who are pavements for?

[John the Monkey]

Depends which pavement.

The one by the Crewe Road/Weston Road roundabout is for motorists to use to get around the queueing traffic.

The one on the top end of Primrose Avenue, Haslington is for motorists to park on so that they don't (completely) block the road.

 

[John the Monkey]

Ok yes cyclists who use pavements can be a sore area because there will always be arguments on both sides but when we get a cycle path why do peds choose to walk in it? Also why do cars park in cycle lanes? If we are expected to be 3rd rate on the road from motorists and peds hate us, when the gov actually gives us a cycle path why cam peds and motorists get in our way?

Pedestrians can go anywhere (other than motorways) and have absolute priority. They don't walk much on roads, largely because their right to is abrogated by both law and the behaviour of the motorist.

Cars can park in cycle lanes if there is no other restriction AND the lane is marked with a dashed white line.

 

[lilolee]

I ride on the pavement when going home from the station. I ride as fast as the slowest pedestrian and when it widens or even when they let me past it is all very polite with thanks all around.

Yep that's the way to conduct yourself, be polite

 

[sabian92]

Cyclists and pedestrians coexist reasonably well on the canal towpaths near here, so I really fail to see why the same couldn't be true for our pavements.

I do cycle along a short stretch of pavement every day as it would be utterly pedantic to dismount and remount when there is nobody around to bother about it. I usually tut about a 4x4 which always parks across the pavement too. How dare it get in my way!

Because you always get one lycra-clad dickhead blasting down them at 25mph when there's little kids about.

I personally used to ride on the pavement but only when it was quiet and only when the road was busy, and that was on a MTB with knobblies. Now I'm on a road bike with 23c tyres on, I wouldn't dream of going on the pavement. I use shared use paths but that's it. It's either them or the road.

That said, I have no problem with younger kids using them. They're definitely not in a position to be using the road.

 

[Fiona N]

... Its those blue signs - they have a magical effect like that.

Like helmets, eh

 

[Fiona N]

More seriously, I do get annoyed when I see adult cyclists riding on the pavement when there's no good reason* for it and they're just trying to get around having to stop at traffic lights. This is common around where I live - the traffic junctions have ASLs but some cyclists prefer to bob off the road onto the pavement and cut across the junctions.

Last week though I saw two middle aged touring cyclists riding along the pavement beside a not-particularly busy but nice wide road. Why? I asked them if their Mum was still forbidding them to ride on the roads and the bloke replied 'it was safer on the pavements', but it's illegal, I replied, no it's not came the answer. What can you do with ignorant idiots like that who just give law-abiding cyclists a bad name? Was their whole tour going to be ridden on the pavements? What happens when they get to a country road with no pavements (statistically more dangerous than urban streets)?


* I should add here that I came across a road closure the other day in a small village with only one road through it. As the only option besides a quick - actually slow careful - trundle along the pavement for 100m was a several mile detour out to the main road back the way I'd come, I did ride on the pavement. That's what I call a good reason. Call me hypocrite if you like

 

[Fab Foodie]

[QUOTE 1463242"]
... the broken-hearted.
[/quote]
and what becomes of them?

 

[abo]

More seriously, I do get annoyed when I see adult cyclists riding on the pavement when there's no good reason* for it and they're just trying to get around having to stop at traffic lights. This is common around where I live - the traffic junctions have ASLs but some cyclists prefer to bob off the road onto the pavement and cut across the junctions.

Last week though I saw two middle aged touring cyclists riding along the pavement beside a not-particularly busy but nice wide road. Why? I asked them if their Mum was still forbidding them to ride on the roads and the bloke replied 'it was safer on the pavements', but it's illegal, I replied, no it's not came the answer. What can you do with ignorant idiots like that who just give law-abiding cyclists a bad name? Was their whole tour going to be ridden on the pavements? What happens when they get to a country road with no pavements (statistically more dangerous than urban streets)?

Nearly all the POBs around here cycle on the path; those not exclusively using the path will hop between road and path depending on whatever is most convenient for them. These aren't just people on BSO's, saw a guy on a Cube Acid blasting down the path this morning, cut in front of my car (was dropping eldes't bike off for servicing as it happens...) and up onto the path on the other side. Luckily the road is double wide so when he left the path I could guess what he was going to do.

And he was doing wheelies (big long ones too, I was a bit jealous...)

 

[MontyVeda]

No, you misunderstand. One day you were being an irresponsible severe danger to pedestrians using the pavement and the next you were no problem. Its those blue signs - they have a magical effect like that.

I sense a little sarcasm in your post Red Light... however i can honestly state that have never been a severe danger to pedestrians

 

[Red Light]

I sense a little sarcasm in your post Red Light... however i can honestly state that have never been a severe danger to pedestrians

Oh yes you are

 

[Red Light]

More seriously, I do get annoyed when I see adult cyclists riding on the pavement when there's no good reason* for it and they're just trying to get around having to stop at traffic lights.

But we have local authorities putting in lots of training facilities so they can become good at doing that. They are told ride on this bit of pavement here, ride on that bit of pavement there. And then everyone throws up their hands in horror and can't understand why they then are also riding on another bit of pavement over there too.

* I should add here that I came across a road closure the other day in a small village with only one road through it. As the only option besides a quick - actually slow careful - trundle along the pavement for 100m was a several mile detour out to the main road back the way I'd come, I did ride on the pavement. That's what I call a good reason. Call me hypocrite if you like

That was not a good reason. There was the option you left out of getting off and pushing for 100m. Sounds a bit like "do as I say, not as I do" to me.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

When I was learning to drive I was told If in doubt don't. A good rule if you are unsure if you can ride on a pavement.

 

[Fiona N]

That was not a good reason. There was the option you left out of getting off and pushing for 100m. Sounds a bit like "do as I say, not as I do" to me.

Actually I would have, had it not been possible to see that the pavement was empty for its full 100m length with no inlet points. The reason I had to ride slowly was that the walk way - which is separated from and above the road - jinks where it rejoins the road

 

[Angelfishsolo]

[QUOTE 1463279"]
If it's not bothering anyone, then just let them be.

I used to get riled about all kinds of misdemeanours. I'm coming round to Mickle's view of no harm=no problem.
[/quote]
Isn't it the start of a slippery slope to pick and choose which laws to obey?

 

[marinyork]

Isn't it the start of a slippery slope to pick and choose which laws to obey?

The highway code (and even the law) is actually based on a hierarchy. To pretend as some others do on here that there is complete equality at all times between everything is neither correct or more importantly practical in the world we live in.

Some people cycling on pavements are so called POBs and there maybe little you can do about it. Others may be beginners getting into it and graduate to completely onto the road soon. Others just a bit here and there.

Some people just bang on about it because they like doing it. It reminds me of an incident as a kid where someone expected a child to not cycle on a short section of pavement and cross the road (no crossing), cycle along a busy dual carriageway and then recross the road (crossing further down) just to get about 100 yards or so to a set of shops that wasn't the busiest on earth.