Cyclists Dismount and Use the Pavement

[J.Primus]

For the last week or so every time I cycle down Princes St there is a lorry parked in the cycle lane with a sign at the back saying "Cyclists Dismount and Use the Pavement"
This can't be an official road sign surely!? We are allowed to cycle on roads without cycle lanes last time I checked.
Also if it isn't a proper road sign does that mean you can just put up what you like on building sites. My place is having a load of work done currently. Maybe I should put a sign out saying "Motorists Exit Your Vehicle and Push".

I don't know why it annoys me so much. I think it's because it is essentially stating that they refuse to share a road with cyclists.

 

[ManiaMuse]

You mean like this?
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHtCNhABlLw

 

[glasgowcyclist]

For the last week or so every time I cycle down Princes St there is a lorry parked in the cycle lane with a sign at the back saying "Cyclists Dismount and Use the Pavement"

Have you got a felt marker?

There's a word missing that you could replace on your next sighting: needn't...


GC

 

[HLaB]

I've seen the sign at roadworks, surely if there's enough room for a car to get through, there's enough room for a bike

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

A while ago there were signs up at London Bridge saying ''do not overtake cyclists'' where road works narrowed the road to a single lane. Refreshing to see that they can get it right when they want to. However, a couple of weeks ago they were doing road works in the cycle lane locally and signage and this particular crew had reverted back to doing it the wrong way round.

 

[EthelF]

I've seen the same sign at some building works in Moorgate before. What really gets my goat about it (& signs on the "Cycle Superhighway" saying Cycle Lane Closed - Cyclists Dismount) is that drivers may think these are valid instructions and try to educate "errant" cyclists who choose to ride on the road instead.
Besides, likely as not the pavement is narrow & busy at this point (certainly was on Moorgate), so the sign, if obeyed, appears to be creating inconvenience for cyclists and pedestrians alike. Genius!

 

[J.Primus]

I've seen the same sign at some building works in Moorgate before. What really gets my goat about it (& signs on the "Cycle Superhighway" saying Cycle Lane Closed - Cyclists Dismount) is that drivers may think these are valid instructions and try to educate "errant" cyclists who choose to ride on the road instead.
Besides, likely as not the pavement is narrow & busy at this point (certainly was on Moorgate), so the sign, if obeyed, appears to be creating inconvenience for cyclists and pedestrians alike. Genius!

Due to to same building works the path around it is twice as narrow as normal. I'm not sure you could push a bike down it with people walking the other way. Madness.

 

[spen666]

Where you see the signs at road works saying just "cyclists dismount", I am always tempted to dismount and walk down the middle of the lane pushing the bikes

 

[Davidc]

I have a weird form of word blindness.

If the words 'Cyclists' and 'Dismount' appear one after the other on a sign with just a space in between, and I'm on my bike at the time, I just don't see them.

This usually happens with white on blue signs, but has recently affected some white on red ones as well.

I'm usually a mild mannered, law abiding citizen but there are some things, this included, which cause an immediate change to that!

 

[SimonJKH]

This is just a 'cover our own asses' sign. They don't REALLY care if you dismount or not. But... if while negotiating the obstacle on your bike you get knocked off or worse, when you try and sue them for causing the accident they can say "We put up a sign saying NOT to do that".

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Is there one that says "cyclists remount"?

 

[ufkacbln]

It is not only the motorists who think that these signs actually mean something!
In Fareham there used to be a "Cyclists Dismount" on the only access to the Town Centre from the East

Got stopped by a Police Constable Shaped Object who (stupidly) pointed to teh "Cyclists Dismount" and asked me if I knew what the sign was!

Took great delight in the ensuing conversation

Me: Yes it is a DfT Diagram 966
(Totally lost piece of wit)
PCSO: It means you should dismount
Me: It doesn't... it is an advisory sign due to teh fact that it is a blue square with a white surround. It does not mena that cyclists have to dismount
PCSO: Well I am telling you to dismount
(At this point we are joined by a Real POlice Officer)
Me: That's OK if you are instructing me then I will do so, but where can I remount?
PCSO: Are you being funny?
Me: No - but this road travels through here to Gosport, Southampton and Portsmouth, and you have told me not to ride my bike, but haven't told me where I can remount it.
(Police Officer smiles)
PCSO: The sign says you should dismount
Me: But without a "Cyclists remount sign" and no instruction as to where I can remount it really means that I can never ride my bike again?
PCSO: Once it is safe you can remount
Me: Oh good that will be on this two way road then?
(Police Officer suppresses giggle)
PCSO: Dismount at the sign next time
Me: BYe then.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

It is not only the motorists who think that these signs actually mean something!
In Fareham there used to be a "Cyclists Dismount" on the only access to the Town Centre from the East

Got stopped by a Police Constable Shaped Object who (stupidly) pointed to teh "Cyclists Dismount" and asked me if I knew what the sign was!

Took great delight in the ensuing conversation

Me: Yes it is a DfT Diagram 966
(Totally lost piece of wit)
PCSO: It means you should dismount
Me: It doesn't... it is an advisory sign due to teh fact that it is a blue square with a white surround. It does not mena that cyclists have to dismount
PCSO: Well I am telling you to dismount
(At this point we are joined by a Real POlice Officer)
Me: That's OK if you are instructing me then I will do so, but where can I remount?
PCSO: Are you being funny?
Me: No - but this road travels through here to Gosport, Southampton and Portsmouth, and you have told me not to ride my bike, but haven't told me where I can remount it.
(Police Officer smiles)
PCSO: The sign says you should dismount
Me: But without a "Cyclists remount sign" and no instruction as to where I can remount it really means that I can never ride my bike again?
PCSO: Once it is safe you can remount
Me: Oh good that will be on this two way road then?
(Police Officer suppresses giggle)
PCSO: Dismount at the sign next time
Me: BYe then.

Does a PCSO have a legal right to insist you dismount? If so under what specific circumstances does this right apply?

 

[byegad]

I'm afraid I'd have taken the wee wee and dismounted, at the sign, taken one step and remounted. But I'm an awkward so and so.

 

[Amack]

I'm afraid I'd have taken the wee wee and dismounted, at the sign, taken one step and remounted. But I'm an awkward so and so.

That is in fact the best solution, if they're going to tell you to dismount then they should also advise you when it is safe to "mount your bike" again. It's a bit like road works telling cars to drive at a particular speed or lane but then not telling the drivers when the restriction ends.