Pedestrians...you gotta love 'em

Mike67

Me and the family were off out in the car this morning to do our favourite weekend activity...shopping...bleugh
(Don't worry I got my ride in earlier)

I was driving and on a main A road we came up and passed a female rider doing a fair speed.
I spent a few seconds admiring her technique/bike etc before we passed of course

A few hundred yards later we came to a halt at a pedestrian crossing and I kept an eye out for the cyclist as I knew she would catch up soon.

Just as she came up to the back of our car a rather rotund lady stepped into the road behind our car (not on the crossing) straight in front of her. She (the cyclist) went straight over sideways still clipped in.

She seemed OK as a number of people (mostly male) rushed in to help her up. She rode off fairly quickly seemingly very calm. Most admirable self control I thought.

Is it me or do most people just walk around in a daze most of the time? If she'd walked out in front of me and knocked me off I'm sure I'd have had a few more words to say about it

rake

its the menace of cycling. did she protest at the cyclist?

Mike67

No, to give her some credit, she did apologise and looked pretty sheepish.
Maybe she'll actually look before stepping into the road next time.

I just found it hard to believe what I was seeing in my mirror.

careful

Pedestrians are just people. People are stupid. Just think how stupid the average person is - around half the population are even more stupid than that!

bartimaeus

Just think how stupid the average person is - around half the population are even more stupid than that!

I'd never thought of it like that... frightening, isn't it :shock:

NDawn

For me it is opposite here in Manchester. This last week i saw 9 different types of cyclist run red lights. I go to cross, they don't stop. I am a cyclist and I always stop at every red light. But they'll learn one day when they get side swiped by a car and are rolling around in agony.

bompington

NDawn wrote:

For me it is opposite here in Manchester. This last week i saw 9 different types of cyclist run red lights. I go to cross, they don't stop. I am a cyclist and I always stop at every red light

Stiff arm tackle is quite effective.

But what seriously fascinates me is - can you list the 9 types of cyclist, preferably by category and sub-category?

kanto

Pedestrians are probably the biggest pest to a road cyclist. There are so many that are selfish, reckless, and extremely dangerous. I see it all the time, and there is rarely a ride I don't get someone step out in front of me. I will often say something like "look", as many don't even turn their head before crossing, or even look as they are crossing mid way. There are some pedestrians who notice you coming, and then speed up to a scamper, so I don't really say anything to those pedestrians as they make the effort to cross quickly.

What amazes me is that many of these pedestrians cross the road without looking at places 20 metres from a zebra crossing, or traffic lights. And often they are old people who can't even walk properly, women with push chairs, or people who generally take 30 seconds to get across.

If only more pedestrians acknowledged their mistake or sped up when walk out in front of you, instead of pottering along the road. We all make mistakes, and if I pull out in front of a car if I haven't seen them, I will put my hand up and say sorry, but these pedestrians walk out in front of you, and carry on like they have done nothing wrong lol!

One thing that is a problem is that so many of these pedestrians use their hearing to cross the road, which is extremely wrong. Often you won't hear a car approaching, unless you turn to look, so even though many pedestrians miss you because they don't hear you on a bike, it is a really bad way to cross a road. Mind you, pedestrians are always walking out in front of cars, it is just that walking out in front of a cyclist is much more dangerous, especially to the cyclist who is likely to get injured more than the pedestrian if a clash occurs.

ruswilks

You can find just as many bad examples of cyclists- going straight through zebra crossings as pedestrians are using them, jumping red lights, not looking and/or signalling when changing lane or approaching a junction, shortcutting across the pavement, riding against traffic on one way streets etc. I've taken to assuming everyone else on the road is an idiot and will move unexpectedly, won't signal etc, it is the only way to make sure I'm safe, whether riding, walking or driving!

kanto

Rus, you are right about Zebra crossings and lights. I see quite a few casual cyclists just ride through them like they are not there. Sometimes you almost feel like shouting at them, as they are giving cyclists a bad name, and pedestrians are going to be less likely to use those points if people just ride straight through them. Pedestrians often seem shocked when I stop at zebra crossings, and I'm guessing that is due to a lot blazing through.

freehub

Yesterday in Malton a bunch of "peds" walked out into the road on a green light, then when they seen us coming, they just all stood there, they were polish immigrants.

In Manchester these stupid "peds" walk around like zombies, they look for cars both ways, but seem to see right through cyclists travelling at 20-30mph, even if they just walk out I won't stop, I just skim them, that'll teach em to look left and look right and not see through cyclists.

I find it interesting when I'm pulling up to a red light at 20mph, the "peds" just stop in the road or are unsure to cross thinking I'm going to run the light, despite me slowing down, even pulling up to the lights at 3mph they think I'm still going through it. Some even wave or say thanks when I stop, as if I'm only stopping to be kind and let them through.

lvquestpaddler

Most are in their own wee world phoning/texting, MP3/iPod deaf, and on shared paths it's a whole different ball game with dogs off leads, melon headed kids aimlessly running about, and taking up the whole path then scatter in all directions when they do see you eventually. Some towns are significantly worse- the elephants graveyard of my place of birth, St Andrews, is one, and like other south coast towns to quote Jack Dee , it's like the start of MJ's "Thriller"

Weejie54

and on shared paths it's a whole different ball game with dogs off leads, melon headed kids aimlessly running about, and taking up the whole path then scatter in all directions when they do see you eventually.

Ahh.... The Sustrans path between Kilbirnie and Kilbarchan....

Fond memories of all manner of buggies and prams....

Even worse was the path between Whiteinch and Yoker - part of my commute when the Refrew ferry was running. Apart from the tons of glass on the track, there were neds on scooters, guys putting their cars on the path to load up pigeon baskets..hurling abuse if you wanted to get past them....

The Aberdeen - Ballater is relatively trouble free - but I still reckon it's probably safer battling with the traffic on the main road.

NDawn

bompington wrote:

NDawn wrote:

For me it is opposite here in Manchester. This last week i saw 9 different types of cyclist run red lights. I go to cross, they don't stop. I am a cyclist and I always stop at every red light

Stiff arm tackle is quite effective.

But what seriously fascinates me is - can you list the 9 types of cyclist, preferably by category and sub-category?

1 - Guy on fold away commuter wearing a suit (wearing a helmet)
2 - Young guy on bmx (not wearing helmet)
3 - Guy on old rusty bike in jeans (not wearing helmet)
4 - Guy in full lycra and decent looking bike (wearing helmet)
5 - Guy on mtb plus backpack (wearing helmet)
6 - Guy on tourer + panniers/bag (wearing helmet)
7 - Woman on basic looking mtb (not wearing helmet)
8 - Woman on basic looking road bike + bag (wearing helmet)

Well 8 different types rather than 9, but I should maybe start doing bike spotting so to standardize what we defines as types of cyclists

The thing is they go through red lights on pedestrian corssings AND at fairly major junctions. As someone earlier said it gives us a bad name, I just wish time and again that when they jump the light they get pulled by the police.

kettrinboy

The only people i,ll give some quarter to if they step out in front of me ie i,ll not shout "why dont you look you t**t" are the a: the elderly who perhaps cant see or hear you very well, and :b the very young who dont know any better. the worst offenders are these people who wander about with their i-pods blaring in their ears or on mobiles and havnt got a clue whats going on around them,when youve been riding a while you develop a sort of sixth sense as you approach people whether they will step out, but its a pain that we have to do their thinking for them,

hells

I don't fit into your 8 types of cyclist. Woman on a CX with rack, paniers and backpack and helmet, woman on a expensive race bike with helmet or woman on an expensive xc mtb with helmet and camel back

NDawn

hells wrote:

I don't fit into your 8 types of cyclist. Woman on a CX with rack, paniers and backpack and helmet, woman on a expensive race bike with helmet or woman on an expensive xc mtb with helmet and camel back

Probably because I didn't see your type and I'm sure you don't run red lights. I think it's a Northern city thing but as I said in one week I noticed all those people I listed running a red light at a junction.

mattward1979

ruswilks wrote:

I've taken to assuming everyone else on the road is an idiot and will move unexpectedly, won't signal etc, it is the only way to make sure I'm safe, whether riding, walking or driving!

This is an ultimate truth of life. I was told this by my mum 15 years ago, and it is still true today...

JUST this morning, nearly over the top of the bonnet of a twat wagon coming across a roundabout, my scream of "Wake up you dozy C***" fell on non-understanding ears, then 5 miles later, another dildo in a can cut me up with 2-3cm to spare as I passed an island.. This one in particular had me reaching for my ever handy D Lock...

Im a big guy... 6'4" and a fair lump of meat.. How does being on a bike suddenly make me invisible?!

tx14

i think it's more difficult to judge a bikes speed than a car. either that or i'm actually invisible.

Anonymous

there's some proper idiots round here. At one dangerous junction in particular, which has an underpass, there are several lanes merging, from above, behind and in front. So a driver already has far too much to check as it is
Unfortunately, pedestrians insist on trying to run across teh road at the last second, even mothers with pushchairs - rather than use the underpass or wait for the traffic lights.

londonbairn

I find bellowing "OI" or "LOOK" as you pass closely has a good impact

neeb

One thing that is a problem is that so many of these pedestrians use their hearing to cross the road, which is extremely wrong.

This is one of the biggest problems for cyclists. A noisy campagnolo freehub helps. Or just riding straight at them fast enough so that they can hear your tyres swishing on the road before getting the fright of their lives and jumping out of the way. Wearing lycra, having a particularly spiky helmet and f*ck*ff shades, and sticking your head forward and grimacing like cav in a sprint adds to the amusing effect when they finally see you. I guess things will improve in 30 years time when cars are all quiet and electric and peds have learned that not looking carries a greater than 50% chance of death...

On shared paths, families are the worst. What is it about having kids that makes people think they have a god-given right to completely dominate the local environment by scattering themselves, their multiple noisy offspring and their dogs across the full width of a pathway, joined together by various tethers and trip wires, and (what's much worse) make no effort to get out of the way even after they have seen you coming? I guess they think that because they have kids to look after they are somehow hard-done-by, as if they are doing society a favour as opposed to just contributing to global overpopulation, conspicuous consumption and the destruction of the environment..

redvee

londonbairn wrote:

I find bellowing "OI" or "LOOK" as you pass closely has a good impact

Works for me too and stopping at redlight crossings confuses the hell out of them, especially if you leave the braking till you get into the ASL

unixnerd

The Cairngorm National Park Authority got an electric car to be all green and what not, anyone who drives it has to have had a driving lesson in it to make them aware of the fact that folk can't hear it.

I used to have quite a noisy front brake, it was excellent at making peds get off the cycle path :twisted: If I'm passing folk on the pavement and they've not seen me I always go a bit further out but I've had a few close calls with tourists on the main street.

tebbit

You'd have thought that the unobservant would have been bred out of the gene pool by evolution by now

Zombie_donkey

tebbit wrote:

You'd have thought that the unobservant would have been bred out of the gene pool by evolution by now

Sadly the pesky NHS keeps fixing them when they get run down, this gives them time to breed.

If I get slowed down by a day dreaming pedestrian I stay philosophical about it. It's joggers with iPods that do my head in.

I have also noticed that only small dogs try and kill me on my bike. If its a Westy or similar I normally stop and make friends with it. My Bichon Frise used to hate bikes untiI I got one. He's learned not to fear them.

I got chased by a Pekanese with a muzzle one day. Oh how I laughed.