Bikes on pavement

I would like every new transport infrastructure project - road, rail, etc to have an attached, but separated by a fence so safe cycle/walking path at the side of it.

 

To the people who are whingeing over cyclists using the pavements; wind your ****ing necks in!

The vast majority of you, if not, all of you are motorists.

Try and tell me you have not broken any laws on the road by one , or more of the following

(This is not an exhaustive list)

a) broken a speed limit
b) drove whilst on your phone
c) drove too closely to the vehicle in front
d) drove dangerously close (and or too quickly) to a cyclist
e) drove through a red light
f) parked illegally or parked on a pavement so that a pram/pushchair (even a single one - I have twin grandchildren) cannot pass

Now who has the moral high ground here? Yes I thought so...........rant over!!

 

Me. Why do people always presume that everyone is like them? Especially when the ‘like them’ tends to mean being a dick to others and/or breaking a law.

 

Never? Never broken a speed limit (you do drive I take it?)

If that is so then I salute you. I really do.

Edit - It would not surprise me if more claimed the same.

 

I can with 100% certainty say that I have never driven a car on the pavement, silently coming up behind unsuspecting walkers and whizzing past running their shoulders. 6 feet, 2 metres. Thanks for the rant but not appropriate

 

Yes, I drive and no I don’t break speed limits. I like rules and I follow them. I would break one in an emergency (to avoid an accident or escape a dangerous situation if there was no other choice) but I would never voluntarily drive faster than the limit as 1) it’s against the law 2) it can be dangerous for others as well as myself and 3) unless I was going excessively over the limit it wouldn’t really save any tangible time so why risk the consequences of 1) or 2)? I do wonder what amazing use people make of the 60 seconds they shave off a journey going 35 instead of 30 to the shops.

 

Don't drive so I can still take the high ground - there are inconsiderate drivers as there are inconsiderate bike riders. Pointing this out doesn't make actions of some bikers any less considerate

 

I only ride on the pavement in the following circumstances

1. designated shared use pavement
2. where the road is narrow and up hill (with no pedestrians about) otherwise impatient motorist get frustrated and attempt to overtake dangerously
3. immediately prior to parking up on the pavement for example outside a shop etc.

Can't think of any more.

 

On the question of speed, I read an interesting fact about the campaign to raise the Motorway limit to 80mph. If you were to drive the longest UK Motorway journey in the UK (Exeter to Glasgow I think it was) you would only save 30 minutes by doing 80 instead of 70 (assuming no delays). Also research indicates that as you raise speeds, journey times are increased. This is clearly illustrated by smart motorways where the variable limits keep traffic moving where previously the road would grind to a halt (I remember the M42 in the 1990s, absolute nightmare).

 

If I did any of those things then I could reasonably expect to to be criticised for it. The same applies to rule-breaking cyclists. It's not a matter of moral high ground, it's about encouraging everyone to act responsibly, regardless of their chosen mode of transport.

 

Just a few of CYCLISTS issues my friend. But please be aware I have cycled hundreds of miles myself. Always worn a helmet and been respectful of walkers and cars
a) going through traffic lights on red
b) going up blind side of lorries when stopped, often leaning on them
c) riding 2/3/4 abreast knowing a car is behind
d) can’t be a***d listing rest as this is not a competition of who breaks more laws
e) it’s not Trump, Corbyn or Boris’s fault either

 

So that still makes it right for the p1llocks that go cycling down pavements does it? You know startling folk that ( funnily enough) aren’t expecting them. It would be bad enough if they had something like a bell to let folk know they are coming!!

 

The Highway Code says "never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends".
I'm not sure I've ever seen cyclists riding more than 2 abreast except on organised events when the roads have been closed to other traffic or briefly when one cyclist was overtaking a pair riding 2 abreast.

 

I can honestly say that I've never driven whilst on my phone. I imagine the numbers who have are ridiculously small (especially since it became specifically illegal)

Never driven through a red light that I know of. There have been rare times when I've looked and thought of s*** was that on red? Did I just go through a red?

Never ever driven too close to a cyclist. Why the hell would I? If anything I give them far too much room.

Never knowingly driven too close to the vehicle in front. Why would u do that? Doesn't save me any time and if I ran into the back in the one getting hurt not them.

Parked blocking a pavement? No I'm not a selfish ****. And I don't want my car scratched either.

Have I broke the speed limit? Yes. Course I have. The thing is though it's been accidental. When I thought a road was a 50 and it was a 40 for example or when I've simply not noticed I was going faster than I thought.

None of those makes me a hypocrite for criticising people deliberately breaking the law though. There's a difference between accidentally doing something and doing it deliberately.
Do you accidentally ride on pavements ir do you choose to do it? The fact you are justifying it by saying 'yeah but you do this' seems a poor attitude to take. What if we all did that in life?

 

I see them ride 3 or 4 abreast regularly on the more rural roads but in their defence they have almost always moved when I've approached or I've been able to just go round themvery rarely do I have issues with cyclists to be honest

 

That smart motorway thing just doesn't seem right to me. They always claim it but I know since theyve operated it my motorway journey time has significantly increased as cars queuing to leave the motorway in one lane now trigger a slow down in all 4 lanes.

 

Since the M42 went smart down the eastern side of Birmingham (I used to commute on it for many years before and after) actual queuing completely disappeared, where before it was regular and added many minutes to my journeys. Conversely the non-smart bit from the M6 Toll north was and still is a complete disaster area with often at peak times queuing north up to and sometimes past Tamworth. The official figures for average journey times completely vindicate smart motorways. I know there is a massive down side to them with the loss of the hard shoulder and it's consequent safety problems but otherwise they work. They also significantly reduce carbon emissions since the traffic moves at uniform speeds with little of the braking and acceleration you get on busy traditional motorways.

 

Ah but is the lack of queues now down to the slower speed or simply down to the extra lane? Don't forget that an extra lane means a 33% increase in capacity

 

A bit extreme, I just hope for your sake that the next time you do something a bit naughty in your car, nobody decides to run you off the road.