General Chat

My son came home from college yesterday with a written warning for cycling on the pavement. We warned him that the police are clamping down on that in this area, so what did he do? - you got it, he cycled behind 2 community police officers - so what can he expect - law is law after all, even though the roads round here are to dangerous for cycles - thing is these officers seem to lump all teenage boys together as yobs and thats not fair. We do have a few cycle lanes, half the seafront is and the other half isn't. Quieter roads have and but busy roads haven't. We have cycle lanes where cars park legally, but cycle lanes near schools or colleges never. I just needed a moan.

Hi, I read somewhere if you don't have a helmet it's illegal to ride on the road, so the only other option is the pavement or not ride. I don't see the problem with bikes on the pavement as long as cyclists are careful. AL

We live on a busy-ish road with parked cars on both sides so the kids tend to cycle on the pavement. I don't mind for the primary age children but the teenagers can be a menace. We are near the bottom of a long hill and so they like to see how fast they can get. By the time they reach us they are going incredibly fast - faster than the cars sometimes, and stepping off the drive onto the pavement you take your life in your hands. They would never be able to stop if a small child ran out. They also don't wear helmets so one day there's going to be a dreadful accident. Janice

I really don't like bikes because I have been run down by them on several occasions! On the pavement, at traffic lights (yes, the green man was on!) etc etc. So long as the police officers warn *everyone* who does that then I don't see what the problem is. If they are only targeting specific groups i.e. teenage boys then thats wrong.

In many cases its the parents who tell young children to ride on the pavement as its safer( for them anyway), the trouble is as they grow older they think that its OK for them to bomb along the same way, I've actually heard one teenager shout at someone on the pavement to get out of the way. What can you do if the Police cant be bothered to do anything about it, and if they see it they look the other way, 'Children, to risky to stop them , they might complain???'. Len

Up to the age of 12, fine, I accept it is safer for kids to ride the pavements. Teenagers upwards should have enough road sense to use the roads, suitably attired, or walk! I worked in Manchester up to a year ago and students wove in and out of pedestrians at will.......I felt like sticking my arm out to indicate the direction I was walking! Anyone with a weak heart could die with shock when a cyclist comes out of nowhere, from behind. Sorry, but in my book, pavements are for pedestrians/children/disabled users. Lily

Personally, I think it should be allowed to cycle on pavements. I don't mean race and tear along, but leisurely. It is much safer. In Germany it is allowed. We have so many cycle paths here in the Netherlands that it isn't necessary, although I don't think the police would mind anyone cycling on the pavement. Sylvia xxx

First thing to say is that it is illegal and secondly, as an old fogey, it,s dangerous. Thirdly, I would encourage my grand-children to do it, for obvious reasons. About 25 years ago, I was police prosecutor in court when a magistrate asked me if I could do anything about children(youths) riding on the footpath outside the court, as it was against the law. Before I could answer, another magistrate said 'if you bring anyone before me, I would find them not guilty as it,s too dangerous on the road'. The answer to this particular problem is that there is no proper answer, but at the end of the day it is illegal. happy days

Thanks all for your comments. Believe it or not my son age 17 is hoping to join the police when he finishes his Btec in Public Services, so I was very annoyed that these new community officers seem to think all teenagers are trouble makers. I do agree it is illegal and as such think all towns should have cycle lanes on all busy roads. Our town being flat probably has more cyclists than others, so it is an issue here, so much so that even our local paper had to ask people to stop writing comments about it. I really can't see the point of putting a few cycle lanes in like they have our way without much thought at all. There is one outside a parade of shops where cars are allowed to park over them. Also a hundred yards before traffic lights but don't go anywhere. Half of the promenard [blow the spelling] has one but it is the beach side [really silly] so parents understandably walk on it while their children walk on the beach. Oh why can't we be like Denmark with sensible lanes. If cycling is illegal on pavement, now this is opening a can of worms, then what about these electric wheelchairs or buggie cars, they often bomb along with no regard, now I mustn't lump them all together but some of the occupants are really rude. Josie

Can I ask all those inconsiderate drivers NOT to stray into cycle lanes, please! Leave them clear for cyclists and then perhaps the correct people will use them..... Lily (car driver)

On Friday, in London, I got shouted at by a cyclist because I was partially blocking a cycle lane, which I admit was wrong. I then watched the same cyclist ride on the pavement and go through two sets of red traffic lights. Hypocrit.

the small town near where i live has many cycle lanes most of which r very wide and well maintained so why do the cyclist still cycle on the road !!!!! they cause mayhem by doing it on busy roads and it seems stupid as the cycle tracks r very good

It annoys me - and terrifies the dog! He's somewhat deaf now, and cyclists bombing up behind him on the pavement startle him. It doesn't happen very often luckily. What also annoys me is inconsiderate people who park their cars on the pavement - our pavements are narrow here and the road busy, Mums with pushchairs have no chance of squeezing through.

Hi I was walking down a cycle path (on the padestrian side) and to my amazement i found i had to give way to one of the councils big motorized grass cutting machines. Apparently they are allowed to drive down cycle paths. Dangerous or what.

Sylvia - the boys/men over there must be different to those in the UK - 'leisurely'? In your dreams........ And what happened to bells on bikes? Lily

So much easier for handbag snatchers to operate! When did people decide that the Law didn't apply to them? We have double yellow lines at the end of the road, but does anyone take a blind bit of notice? Handy for the shops - nobody has legs to walk these days? Lily

As a 12 or 13 year old, many, many, years ago, i was warned by a police officer for pushing my bike on the pavement. When I worked in London, I was regularly almost hit by cyclists weaving in and out of the crowds on the pavements of Tottenham Court Road, including one on a unicycle, also blade skaters. D

We have a pedestrian crossing near my home and quite a few times I have nearly been knocked down by cyclists because they completly ignore the lights when they are on stop.! Some cyclists want to classed as 'road users' and pedestrians they cant be both! Davex

Will be of no real interest. Continuing about my police career, we were taught that cyclists had to obey traffic lights. However, if the picked their bike up and carried it through red traffic lights - no offence, as it becomes a parcel. happy days

At the end of the day the answer is Common Courtesy from all road users. If Motorists were more aware and tolerant of Cyclists, or if Cyclists were more aware and tolerant of Pedestrians there would be no problem. And, of course, PEDESTRIANS HAVE PRIORITY under Law.