crashmonitor Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 The attitude of urban cyclists beggars belief imo once they share pathways with pedestrians. They go from the bullied (by cars) to the bully As a pedestrian I run the gauntlet everyday on shared paths and canal towpaths. Basically I reckon most cyclists have a chip on their shoulder and have special dispensation to abuse the pedestrians at the bottom of the food chain....like some indulged minority group. (1) They always think they have the right of way. If I am overtaking a fellow pedestrians even if they are thirty yards behind on the shared pathway the thought of being slowed up for a second infuriates them. (2) They speed past at 30 mph within inches without regard for the fact that a pedestrian may wander sideways. It's really not possible to maintain a straight direction for miles just in case there is a cyclist coming on you blind. (3) They never dismount where they are supposed to on narrow passages or road works, even when the sign tells them to...then when they nearly collide with you on the narrowed path they shake their heads as if it is your fault. (4) God help you if you wander onto a cycle lane where it is cycle only and pedestrians have their own half. they are allowed to used the pedestrians half but if you use their half they will have a schizoid outburst. http://www.smh.com.au/comment/on-yer-bike--but-please-share-the-footpath-20140430-zr1sh.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 It's that head shaking that gets me. They wouldn't dare do it to me if they were walking and within arm's reach but because they're on a bike and can scamper off they think they're untouchable. One day, sunshine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossybabe Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 My thought exactly. I take my dog walking on a shared footpath/cycle track. I'm a bit wobbly on my feet sometimes but still they whizz past noiselessly from behind leaving me shaking in their wake. They shout at people whose dogs are not on their leads to get them under control. They cycle two abreast pushing walkers into the undergrowth. One day the dog walkers of Cowes will unleash their hounds on the bar-stewards. No thought for anyone but themselves. In my Ambulance Control days we had several accidents on that cycle path involving pedestrians left with broken limbs due to careless cyclists. I do have to say that a small minority sound their bell briefly if approaching walkers to warn them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Nearly side swiped by one in race mode on a mini roundabout this weekend...he passed about 10 feet behind me but he wasnt going to stop for anyone. I believe the right of way is for roundabout users, not those 30 yards away at or near the speed limit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossybabe Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 And another thing...the MAMILs insist on using our narrow main road - which is a bit of a hill-climb challenge - and holding up traffic for miles on end, instead of the ex-railway-track cycle path. At rush hour it's unbearable. I have to curb the urge to flip them with the front wing of my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crashmonitor Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 Nearly side swiped by one in race mode on a mini roundabout this weekend...he passed about 10 feet behind me but he wasnt going to stop for anyone. I believe the right of way is for roundabout users, not those 30 yards away at or near the speed limit. Late undertaking and cutting up a car wanting to turn left as they proceed forwards appears an especially risky move. Also entering a roundabout fast and assuming cars will give way who are filtering on also seems like a death wish. As a car driver I always anticipate that cars may make observational mistakes, not give way and cross my path. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Late undertaking and cutting up a car wanting to turn left as they proceed forwards appears an especially risky move. Also entering a roundabout fast and assuming cars will give way who are filtering on also seems like a death wish. As a car driver I always anticipate that cars may make observational mistakes, not give way and cross my path. yeah, defensive cycling is required just as a matter of survival, As I say, this guy was really moving, and shouting at me, even though by the time he passed my tail I was already heading right ( the direction he came from) The thing is, even if I had erred and he hit me, I would still be here and he'd be nursing a smashed up bike and possibly injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Late undertaking and cutting up a car wanting to turn left as they proceed forwards appears an especially risky move.A little while back I was sitting at lights, indicating left, lights go green, cyclist comes flying down my left-hand side. Complete and utter moron. I'd seen him in time to avoid him but if I hadn't you can bet it would be reported as "roads are dangerous for cyclists" instead of "cyclist tries to win Darwin award". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sPinwheel Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 +1 Cyclist mouthing off at me when on SHARED paths. Morons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bendy Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I have particular expertise in this topic as a pedestrain, cyclist and driver at rush hour depending what takes my mood. On balance, pedestrains are the worst IMHO. There is very little, if any, pedestrain 'code'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecrashingisles Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 On balance, pedestrains are the worst IMHO. There is very little, if any, pedestrain 'code'. The only pedestrian 'code' violation that really makes me mad is when people exit the underground and as soon as they're through the barrier they stop dead and think about which direction to walk, seemingly oblivious to everyone else coming through the barrier behind them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crashmonitor Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 I have particular expertise in this topic as a pedestrain, cyclist and driver at rush hour depending what takes my mood. On balance, pedestrains are the worst IMHO. There is very little, if any, pedestrain 'code'. What you have got to remember re. pedestrians is they may have walked a long way this is not a 20 minute commute or a radio 4 Game Show of Just a Minute. Sorry but walking without Deviation, Hesitation or error is just not possible nor should a pedestrian feel strait jacketed by the possibility of a cyclist flying past at 30mph blind on a shared path. It is the cyclist that should consider the pedestrian always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jemmy Button Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 And another thing...the MAMILs insist on using our narrow main road - which is a bit of a hill-climb challenge - and holding up traffic for miles on end, instead of the ex-railway-track cycle path. At rush hour it's unbearable. I have to curb the urge to flip them with the front wing of my car. +1 I often get this on one of our bendy lanes in Cheshire. The lycra clad brigade seem unaware of 20 cars doing 10mph behind them for 1/2 a sodding mile. They really do my nut in! I enjoy cycling myself but only along cycle paths and not on major narrow roads. Bradley Wiggins (remember him? Wins a race, gets knighted and then disappears off the face of the earth) has a lot to answer for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sPinwheel Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 The only pedestrian 'code' violation that really makes me mad is when people exit the underground and as soon as they're through the barrier they stop dead and think about which direction to walk, seemingly oblivious to everyone else coming through the barrier behind them. Or piling onto a train before letting anyone off. Humans. I hate them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 What you have got to remember re. pedestrians is they may have walked a long way this is not a 20 minute commute or a radio 4 Game Show of Just a Minute. Sorry but walking without Deviation, Hesitation or error is just not possible nor should a pedestrian feel strait jacketed by the possibility of a cyclist flying past at 30mph blind on a shared path. It is the cyclist that should consider the pedestrian always. at a local RHS thing this weekend. Tried to enter the gents toilet, but a whole family had parked themselves just outside the doorway to study the map of the grounds. squeeze me I said and the LOOK I got from the woman, sort of like I had put my hand up her skirt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 What you have got to remember re. pedestrians is they may have walked a long way this is not a 20 minute commute or a radio 4 Game Show of Just a Minute. Sorry but walking without Deviation, Hesitation or error is just not possible nor should a pedestrian feel strait jacketed by the possibility of a cyclist flying past at 30mph blind on a shared path. It is the cyclist that should consider the pedestrian always. at a local RHS thing this weekend. Tried to enter the gents toilet, but a whole family had parked themselves just outside the doorway to study the map of the grounds. squeeze me I said and the LOOK I got from the woman, sort of like I had put my hand up her skirt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crashmonitor Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 At top of escalators. Two abreast on an escalator.......the Tesco one near me does about 0.5 mile an hour so overtaking can be desirable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steppenpig Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 A little while back I was sitting at lights, indicating left, lights go green, cyclist comes flying down my left-hand side. Complete and utter moron. I'd seen him in time to avoid him but if I hadn't you can bet it would be reported as "roads are dangerous for cyclists" instead of "cyclist tries to win Darwin award". This is normal in Germany, and presumably in other countries with a bike culture. If you think about it, it's perfectly normal that anything to the left of you that wants to go straight ahead has priority over you. Just like you're supposed to give way to pedestrians when turning left. It really is funny in Berlin to be cycling along and see a car 50 metres ahead waiting for me to pass before it turns The trouble is, cyclists in the UK have not the critical mass that ensures they are considered before every manoeuvre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 This is normal in Germany, and presumably in other countries with a bike culture. If you think about it, it's perfectly normal that anything to the left of you that wants to go straight ahead has priority over you. Just like you're supposed to give way to pedestrians when turning left. It really is funny in Berlin to be cycling along and see a car 50 metres ahead waiting for me to pass before it turns The trouble is, cyclists in the UK have not the critical mass that ensures they are considered before every manoeuvre. wrong...undertaking is a Road Traffic Offence and a mitigation for the undercut driver. Giving way to pedestrians in the Road you are turning into is an entirely different scenario. Could care less what happens in Germany Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steppenpig Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Bradley Wiggins (remember him? Wins a race, gets knighted and then disappears off the face of the earth) has a lot to answer for. You missed out "got splatted by a van driver not paying attention" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crashmonitor Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 This is normal in Germany, and presumably in other countries with a bike culture. If you think about it, it's perfectly normal that anything to the left of you that wants to go straight ahead has priority over you. Just like you're supposed to give way to pedestrians when turning left. It really is funny in Berlin to be cycling along and see a car 50 metres ahead waiting for me to pass before it turns The trouble is, cyclists in the UK have not the critical mass that ensures they are considered before every manoeuvre. Have the Germans also got their pedestrians trained re. the critical mass of cyclists....ie. if you go a ten mile walk on a footpath you must stay absolutely straight without deviation or hesitation or face the consequences of being crippled by the cyclist that whizzes past your ear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1929crash Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Have the Germans also got their pedestrians trained re. the critical mass of cyclists....ie. if you go a ten mile walk on a footpath you must stay absolutely straight without deviation or hesitation or face the consequences of being crippled by the cyclist that whizzes past your ear. No they haven't. I was in Potsdam a few years back and encountered the inviolable (by pedestrians) bike lane down the middle of a very wide pavement with cyclists thundering by like they were express trains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steppenpig Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 wrong...undertaking is a Road Traffic Offence and a mitigation for the undercut driver. Giving way to pedestrians in the Road you are turning into is an entirely different scenario. Could care less what happens in Germany I was being a little economical with the truth there. I was trying to plant the idea of what was "logical" rather than the legal situation. on the far left slow moving pedestrians, then bikes, then cars. Everyone must wait for the pedestrians to pass, but in fact because they are slow, so you can sometimes outrun them if you want. Cars must wait for pedestrians and cyclists to pass, and as cyclists cn be reasonably fast, usually must wait. I know this is not the legal situation, but it is the logical arrangement for combining three forms of traffic on a single route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougless Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Not much love for cyclists here is there! As a pedestrian, cyclist, driver and motorcyclist I think most of the 'blame' lies with the Government (over the last 30 years) and its appalling attitude to infrastructure be it road, cycle or rail. Having cycled in the Netherlands and Germany it is obvious how wrong we have got it here. Cycling is a positive thing, its efficient and quick for urban journeys. What is lacking is decent cycle provision; couple that with an extremely poor attitude from some drivers and you have a toxic mix. The Netherlands is a pretty densely populated country but somehow they make their roads and trains work better than ours, helped in no small part by something around 20% of journeys being made by bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steppenpig Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Have the Germans also got their pedestrians trained re. the critical mass of cyclists....ie. if you go a ten mile walk on a footpath you must stay absolutely straight without deviation or hesitation or face the consequences of being crippled by the cyclist that whizzes past your ear. No they haven't. I was in Potsdam a few years back and encountered the inviolable (by pedestrians) bike lane down the middle of a very wide pavement with cyclists thundering by like they were express trains. (I think you mean "yes they have" there) Generally speaking, everyone follows the rules in Germany. As 1929 says, the cyclists can go at 20+ mph on a crowde pavement, because they know the pedestrians will not stray onto the cycle route. I expect you have to heve been born into the system, so that straying onto a cycle path is as alien as straying onto a motorway. edit: 1. roads, paths and pavements are much wider in Germany. 2. Cyclists are also expected to follow the rules, and not cycle on the pavement, although many do not. But it is not as uncontrolled as in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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