My first accident and some suprising trousers!

damnedinflames

/unlurk

Been commuting to the trainstation and back for a new job for about 3 months now - just had my first Fsck up.
Had to mount a pavement to get round road works - pedestrian infront stepped to the side I slammed on the breaks as I hit a divet in the pavement and went sideways faster than I could unhook my feet (not the pedestrians fault - he couldn't hear me over the wind and car horns and was avoiding an obstruction himself)
Anyway to the point - I now have a massive bruise and cut down 1 thigh and mashed my knee up - bled into my socks - but my cheapo aldi bib trousers - are unscathed bar one small rub mark!
I'm dead impressed - it's like magic!

/lurk

Jen J

damnedinflames wrote:

/unlurk

Been commuting to the trainstation and back for a new job for about 3 months now - just had my first Fsck up.
Had to mount a pavement to get round road works - pedestrian infront stepped to the side I slammed on the breaks as I hit a divet in the pavement and went sideways faster than I could unhook my feet (not the pedestrians fault - he couldn't hear me over the wind and car horns and was avoiding an obstruction himself)
Anyway to the point - I now have a massive bruise and cut down 1 thigh and mashed my knee up - bled into my socks - but my cheapo aldi bib trousers - are unscathed bar one small rub mark!
I'm dead impressed - it's like magic!

/lurk

Ummm...sorry to sound harsh on your first post (welcome!) but if you had to go onto the (narrow from your description) pavement that pedestrians were using, shouldn't you have got off and walked your bike?

Hope you recover soon.

damnedinflames

Other than the one guy the pavement was empty - he was stationary when I got on the pavement (waiting for a taxi I think) and I had plenty of room to get past, I was going walking pace or slower
A bad decision - maybe - but I'm the only one who got hurt - and I learnt my lesson.

Jen J

damnedinflames wrote:

Other than the one guy the pavement was empty - he was stationary when I got on the pavement (waiting for a taxi I think) and I had plenty of room to get past, I was going walking pace or slowerA bad decision - maybe - but I'm the only one who got hurt - and I learnt my lesson.

Well I'm new at this myself, and I'm not sure what the 'right' thing to do would have been.
Where I am there are plenty of signs warning of fines for riding on pavements, and plenty of people walking on them, so it's never really an option for me!
Good news on the trousers

spen666

riding on the pavement is ILLEGAL.

You were in the wrong. No ifs, no buts, You were in the wrong.

Get off and walk next time

dondare

spen666 wrote:

riding on the pavement is ILLEGAL.

You were in the wrong. No ifs, no buts, You were in the wrong.

Get off and walk next time

Thank you, Mr. Tact.

But it could have been worse, supposing the ped had tripped, hurt himself and blamed you; a cyclist on the footpath doesn't have a leg to stand on, as it were. So yes, dismount and walk.
Oh, and sorry to hear about your injuries.

Harry B

dondare wrote:

spen666 wrote:

riding on the pavement is ILLEGAL.

You were in the wrong. No ifs, no buts, You were in the wrong.

Get off and walk next time

Thank you, Mr. Tact.

But it could have been worse, supposing the ped had tripped, hurt himself and blamed you; a cyclist on the footpath doesn't have a leg to stand on, as it were. So yes, dismount and walk.
Oh, and sorry to hear about your injuries.

Blimey :shock: Ease up a bit guys. I'm sure we've all gone on the pavement at some time or other. "Let he who is without going on the pavement cast the first stone"

ride_whenever

as a former lurker you must be aware of the flack cyclists get for pavement cycling, rlj etc...

as responsible cyclists we must try not to antagonise other road users by flaunting our untracable position...

Bikerbaboon

Harry B wrote:

dondare wrote:

spen666 wrote:

riding on the pavement is ILLEGAL.

You were in the wrong. No ifs, no buts, You were in the wrong.

Get off and walk next time

Thank you, Mr. Tact.

But it could have been worse, supposing the ped had tripped, hurt himself and blamed you; a cyclist on the footpath doesn't have a leg to stand on, as it were. So yes, dismount and walk.
Oh, and sorry to hear about your injuries.

Blimey :shock: Ease up a bit guys. I'm sure we've all gone on the pavement at some time or other. "Let he who is without going on the pavement cast the first stone"

Good luck with that.... i can see this turning in to another pavement debate so im off to get some popcorn please dont let the real good stuff start till i get back mk.

Well to get people started.....

Im sure there was gidance given to the police that if the the rider used the pavement if they thought the road situation at that time was too dangerous to ride on and was takeing care. that they should let it slide.......

grumsta

Our local polics have said there is no problem with cycling on pavements as long as it is done considerately. Police in common sense shocker.

ansbaradigeidfran

On the shorter of my routes in (NCR5!) an on-road portion in Rhos-on-sea passes a bus stop, and then a bike path along the promenade starts off to the left. The problem is that there's a forest of Sheffield stands at the start of the cycle path. My answer is to bunny-hop the kerb before the bus stop, and cycle 10m or so on the pavement. Thankfully, there aren't many pedestrians walking the prom at this time of year.

damnedinflames

If you are aware of the current state of the road around sheffield train station you'll know the road works have led to taxis using both sides of the road to queue, making the road unusable, the bike lane starts at the other end of the road they block - I needed to use about 12 feet of pavement to clear the roadwork and nose to tail taxis jamming the junction - to get to the cycle lane so I could continue my ride in a proper manner.
I'm well aware of all the issues around pavement use including the guidance from the home office in 1999 where enforcment action was discouraged unless the cyclist was riding in an unreasonable manner or putting pedestrians at risk. My personnal opinion is that the pavement issue has been fudged by government. Enforcment should be total and certain, or it should be abolished. Until then I reserve the right to use the pavement in a safe manner if the traffic or road conditions put me in danger.

Anyway - the main point of my post wasn't the circumstances of my fall - but my suprise that although my leg was mangled - my trousers covering them weren't . . .

Thanks for the warm welcome

Jen J

damnedinflames wrote:

I'm well aware of all the issues around pavement use including the guidance from the home office in 1999 where enforcment action was discouraged unless the cyclist was riding in an unreasonable manner or putting pedestrians at risk.

Until then I reserve the right to use the pavement in a safe manner if the traffic or road conditions put me in danger.

Thanks for the warm welcome

Your original post did suggest that you were putting a pedestrian at risk, and that you weren't using the pavement in a safe manner.

If it is necessary to use the pavement, then unless you can see that there are *no* pedestrians around and nowhere for them to appear from, then the only safe manner is to get off and walk.

As for the warm welcome, I did say 'welcome', but you can't expect people to condone dangerous behavious just because you're new to posting...

spen666

Re Grumsta and Bikerbaboon

There may well have been such guidance given ( I'm sure you are correct)

However, this does not change the law. You cannot use the word of a police officer to change the law - either Criminal or Civil.

If you were to be sued by a pedestrian injured following your riding on the pavement, the police guidance would do nothing to help your position.

The fact the police may not prosecute every case of cycling on the pavement does not make it legal to cycle on the pavement.

You are risking prosecution/ civil action still - but more importantly you are getting cyclists a bad name amongst pedestrians and other road users by breaking the law

grumsta

I think if you were riding considerately on the pavement then there is no risk of a pedestrian getting injured as a result.

Also, in my town they have recently put in cycle routes which go across pavements, with no signs asking cyclists to dismount.

Do you always follow every law by the letter? Never driven at 75mph on the motorway? I agree that cyclists riding inconsiderately on the pavement gives cyclists a bad name, but there should be room for common sense and consideration on both sides.

And welcome spen666 - I bought some Aldi cycling gear and it seems pretty rough and ready but maybe its tougher than I thought!

always_tyred

Cutting onto a pavement for a short stretch is about as much of a transgression as driving in a bus lane before it ends.

Even in the cycling community there seems to be a generally disproportionate response.

Hopping onto the pavement for a few feet to get around an obstacle, done considerately, is not the same as habitually using the pavement at full tilt.

They are both against the law. But then driving on the hard shoulder and sitting in a queue in the last part of a bus lane are also both against the law, but are not equivalent.

giltkid

Riding whilst p!ssed will be applauded and encouraged on this forum but don't you dare put a wheel on the pavement.

Jen J

giltkid wrote:

Riding whilst p!ssed will be applauded and encouraged on this forum but don't you dare put a wheel on the pavement.

I don't remember seeing any applauding or encouragement for doing that?

Although in the eyes of the law, one is an offence and one isn't. This forum seems to be in favour of keeping within the bounds of the law.

linsen

This is where I'd say "right then, anyone for another rich tea?"

I'm sure we all do things we're not proud of. Only experience tells us which to post on here...

And how do you delete regrettable posts, btw?

facemunk

now when I went *rse over t*t flying over my handlebars and into the A3 cos another rider on the pavement scared me into it (It was a dual path/cyclepath before anyone jumps on my ass, and a long story) I managed to have not one bruise or cut but my clothes were in tatters... (as was my bike, I vowed to never have drop bars again after that - it was their fault...)

Hi damnedinflames - pretty apt username you have there ;-)

R25 Flyer

Back on topic - well done Aldi. Typical German efficiency.

Welcome damnedinflames.

tailwindhome

Jen J wrote:

giltkid wrote:

Riding whilst p!ssed will be applauded and encouraged on this forum but don't you dare put a wheel on the pavement.

I don't remember seeing any applauding or encouragement for doing that?

Although in the eyes of the law, one is an offence and one isn't. This forum seems to be in favour of keeping within the bounds of the law.

Riding whilst p1ssed is actually an offence.

A friend of mine was charged with this offence when at Uni in Nottingham

Bit embrassing as she is now a solicitor.


EDIT>
http://www.criminal-solicitors.com/bicycles.htm

Don't know how reliable this site is, but would like to know what 'furious cycling' entails

tailwindhome

GREG T

Are you OK?

I can't believe you have nothing witty re the title of this thread

spen666

Jen J wrote:

giltkid wrote:

Riding whilst p!ssed will be applauded and encouraged on this forum but don't you dare put a wheel on the pavement.

I don't remember seeing any applauding or encouragement for doing that?

Although in the eyes of the law, one is an offence and one isn't. This forum seems to be in favour of keeping within the bounds of the law.

Both are offences in the eyes of the law

There is an offence of being drunk in charge of a bicycle - not the offence is not driving whilst alcohol in blood/urine/breath is above prescribed limit - that only applies to motor vehicles

Harry B

What a miserable bunch of old farts :shock:

Welcome Dammedinflames and ignore this lot

gradiric

The fine City police around the pedestrian areas outside St Paul's and Paternoster Sq frequently ride their police bicycles around telling others not to ride their own bikes in the pedestrian areas...Mmmmm

spen666

gradiric wrote:

The fine City police around the pedestrian areas outside St Paul's and Paternoster Sq frequently ride their police bicycles around telling others not to ride their own bikes in the pedestrian areas...Mmmmm

the do as I say not as I do approach eh?

Jay dubbleU

My trousers constantly surprise me!! :shock:

(In lieu of Greg T)

El Gordo

Wednesday evening I rode across the pedestrianised city square on my way home from a couple of hours in the pub.

Some folks round here probably think I should be sent down for life.

gradiric

I love these moral standpoint issues. It seems to divide the forum into set categories:
1. The conformists: upholding the moral standards
2. The legal eagles: well the law says...
3. The on-the-fencers: always give both sides of the argument, never decide
4. The liberalists: relax, who needs laws, let people get on with what they want to do
5. The antagonists: take the opposing view just for a reaction/argument (regardless of consistency or own standpoint)

Jen J

gradiric wrote:

I love these moral standpoint issues. It seems to divide the forum into set categories:
1. The conformists: upholding the moral standards
2. The legal eagles: well the law says...
3. The on-the-fencers: always give both sides of the argument, never decide
4. The liberalists: relax, who needs laws, let people get on with what they want to do
5. The antagonists: take the opposing view just for a reaction/argument (regardless of consistency or own standpoint)

You forgot 6. The silent majority, who roll their eyes at yet another pointless debate and stay away...;)