Earl Aelfheah

Well it's clear that it's just me that cyclists don't want to share the pavement with. I don't know whether to be glad, or whether to feel offended.

... although it does depend on where you shop, of course.

Then you may be arrested for riding your dirt bike on the pavement, but the charges will be dropped later. Page 22 of the Highway Code, paragraph 26.4

So we're all agreed that if you've been to Eton you may drive a quad bike through the isles of Iceland?

I have only once been knocked down by a rampaging aristocrat, but twice felt queasy after a double decker frozen pizza.

Well to be fair, some of those Iceland meals are probably more dangerous than a psychopathic Lord on a Lambretta. Louisa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The ironic thing is - and this is my point. A poor > lord, down on his luck, riding through the streets > of ED on a lambretta (probably borrowed as he's > poor) would be less likely to be stopped by the > law than a working class person minding their own > business walking down LL holding a couple of > Iceland bags, purely based on the fact they would > look more dodgy to the powers that be than the > crazy psycho lord speeding along the pavement. > Does that make sense? > > Louisa.

So should the Lord down on his luck be riding his dirt bike on the pavement, or on the road? Does the Highway Code cover any of this? It's so complicated.

If they work in a junior administrative position, in an office, then I applaud their behaviour - as although they don't have a lot of money, I consider them to be 'white collar' and therefore beyond reproach. They're probably just blowing off steam and who can really condemn a little hi-jinx. If however, these motorcyclists work in the building trade, perhaps own their own firm / earn a six figure salary, I abhor such recklessness on the public carriageways. Clearly their blue collar occupation makes their actions quite reprehensible. Or... maybe it excuses them, they are after all victims of their own circumstance and society's class prejudice. I am so confused. What if they were born into money but subsequently lost it all - do we give them a bike and encourage them to run over a banker with it or not?

... I'm not saying which I think it is.

... or there is some exaggeration going on.

Louisa - I don't doubt that it happens, but 5 or 6 times a week? If that's the norm then I must have some remarkable bike repelling properties I was hitherto unaware of - or I have just been incredibly lucky not to have run into these bike thugs, against apparently incredible odds....

Nice friendly EDF reaction to a perfectly reasonable post.

Fair enough, I can't speak to your personal experience, but it just seems incredible that you are being passed so regularly on the pavements. Does it always happen in the same spots? Maybe there is some reason that it is happening in specific locations? If it's all over, then I would worry you're being stalked and it may actually be the same person each time.

I ran around 400 miles in the last 12 months, almost exclusively on south London / central London streets. This is just those runs that have been recorded (using a Nike+ device), so could be more. In addition I walk, a lot. In all this time and over hundreds of miles, I can say honestly that I have not once been passed on the pavement by a cyclist. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but 5/6 times a week or more?! It just seems to stretch the bounds of probability.

Nigello are you sure you're not in fact walking in the road?

Nigello Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It happens at least twice a week to me in and > around SE22/SE15 and at least once a week when I > am in W1, WC1 etc. Perhaps I walk about too much > and should stay in, leaving the pavements for the > cyclists? I walk and run around London a lot. I just can't believe that you have cyclists pass you on the pavement twice a week.

ultraburner Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Oh ferchrise sake, does every thread on this forum > here have to descend into petty > socio-politico-class clash-commentary bollocks? ^this

...possibly some small improvements in service by 2018.

.

True

So riding up the pavements on dirt bikes, doing wheelies is 'working class'. You are a terrible snob. Louisa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Here we go the blow in onslaught of anything > working class yadda yadda. I bet if they were > hipster/yummy mummy/city gent types on a lambretta > doing this not an eyebrow would be raised. > > Louisa.

You should haves who could wax a moustache

It's religiously unreliable.

Why does it only operate 6 days a week?

'chabby chic'