Cycling on the pavement

[Jeremy C]

Between 3% + 5% of the population have a diagnosable, anti-social personality disorder and they all drive cars, ride bikes, walk or go on public transport. 97%-95% of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians get about in a perfectly thoughtful and considerate way - so can we please get a sense of perspective on this? Don't forget that most cyclists are also drivers or pedestrians when they are not on their bikes: they don't come from another planet.

[titch juicy]

LadyDeliah Wrote:

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> And commuters need to travel by car because....?

They travel onwards from their work place- perhaps visiting many sites

They have equipment

They visit clients

I imagine a relatively small amount of rush hour traffic is private cars

[susiq]

never been struck by lightening, but have been struck twice by cyclist on pavement, also just this morning TWO cyclist breaking the law by crossing the red lights at crossroads at Kings arms one of them undertaking a lorry which was turning, sounded horn to warn him of danger and was greeted by two fingers, theres a lot to be said for cyclist, guess what I'm saying?

[titch juicy]

Two cyclists undertook a left hand turning dumper truck at the junction of bermondsey street and long lane/abbey street, on my commute this morning. One was a Boris bike, one was what looked like an experienced lady cyclist (she had all the gear anyway). The bloke waiting behind the truck with me sighed and said, "they'll never learn".

[snowy]

If we're off onto anecdote again - I tapped on the window of a car driver last night to inform her that her brake lights weren't working (she'd braked sharply as she'd noticed quite late that someone was using a zebra crossing she was about to drive over and almost caused the people behind her to crash into her).

She thanked me, and explained that she couldn't stop to talk right at that moment as she was on the phone.

She then waved the phone that was in her hand (i.e not a hands free set), and drove off. She chatted on the phone all the way from ED to Vauxhall as I travelled on the same route.

[a fish]

snowy Wrote:

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> If we're off onto anecdote again - I tapped on the

> window of a car driver last night to inform her

> that her brake lights weren't working (she'd

> braked sharply as she'd noticed quite late that

> someone was using a zebra crossing she was about

> to drive over and almost caused the people behind

> her to crash into her).

>

> She thanked me, and explained that she couldn't

> stop to talk right at that moment as she was on

> the phone.

>

> She then waved the phone that was in her hand (i.e

> not a hands free set), and drove off. She chatted

> on the phone all the way from ED to Vauxhall as I

> travelled on the same route.

This is why more cyclists should be filming drivers behaving like idiots. I was going to post a YouTube clip, but there are so many I couldn't choose one!

[titch juicy]

"She thanked me, and explained that she couldn't stop to talk right at that moment as she was on the phone."

haha!

[Voyageur]

susiq Wrote:

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> never been struck by lightening, but have been

> struck twice by cyclist on pavement, also just

> this morning TWO cyclist breaking the law by

> crossing the red lights at crossroads at Kings

> arms one of them undertaking a lorry which was

> turning, sounded horn to warn him of danger and

> was greeted by two fingers, theres a lot to be

> said for cyclist, guess what I'm saying?

That's pretty much my experience. Not unsurprisingly I moan about the things that adversely affect me on a regular basis.

[Chick Pea]

Voyageur - are you saying you moan on a regular basis?

[mako]

All the posters who keep saying 'breaking the law'are doing my head in. There are times when it is sensible to cycle on the pavement and doesnt adversly impact anyone. Have all these posters never gone over the speed limit driving(even at night on an empty motorway), even once?

[ExtraLifeShop]

Just to put some perspective into pavement cycling in Japan, I would often hear news reports of people being killed due to accidents involved with pedestrians being hit by cyclists, especially when people cycled down shopping arcades. Injury [often serious] from collision with cyclists on the pavements over there is pretty common, so please don't take Japan as an example of where everybody gets on fine with pavements being used by bikes. In the bigger cities with police boxes on blocks it's usually harder for people to hit & run [but this of course still happens].

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/02/04/reference/cyclists-who-flout-law-face-charges/

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jan/10/japan.transport

[LadyDeliah]

The articles don't say whether there has been an increase in cycling to correspond with the increase in accidents and there is no comment on motorist behaviour or who was at fault in the accidents that led to death. The figures include all accidents involving cyclists and there is a high number if cyclist deaths where motorists were involved. Not very useful without additional information.

And here we have a crack down on pedestrians:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/20/us-fines-texting-and-walking

:-)

[a fish]

About 30 minutes ago, one of my colleagues was knocked over by a cyclist who came shooting around the corner of St John's Lane, on the pavement, and hit her square on. He then cycled onto the road, went the wrong way along St John St, and disappeared into Clerkenwell. She's just emailed from the back of an ambulance.

[LadyDeliah]

My friend just called me to say that a car driver levitated 6 ft off the ground and swooped down on cyclists and pedestrians alike in his flying car.

[Jeremy]

A friend just mailed me to say that this thread sucks.

[Voyageur]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> A friend just mailed me to say that this thread

> sucks.

Mmm..... with an ostrich like compulsion by some to refuse to admit to the problem caused by some.

[Chick Pea]

The reason cyclists don't use the pavements as often as they could is nothing to do with the law or the adundance of super safe cycle lanes, no, the reason we dont see many pavement peddlers in ED is all down to the menace of the pram pushers.

Yeah, you pushers know who you are, weaving you're way along the North Cross Road pavements on market days shamelessly forcing pavement walkers into the paths of pavement peddlers - fuelling the f®iction.

This thuggery has got to stop.

[rodneybewes]

The prams really should be licensed as well for identification puurposes - most of them have never even taken the pushchair test. I bet none of them contribute to the pavement tax either. One of them ran over my foot when I was buying my organic cous-cous on Saturday and I cried all week. Tears of blood they were. We need a week long push by a team of community wardens to deal with this menace.

[a fish]

LadyDeliah Wrote:

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> My friend just called me to say that a car driver

> levitated 6 ft off the ground and swooped down on

> cyclists and pedestrians alike in his flying car.

I'm assuming from your pointlessly sarcastic response that you don't believe me. OK, when my colleague comes in tomorrow, I'll get her to come on here and tell you exactly what happened to her herself - she can quote directly from the police report. She's gone home today, bruised, aching all over, and very very angry.

Oh and you saying 'oh that'll just be you taking the lie further so it won't count', as I feel you're about to, will just be an indication that whatever those who are angry at dangerous cyclists say is automatically discounted by you, so that won't count either.

[Zebedee Tring]

Fish, try not to let Lady D wind you up. She finds it very difficult to debate an issue with someone with whom she disagrees without insulting them in some way.

[Voyageur]

Chick Pea Wrote:

... fuelling the f®iction.

I like what you did there...

[alldownhillfromhere]

Voyageur Wrote:

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> Chick Pea Wrote:

> ... fuelling the f®iction.

>

>

> I like what you did there...

Get a room you two ;-)

[tomskip]

I hope your friend makes a good recovery a fish. I know I should know better but as a cyclist I feel a deep sense of shame and embarrassment when I see other cyclists defending the indefensible practice of cycling on the pavement. It has been said eleventy million times already but if you feel unsafe cycling on the road (and I wouldn't tackle the Elephant & Castle roundabouts or Vauxhall Cross) then get off and push! If you don't feel unsafe on the road then get off the jeffing pavement.

[a fish]

Thanks Tomskip, I'll pass on your regards if she's in tomorrow.

And Zebedee Tring, don't worry, I deal with far more up-themselves people than Lady Deliah at the film studios every day...

[Chick Pea]

alldownhillfromhere Wrote:

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> Voyageur Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Chick Pea Wrote:

> > ... fuelling the f®iction.

> >

> >

> > I like what you did there...

>

> Get a room you two ;-)

Don't you have an ASBO?