Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

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lsd71
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Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by lsd71 »

I ahev recently started communting to work on my bike, which involves cycling through Manchester city centre. I just cant understand why, when there are HUGE pavements, pedestrians insist on walking along the tiny cycle lanes provided through the city. Forcing me to either aim straight at them.....cursing till they move! Or cycle in the busy main carriage ways?
Today I continued cycling instead of wimping, and taking my life in my hands by moving out into the road. The pedestrian, who CLEARLY saw me coming (he stared me out....almost daring me to keep coming), gave me some serious abuse as he eventually moved out of the way!
Who ACTUALY has right of way in the cycle lanes? Its not as if they are crossin the road? They are just chosing to walk in the road way?
snibgo
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by snibgo »

Yeah, pedestrians can be annoying.

But if he's there in the road, even in the cycle lane, and he's visible to you and you run into him, it would be your fault.
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gentlegreen
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by gentlegreen »

In those circumstances I would be using my bell. In fact I use my bell a lot - though in my case it's on the converted Bristol to Bath railway path - which is a shared path. Sometimes I'll just click my twistgrip gear changer. If it's dark and I want a gentler indication that I'm intending to pass, I'm lucky enough to have a high beam and a handlebar button - though that's sometimes bright enough to be alarming.

In your situation I would fit a loud horn. I used to have one, but never used it except after cars cut me up.
Once in a while I would use it on gaggles of schoolkids who blocked the whole path - in combination with a smile :)
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Si
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by Si »

Who ACTUALY has right of way in the cycle lanes?


No one does, I'm afraid. There is no 'right of way' - only priority to proceed if it is safe to do so. That is to say, you never have the right to run someone down or act in a threatening way to them, no matter what they are doing. Thus, as said, if you have chance to stop but you hit them instead, then it would be your fault, and rightly so. On the other hand, if you are proceeding along a clear stretch of road/cycle lane, and a pedestrian jumps out in front of you at the last moment, then it would be their fault.

So your choices would include:
- hit them (definitely not advised - above)
- ride really close to them and scare them (definitely not advised - a slight movement on their part might have you both in hospital, plus it just tarnishes the reputation of cyclists generally)
- have a rant and rave at them (and it's very hard not to do this - we've all been there haven't we! It will probably result in them having a go back at you even if they know that they are "in the wrong", but may make them think twice next time)
- reason with them or bid them a polite and friendly "excuse me" (less likely to result in confrontation, works sometimes, but not others)
- go around them (out into the road - shouldn't be too difficult, it's only traffic)
- stop, call the coppers and try to persuade them to have the errant ped removed from the cycle lane (ain't never going to happen)
- not use the cycle lane in the first place as it seems to be causing more trouble than riding in the road with the rest of the traffic :twisted:
kwackers
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by kwackers »

+1 with Si.

I just slow down and ting my bell, it usually works.

I did have to stop once as a guy and his two mates decided they'd block the path and started having a go at me for riding on the footpath! I pointed to the 'shared use' signage but by then he'd come so far he wasn't prepared to back down.

So I reached behind into my panniers and hooked out my sandwich box and proceeded to eat them whilst still astride my bike, at this point his mates started laughing and walked off. He stood there for a few more moments getting redder and redder in the face until he shouted a few expletives and went after them.

But fundamentally on the rare occasions I use shared footpaths I ride them assuming that pedestrians have right of way and are fundamentally unpredictable.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by [XAP]Bob »

I very rarely use cycle lanes (other than to bypass junctions or traffic jams) so don't often encounter this...

On the occasions I use shared use (there are good short cuts to local supermarkets on one) I give absolute priority to peds, but am happy to ask them (vocally or squeaky brakes) to let me past.
I do the same on pedestrianised areas - but usually proceed at no more than a crawl (always if there are people around)

There is a shared use path I use to bypass a traffic jam cause by traffic lights under a one lane bridge, about 10-20% of the time I have to merge off the end of it as the lights change on approach (long jam - I can't see the first half of it when I start on the path)
Good strong indication, and going at traffic speed, are important. If there are peds in the gutter most drivers (in my experience) will accommodate an overtake.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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Steve Kish
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by Steve Kish »

[XAP]Bob wrote:I very rarely use cycle lanes (other than to bypass junctions or traffic jams) so don't often encounter this...


Same with me. I avoid cycle paths, as with cars and stuff, the drivers (well, most of them) are usually aware of your presence but sharing a path with pedestrians, dogs, little people on scooters and/or kiddie bikes, teenagers on Planet Funk with I-Pods and the like usually has me more on edge.
Old enough to know better but too young to care.
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Mick F
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by Mick F »

Ditto with me.

If I ruled the world, I'd do away with all so-called cycle facilities.
Mick F. Cornwall
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gentlegreen
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by gentlegreen »

Just lately I've been videoing my commutes and seeing myself come too close, too fast to pedestrians during the rush hour.

But it cuts both ways. When I walk on the path in poor light, I wear high-viz, swing a torch and even have a cheap red flasher on my backpack.

Here's me interacting with (very small) pedestrians - I'm actually going nice and slow here :-

http://www.youtube.com/user/yangtse55#p ... fG9eAWMQQQ

:oops:
kwackers
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by kwackers »

You animal! You made that little girl fall over!
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gentlegreen
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by gentlegreen »

kwackers wrote:You animal! You made that little girl fall over!


I said "sorry" as I passed. :oops:

I thought I deftly avoided the first one. 8)
iviehoff
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by iviehoff »

I think the possibility of suddenly arriving obstructions, be they pedestrians, or wind-blown debris, is a serious problem with narrow segregated cycle lanes enclosed between kerbs. I wonder if such narrow cycle lanes would be better segregated by bollards to give you a chance to escape.
ericonabike
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by ericonabike »

Pedestrians are to cyclists as cyclists are to motorists. And we should behave towards pedestrians as we expect motorists to behave towards us. Simples!
Motorists' mantra: Cyclists must obey the law and the Highway Code AT ALL TIMES. Unless their doing so would HOLD ME UP.
gilesjuk
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by gilesjuk »

ericonabike wrote:Pedestrians are to cyclists as cyclists are to motorists. And we should behave towards pedestrians as we expect motorists to behave towards us. Simples!


There's a difference. Many pavements are split into cyclist and pedestrian lanes. They should stick to their own lane just like they should when there's a pavement, not walk on the road.

I don't understand this fascination some people have with walking on the road when there's a perfectly safe, clean, clear pavement to walk on. It's not like cycle lanes which are often badly planned or too bumpy for roadies.
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gentlegreen
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Re: Pedestrians in Cycle lanes

Post by gentlegreen »

iviehoff wrote:I think the possibility of suddenly arriving obstructions, be they pedestrians, or wind-blown debris, is a serious problem with narrow segregated cycle lanes enclosed between kerbs. I wonder if such narrow cycle lanes would be better segregated by bollards to give you a chance to escape.


Bollards are nasty and appear when you least expect them. South Glos council doesn't understand cyclists :-

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Cyc ... ticle.html

http://bristolcars.blogspot.com/2011/01 ... d-run.html
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