Pavement parkers

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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snibgo
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Joined: 29 Jun 2010, 4:45am

Pavement parkers

Post by snibgo »

Grr. Pavement parkers. Grr.

At my GP surgery/pharmacy today, a parker had blocked not only the gate that leads to the official bike parking, but also the wheelchair ramp to the surgery/pharmacy.

Fortunately the offending vehicle was another bike (though with a trailing child's half-bike), so I could shift it out of the way.

I've been going to that surgery/pharmacy every month for nearly four years, and it's the first time I've seen another bike there. It made a nice change from the usual jam of parked cars. Cycling to the doctor's is obviously a good thing, for those who can.

But blocking wheelchair ramps is seriously anti-social.

Grr. </rant>
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661-Pete
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Re: Pavement parkers

Post by 661-Pete »

Maybe they don't expect many people to cycle to the doctor's, hence the lack of provision for them at some surgeries. You seem to be lucky - most of the time. My doctor's has a couple of sheffield stands - fine, room for up to 4 bikes, but not if a swarm of cyclists suddenly descend. My check-ups are every six months, and I almost always cycle.

Reminds me of an amusing experience some years ago. Well, it was amusing in hindsight, didn't seem so at the time. I'd been having some chest pains, so I made an appointment and cycled over to the doctor. He wasn't too impressed, after doing an ECG and some other tests, he called an ambulance and had me carted to hospital. "But what about my bike?" I asked. He said, "You'll have to leave it here, is it locked?" It was, luckily. The hospital gave me the all-clear and discharged me, so I was able to go and collect the bike later that evening - un-vandalised, luckily (I say that because the surgery is in - er - that part of the town).
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Cunobelin
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Re: Pavement parkers

Post by Cunobelin »

My GP is great

We were discussing fitness and sI had scored reasonably, but cycling does not always account properly

Showed her the Garmin Connect record and she then asked why I had not cycled that day.

I explained that it was lack of secure parking.. her reply was... well stick it in the waiting room!
thirdcrank
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Re: Pavement parkers

Post by thirdcrank »

661-Pete

My similar story was that the consultant in the hospital asked how I would get home. Completely missing the point, I commented that I'd use more or less the same route I had come but I'd not decided whether to ride up Batley Field Hill or Carlinghow....

:(
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Pavement parkers

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Cunobelin wrote:My GP is great

We were discussing fitness and sI had scored reasonably, but cycling does not always account properly

Showed her the Garmin Connect record and she then asked why I had not cycled that day.

I explained that it was lack of secure parking.. her reply was... well stick it in the waiting room!

At least you have some support for doing that then!
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mjr
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Re: Pavement parkers

Post by mjr »

There's a Living Streets campaign asking people to write to their MP to support a Private Members Bill tomorrow that would address pavement parking http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action? ... =ctcforums - probably won't get through but hopefully will raise it with more MPs and might eventually result in the current crazy legal situation (parking on the pavement is not illegal, obstruction of and driving on the pavement are illegal but enforcement is pass-the-bucked between police and councils) being sorted out.
Last edited by mjr on 11 Sep 2014, 2:39pm, edited 1 time in total.
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MikeF
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Re: Pavement parkers

Post by MikeF »

The other day a on local road vehicles were parked on one side and the pavement on the other side was completely blocked by vehicles. The only place for all traffic (including pedestrians) was along the carriageway. An elderly man, not too steady on his 'pins', was walking along the carriageway at a slow pace. A relatively young woman in a car then arrived behind him and was forced to drive at his very slow pace. Obvious response - blast on the horn. The elderly man just continued without turning his head! Just what did this driver expect the man to do? Vaporise?? There wasn't anywhere for him to go anyway, and it was obvious (but that takes a genius :lol: ) that he was far from agile.

Clearly we need more space for cars as we're running out of tarmac to put them on. Every bit around here seems to have a vehicle on it. Whatever happened to 'predict and provide'?? :roll:

Yes, pavement parking should be illegal everywhere - it is in the GLC for example.
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Mick F
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Re: Pavement parkers

Post by Mick F »

661-Pete wrote:Maybe they don't expect many people to cycle to the doctor's, hence the lack of provision for them at some surgeries. You seem to be lucky - most of the time. My doctor's has a couple of sheffield stands - fine, room for up to 4 bikes, but not if a swarm of cyclists suddenly descend. My check-ups are every six months, and I almost always cycle.
All we have in Gunnislake is a wooden post near the door.
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=gunnis ... 52,,2,4.24

I use it regularly, and personally I prefer a wooden post to a Sheffield stand as it's kinder on the bike and frame. I think I'm the only cyclist who regularly uses the health centre. I'm not "the only cyclist in the village" but probably the only one who cycles regularly.
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Redvee
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Re: Pavement parkers

Post by Redvee »

Courtesy of the local plod this morning via Twitter

Image
MikeF
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Re: Pavement parkers

Post by MikeF »

Crikey! Where's that? That's a war on the motorists!
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
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Redvee
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Re: Pavement parkers

Post by Redvee »

MikeF wrote:Crikey! Where's that? That's a war on the motorists!


Up north, aka Bristol.
MikeF
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Re: Pavement parkers

Post by MikeF »

Redvee wrote:
MikeF wrote:Crikey! Where's that? That's a war on the motorists!


Up north, aka Bristol.
Well if that's up North there's a chance it might happen here soon?? :lol: :lol:
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
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