General Chat

Four times in the last two days while walking either on the pavement or on the pedestrian side of a dual cycle/footpath I have almost been mown down. Fortunately I still manage to walk in a straight line besides being a 'silver surfer'. On the pavement yesterday, 3pm, schools out. Two teenage boys about 14/15 came past me really fast, concentrating on trying to out ride each other and shouting to each other, It was almost on a corner and the first I knew was (thankfully) I actually heard them yelling at each other as it is easy to cut the corner there when walking. It was good to see that they both wore helmets and the road is quite dangerous so I have no problem with them riding on the path at that point but With care!

Five minutes later, again on the corner, this time on the cycle path, me walking on the designated pedestrian bit, inside the path, an adult cyclist zoomed past me cutting in front of me. I was confused by this one as I struggled to understand how his helmet would protect him when it was hanging on the handlebars. Maybe his hairdo was more important than his head.

This morning in the town, pedestrianised area a cyclist cut across in front of me very close, so close I stopped to let him go through. And later a very large man in a very large mobility scooter, on the pavement, came from behind going so fast that had I veered even slightly to the left he would have done me serious injury.

I do wish all these people would think about the fact that not all pedestrians have perfect hearing. Those of us who wear hearing aids are not likely to hear people approaching from behind. It might help if they had bells on their bikes of course, or if they used them.

Ann, you're too forgiving - cyclists should NOT be on the pavement - let alone racing on it!
As for the cyclist who couldn't stay on the cycle path - well, he should have known better.
There have been a couple of serious 'accidents' involving cyclists and toddlers on the pavement lately. What's the point of training a young child to stay on the 'safe' pavement, if a cyclist is going to come along and injure them?

Ann, you must have your guardian angel watching over you.
It is illegal to ride on the pavement and cyclist shouldn't be doing it, but of course they do because they think that they are a law unto themselves.
Cyclist riding on the footpath are a menace and in our village I can see an accident waiting to happen..... I just hope that it doesn't happen to me!!

Ann ..............

you were indeed lucky

I was knocked by a cyclist about 25 years ago ......... I was crossing a pedestrian plaza at the bus loop out at the university when I stopped to look at something on the floor.

Next thing I knew was that I was lying on my back looking up at the sky, but facing back the way I had come

I have, and had even then, no idea what had happened or how I got into that position.

The cyclist, a young woman, was leaning over me, very worried (give her credit!!), but said "I didn't expect you to stop" :-0

OH's office was nearby, and she insisted on walking me over to the building and watched me getting into the elevator.


I think I was lucky, I don't think I had a concussion, although I had probably blacked out briefly. I did have a good bruise on my back!

Cor blimey Ann I thought the cyclists around here were bad !

Thank goodness you are okay. :-D <3

More cycling in London - a Boris Johnson idea & a good one too.

It's the cyclists' duty to use their brain - nobody else can do that for them.

Dermot, that is if they have one!!

Uzzi, I must have had practice when there to make me cyclist aware. I think you actually have more of them though!! Strangely didn't se so many trikes this year. :-D

Glad your alright Ann ,.cyclist should not be on the pavement we get it in our village .they expect us to move its crazy, people could be badly hurt. everybody`s in such a rush these days ..Take Care Barbra :-)

Blimey Ann :-0 <3 <3

I was walking through Guildford town centre once when I heard a load of shouting and swearing behind me. When I turned round there was a man in his 50s , on a bike and he was shouting at ME. " get out of the f****** way " .

Now not only was it bad enough that he was on the pavement and I know it is a struggle to get up that hill sometimes on foot BUT the road is pedestrianised !!!!! Surely he would have been better off there, with no cars, even though he shouldn't have been, than on the path. ( just thought, the road is cobbled, the pavement would have been easier if those pesky pedestrians hadn't got in his way ).

Glad you have made it through the last couple of days unscathed, if not a bit rattled, Ann.

M.

Perhaps if enough people were to complain to the Police/Local Coucil,things mey get done, or If they were fined for the offence and it was published ,maybe ,just maybe they would take notice. I had sa similar experience whilst walking Sasha alon the front, Cycling is allowed but pedestrians have precedence.He shouted at me to get out of his effing way, I did,nt he stopped and I told him in no uncertain terms to be careful or he would be wearing his bike as a neck ornament.needless to say he rode of muttering. :-D

Well OH has two mobility scooters the first one he has had limited use because although it came apart the bits were too heavy for me to put in and out the car boot.

A few weeks ago he got a smaller one that I can handle so it's had some use
He has been to the local hospital a few times and we have used it .in that I can get it out the boot and put it back in again

Because of his dementia he struggles with the controls and I have been with him to guide his movements
We have found folks very understanding with him and wait as he manoeuvres . I smile and say thanks,he needs L Plates as he is just learning . Sometimes it needs me to put in in neutral and manually get it in place but we have found folks very patient with us when I speak up
Guess it's like L drivers everyone starts with no idea on how to steer the vehicle

But it must be a what ???? When a mobility scooter drives regardless of others

I appreciate the difficulties of mobility scooter and electric wheel chairs, it must be a bit of a nightmare and it was nice today to be thanked twice by the same man for letting him through when shopping at the Range. What is annoying is the arrogance of some mobilty scooter users who think that they deserve to whoosh in front of me and others thus almost taking us with them.

I don't always hear cyclists until they have whooshed past me, and am glad so far that I haven't been in wobble mode and stepped to the left or right as I am liable to do. I had two go either side of me the other day, but they were coming towards me and both of them had a second person on the bike (which is not allowed) and they were clowning around.

Came back from the bank this morning and blow me a chap on his mobility scooter did a diagonal crossing across the middle of the road. He was right at the spot where I was going to be, to do a right turn and a breakdown van was travelling past on my left. He was very lucky he was not collected, he certainly did whip across the road though, flat tack without looking.

Frightening Persie. I wonder how many of those on mobility scooters have ever actually driven a car. Some of them seem to have no road sense at all.

Interesting to note that it is not just a UK problem though.