervised). Part of the route is a path which is for bikes/pedestrians. The pedestrians used to drive me mad. I know people don't have eyes in the back of their heads but there are also lots of people who are on their phones or otherwise very unaware of their surroundings. Dithering about all over the path rather than waking in a straight line. Allowing a dog to walk miles away on a stretchy lead, or not on a lead at all, just wandering around. Sometimes I'd be there with 3 kids and me on bikes (going so slowly we'd nearly fall off) and people would look round and see us and still not move or tell their kids to move out of the way. People say bikes are going too fast but maybe as they aren't bike riders they are unaware it's actually very hard to cycle at walking pace, it's the speed that keeps you upright. Also one of the reasons for cycling is it's faster than walking!

I'd say there are inconsiderate cyclists, inconsiderate parents of kids on scooters, inconsiderate dog owners, inconsiderate pedestrians. Maybe everyone just needs to think about other people more in shared spaces.

And if you don't have kids and are able to avoid walking places at school run time you'll be saved a lot of stress.

If a cyclist wants to use a shared path then they ought to slow down and show consideration.

Or fuck off to the road.

It’s the height of cycling hypocrisy - they love shared paths because they feel safer there but don’t give a flying fuck that they endanger the pedestrians using the path.

The problem for me is that, in Bristol, £££'s are spent on cyclists. Cycle lanes everywhere, a whole lane of the a38, as far as Thornbury, taken for a cycle lane, costing god knows how much.
And they still cycle like dicks. No lights, crossing red lights, cycling on pavements.

Put a 5 year old in a pushchair you'll be criticised for babying them

id much rather see an older child in a pushchair than stuck in the back of a car and have made myself think this when I have seen it. Plus they can run and walk much easier part of the way if they choose. Youre more likely to stop a a park on the way home

back of a car is really very unhealthy and the pollution will do long term damage, many people don't understand the risk of this and that later life lung problems for children born today and in the last 20 years will be very prevalent