Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Cyclist Assaults Pedestrians on Wightman Road Bridge
From HoL's mailbox this evening:
"Hello I'm sorry to email you both directly, but for safety reasons I'd rather not add this on the website direct with my name appearing next to it, but was hoping you could add something without featuring my name for the safety of pedestrians walking along Wightman Road bridge at the moment.
"My partner and I were walking along Wightman Road bridge earlier tonight towards Wood Green. A cyclist came up behind us and demanded we move. We chose to ignore him, said nothing and just carried on walking along the pavement. But then he turned nasty and threatened to hit me.
"When my partner turned to him and said that there was no need for threatening behaviour especially to a woman, the cyclist punched my partner to the ground and then hit me when I tried to intevene.
"Although on a bike, it was clear he was quite large (over six foot), was muscular, around late twenties - early thirties, dark curly hair, educated sounding London voice, and mixed race. This wasn't some young thug with growing pains, this was a grown man. We have given the police a full, detailed description.
"Please can you warn pedestrians on the site to be very careful walking along the bridge at the moment, and not just from violent cyclists, but from cyclists in general who are refusing to respect pedestrian safety and are ignoring the "cyclists dismount" signs at either end of the bridge.
"It is only a short distance to walk along the pavement which is very narrow, so why can't they just pop off their bikes?.
"I fear that the trolls will have a field day with me on this but it really isn't much to ask cyclists to observe pedestrian and their own safety.
"Some say it would have been polite to have just moved for the cyclist, but on a pavement it would have been more polite if the cyclist just respected our safety, and the law as he has no right to be riding on the pavement in the first place.
"Thank you both"
Tags for Forum Posts: wightman bridge, wightman bridge closure
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by V&M on
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After I was shouted at all the way over the bridge by a furious little man I'd told to get off his motorbike, and having read about someone with a pram nearly getting squashed by a cyclist on the bridge, I called Network Rail to ask if they could put in a temporary chicane of some description. Something that would allow prams, slow down pushbikes and make it difficult for anything bulkier. They called back the next day and said that it was now a non-issue as the scaffolding bridge had replaced the pavement, and it has a chicane built in.
When I went down there that evening, I saw that this was mis-information as the pavement was still in use, but someone had arranged some traffic cones and a wheelie bin into a line at each end. I chalked Network Rail up as useless and got on with other stuff. I'm very sorry that I did that because it sounds like you've got into exactly the sort of situation I was worried about.
Apologies aside, Network Rail was made aware of this issue well before your incident and did not deal with it (actually just told a fib instead). The reference for the report I made to them on the 31st of March is 160331-000113. I suspect that if you or your partner suffer any consequential loss or ongoing inconvenience as a result of what happened to you, you'd possibly have a case with Network Rail.
Btw I'd like to be clear, I am pro-cyclist. My husband is an avid cyclist and I'd love this to be a city where cycling didn't scare the pants off me. But like everything else in the world, the setup on Wightman Rd during closure needs to factor in the lowest common denominator and in this case that means considering the small minority of cyclists (and the motorcyclists) who should be getting slowed down by something other than direct contact with pedestrians on the bridge.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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If you're walking slowly down Green Lanes and a big bloke behind you (there's not much room sometimes) says "Excuse me please, can I get past?" sounding a bit pissed off that you're walking so slowly, and you turn around and give him some attitude and say no, and he thumps you... is that so weird? But when he's on a bicycle, he's a nobody.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Guest on
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John. Leave it alone will you. I am a cyclist and while I agree it can be frustrating to be held up, but when pedestrian has the right of way they have the right of way. Nothing excuses 'thumping' anyone else. The fact is it is intimidating to have someone either walking closely behind you or cycling behind you. You are vulnerable and you are having to put your faith in the good nature of the person behind you.
Try and see it from the other perspective.
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It is not frustrating to be held up as a cyclist by a pedestrian on a footpath. Not at all, they have the right of way. Pedestrians even have the right of way in the road but it's a brave pedestrian who tries it on.
After the discussion with the young Network Rail guy last night I'm rather despairing that they're going to do MORE to make Wightman Rd less appealing as a cycle route. The sign has no basis in law and is therefore bullying, even the police won't get involved anymore and home office guidance is for cyclists not to be issued with penalty notices for just this situation (i.e. where they cannot cycle on the road). Their only recourse to enforce a behaviour they regard as dangerous (cyclists sharing a narrow space with pedestrians) is to discourage cycling. The reasons given for this were the only 80% compliance with the sign and this reported assault - so no, I'm not leaving it alone. I was assaulted last year by the mechanic in the Tottenham Lane Service Station and didn't get anything like this joy out of it.
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I am actually lost at this point as to what your argument is John. If it is that you got a wack from someone, I am with you. If it is that they are making Wightman less appealing to cyclists, again, I am with you. If it is the sign is aggressive, I do not take offense so easily, so am indifferent. If it is that you feel you have a right for pedestrians to get out of your way because they are holding you up, you are on your own on that one.
I know there is a perceived hierarchy of road users with trucks at the top and pedestrians at the bottom. God knows I rail against how I am treated on the road by cars and vans. And yes, I am fearful that one day my reliance on them all getting it right all the time is going to prove a flawed, with my trust misplaced. However, because of how shabbily I feel cyclists are treated I feel it is incumbent on us all as a collective to show we are better than that, that shit does not flow down hill! If that means getting off your bike to walk it 30m in a confined space to give other users the comfort that they do not have to see you as a threat to themselves in any shape or form then so be it, it is a small price to pay for the good will it generates!
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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I agree. If cyclists want courtesy from other road users, including pedestrians, they should show it themselves.
( Many do )
There is no justification for violence, however frustrated you feel.
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I am saying that because this man was on a bicycle, cycling is being punished. Cycling cannot stick up for itself and has no recourse to the law.
There is no way I would ever contemplate thinking I have priority over a pedestrian UNLESS it is at a traffic signal controlled intersection and let's face it, motorists feel they have priority when their light is green too.
You cannot put your faith in other people to behave better so that you will be treated as you deserve. Good luck with this but I feel it's fruitless other than adhering to "be the change you want to see".
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Oh I agree John, I am sure that people will not behave better because I try to. However, the alternative is simply that I behave as badly as everyone else- which becomes a race to the bottom.
The result then becomes that people assume the worst in everyone and never act with curtesy for fear the other person will simply ride roughshod.
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I don't agree with that Justin.
People generally do behave better if you are courteous towards them.
Where they behave badly is if you are aggressive towards them or insist on your " rights " - eg " that sign has no legal standing so I'm going to effing well push past you "
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Try opening a door for someone to allow them through first, or stepping back to allow someone through a narrow space (doorway, pavement with grocers goods spilling out into the road etc) and see how many either (1) acknowledge your existence by even looking at you, or (if you are lucky- 2) saying thank you...
We live in London and a lot (not everyone's) field of view is narrow I am afraid. I know, that is a bit cynical, and I should care less.
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Hey! Where did I say I wasn't going to comply with the sign and where the hell do you get accusing me of pushing past a pedestrian!? Not on!
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