Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Cyclists on pavements
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?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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We have a funny mix at the mo of cyclist/pedestrian blending, and not. In many other countries it's the norm, and uncontroversial. Cycles and pedestrians mix a whole lot better than cycles and cars, and even more so artic lorries.
Most of Tottenham High Road pavement, which has extra wide pavements, is a mixed cycle/pedestrian zone. What stops it working is the foot people who wander all over the cycle paths in those places where they are marked out - perhaps because TfL neglected to paint them in blue or green when they were repaved - this is CS1 a proper cycle path. There are other stretches not segregated, just have little signs with bike/person on. As long as cyclists keep their speed down it works just fine. There's a mad bit by the tube entrance that has little stretches marked out which then stop because of crowds overlapping from bus stops, its been like it for a couple of years now but I've seen about a dozen cyclists use it in that time - they seem to prefer to dice with death in the bus lane.
If there were proper bike lanes beyond a few yards here and there I'd be out on the bike all the time. But I'm a coward. I am happy to walk the same pavements as cyclists, sans umbrellas though.
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Permalink Reply by Paul C on
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Meanwhile, I was nearly knocked off my bike - on the road - six times in half an hour by pedestrians wandering into the road.
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Permalink Reply by Nick on
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If you have that many near misses perhaps you should try cycling more defensively.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Classic victim blaming.
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It's actually not. If someone is almost crashing into pedestrians six times in 30 minutes, they're either unbelievably unlucky or doing something wrong.
Usually that's riding too close to parked cars (which is unwise but understandable given the grief you get for doing otherwise) or filtering too quickly or carelessly through traffic, which is stupid.
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Pedestrians are now crossing the road using their ears to "look right", it's a new thing. I travel in the middle of the lane as I'm doing the motor vehicle speed limit as a minimum but still I have to shout at perhaps a pedestrian a day that is half way out in the lane, looking left, and ready to run for it. The worst patch is Green Lanes down by Newington Green.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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Pedestrians are now crossing the road with phones clamped to their (usually ) right ear. They won't get much audible warning of approaching traffic and the phone obstructs their vision to the right.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Maybe stop and let them cross?
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Come for a ride with me Michael. It's a nice idea but I think you need to feel the fear of being hit from behind.
And if you were in a car down at the Newington Green End of Green Lanes, doing 20 mph and stopped randomly in the middle of the road to let a pedestrian cross, you'd probably cause an accident.
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Let's compare a simple journey then. To get from my house to Sainsbury's I have to cross eight roads and negotiate
Broken pavements
Litter bins
Phone boxes
Traders goods
Tables
Chairs
Dumped rubbish
Dog shit
Bikes
The occasion motorbike
Vehicles mounting the pavement
And I share the pavement with lots of other people, some with buggies, some with trolleys, kids on scooters, all going in different directions
Your journey would involve one, lovely, unbroken road, fairly well maintained with no random obstacles and now and then people trying to cross while looking at and thinking about all of the things l've listed above.
I think you're the one who has an easy life frankly.
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Permalink Reply by Mavic Starfish on
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Where is the mythical road you talk of, hopefully it goes to White City so I won't have to use the roads I use filled with lots of obstacles to be negotiated. Cars , , very fast cars, lorries buses HGVs and sucidal pedestrians, and of course umbrella wielding supergrans, doing their best Sir Lancelot impressions.
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All roads are continuous Marc, except when they end in a cul de sac. Pavements are completely contained by roads as this city is designed for the convenience of wheels, not feet. By the way, every time I cross the road I also have to deal,with the issues you mention.
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