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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

I've just almost had an eye taken out by an old lady cycling on the busy pavement at Crouch End Broadway with an umbrella up - there are so may cyclists dangerously  weaving in and out of startled pedestrians everywhere totally unchecked that it's become ridiculous, but what to do about it?

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Wonderful example being set by the parents then.

Ed, I've asked for your account to be deleted but Hugh is indulging you. Anyone else using the C word here is gone very quickly so I presume you're special.
I had a pedestrian walk out in front of me while I was cycling on a cycle lane the other day. He didn't look before stepping out, and the result was I went over my handlebars, was laid out on the ground, am still finding it difficult to stand up or sit down days later, and am £70 lighter because I have had to replace a wheel. This isn't the first time it has happened to me. What to do about it? Should we make all pedestrians identifiable with a prominently displayed number (this gentleman refused to give me his details). Of course not, because the vast majority of pedestrians are courteous and obey the road rules. The same is true of cyclists.

Cyclists and motor cyclists should realise they are one-dimensional; in other words, they are not easily seen by pedestrians crossing the road.  They ride as if they can and should be easily avoided and that is not the case.

What to do? Give the old lady a safe place to cycle (like a separated cycle lane) in Crouch End and she probably wouldn't feel inclined to cycle on the pavement.

I agree cycling with brolly is daft though.

Getting really fed up of these anti cycling rants on here.

Katie

Perhaps I'll start a thread every time a person walks into the road right in front of me without looking when I'm on my bike, or somebody drives their car directly at me at great speed in a narrow street with a 20mph limit, or when somebody in a vehicle passes me with 1 inch to spare, or shouts at me because I'm not cycling right by the kerb, or runs a red light while I'm waiting at one, or passes me at speed and turns left immediately in front of me. I'll be posting dozens of times a week.

QED

I'm so tempted to get a camera to record these incidents but I won't wear a helmet so I'm not sure where to put it. Yes we could easily start a dozen posts a week, each.

Won't wear a helmet.

So no camera. 

Negative capability.

I used to own and wear one but am now aghast at what it means and am doing my bit for cycling by not wearing it. I am looking into a kickstarter project where a drone follows me because of a tag I'm wearing and films my cycle commute from above.

"aghast at what it means"? What does it mean, John?

I had a potentially serious accident (my own fault, trying to do a quick start on a wet road, standing on the pedal) where my bike slipped sideways from under me, taking my legs with it, while my head went straight down to the ground. The side of my helmet was flattened—I shudder to think what would have happened to my head had I not been wearing one.

Do like the drone idea, though. Rather than all of us doing that, maybe one day traffic will be officially monitored by drones.

Wearing a helmet "may" be beneficial for the individual (there is actually no evidence for this, just anecdotes like yours) but is bad for cycling (see below). It means that cycling is seen as dangerous and that helmets mitigate that danger. You may well have fallen over without the bicycle and hence without a helmet (they're only rated at 14mph which is the speed your head was going when it hit the ground) so shouldn't pedestrians wear them too? That would be great for helmet manufacturers if you could convince people. The problem is that motorists see a cyclist with a helmet and think "they're alright" and behave more dangerously around them (fact/data).

Perhaps aghast is a little strong but look what compulsory helmet wearing has done in New Zealand.

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