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Etiquette When Cycling on Footpaths
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I always pass slowly, give plenty of room, ring my bell if someone hasn't noticed me. And I'm totally happy to stop for dogs/kids/elderly/anyone, and maybe exchange a few pleasantries -- it's one of the nice things about cycling.
The responses I get from pedestrians are bewilderingly diverse! The sensible ones, just step to the side so I have room to pass safely. Others ignore me or turn round and deliberately block the path. Far too many come to a complete stop, back right up against the edge of the path, and inexplicably apologise!
To answer the OP's original question about "etiquette" when cycling on footpaths, I think (like anything else), it's just about affording each other common courtesy. There's no secret code.
At the end of the day, riding on the pavement IS breaking the law unless it's designated as a shared space.
Regardless of whether the police are prosecuting for this or not why don't more cyclists do what I do when I feel unsafe on the road - get off of the bike and push it for a bit? It might take a minute or two longer but I'm safe and within the law.
There are sides? Do we know which side is winning? Is anyone keeping score? And which side is someone on if they cycle and drive? :-/
And so is speeding, careless/dangerous driving, causing an obstruction, etc. Most people don't advocate breaking the law!
I don't know why motorists drive in a way that makes other road users feel unsafe. It may take a minute or two longer to overtake safely and stay within the speed limit, but at least everyone's safe and you're staying within the law.
I agree with you that most people don't advocate breaking the law. The responses here though seem to be going against that - saying that it's ok to cycle on the pavements because the Police don't prosecute etc.
This is precisely the reason why both motorists and pedestrians don't like us cyclists!
Turning every criticism of cycling into a moan about motorists is not helpful and will not solve anything. Regardless of what you think of motorists - you can only control your own actions, not theirs.
Not at all. Merely pointing out it's a common theme for motorists and pedestrians to complain about cyclists breaking the law whilst simultaneously ignoring all the unlawful and often dangerous things other road users do.
It seems to be because most people either walk or drive or both that it's easier to have a negative bias towards a group of road users they're not part of.[/QUOTE]
Footpaths or pavements?
Cycling on footpaths isn't illegal. Cycling on pavements often is however when the legislation was introduced it was introduced with the understanding that if a cyclist is at risk because the road is dangerous and they are giving way to pedestrians then they are not to be prosecuted.
So cycling on the pavement where there is a danger to the cyclist strictly speaking is illegal but permitted as low as they give way to pedestrians.
Driving at 1mph over the speed limit is also illegal but you won't get fined for it due to the guidelines that exist regarding when to prosecute but you don't see many motorists advocating to change that or you don't see them think all other motorists are bad because lots break the speed limit frequently.
I disagree. Even if when i'm cycling as i do without ever breaking any laws on the road i've lost count of the abuse i've got from drivers because they weren't able to overtake me for 10 seconds or so, or the abuse i've gotten from pedestrians who suddenly walk out in front of the bike because they didn't see me.
What advice can you offer to me to reduce the abuse i receive when i'm already cycling in a considerate and legal manner?
You're quick to blame cyclists for cycling on pavements (which is often perfectly legal) and yet you have no criticism of motorists who drive dangerously (which is never legal)!
How many pedestrians are killed or injured by cyclists each year, and how many cyclists are killed or injured by motorists?
And you're making no distinction between young children cycling illegally on a deserted footway, and adults cycling legally on footpaths.
You've got to have a sense of proportion. A cyclist protecting themselves from dangerous road design by cycling by using the footway simply doesn't risk the same kind of life-threatening situation that law-breaking motorists cause.
Just because the police rarely prosecute speeding and dangerous driving, it doesn't mean that motorists can just ignore the rules of the road! And that's why neither cyclists nor pedestrians like motorists.
Do you really want 5 year old kids on their way to school cycling in busy traffic rather than using the footway? What's more important? Following the letter of the law, or preventing life-changing injuries?
Exactly. So why are you focussed on blaming cyclists and accepting the illegal behaviours of motorists?
You can only control your own actions. But instead you want to frame this as yet another false battle between motorists vs cyclists vs pedestrians. You forget that the same person might be a pedestrian one day, a cyclist another, and a motorist the day after that.
Why should you have the right to criticise cyclists for illegal behaviour, while I'm not allowed to criticise motorists for (much more dangerous) illegal behaviour?
It doesn't matter whether your on a bike, in a car or on foot. You have a responsibility to ensure that you're not putting other people in danger through your actions or inactions.
One of the basic principles of using any form of mechanised transport is to always travel at a speed at which you can safely stop in the event of an emergency - such as a pedestrian suddenly stepping out into the road.
Furthermore, you should always consider other road users - I don't get abuse from car drivers when cycling because I anticipate that they're coming up behind me and, where possible, I adjust my speed so they can safely pass. I do the same when driving a car if I see that somebody wants to get past me when on open roads.
I'm sure I don't need to tell you that we're very vulnerable as cyclists. We cannot control what other road users are doing so need to anticipate what they could do and, through our own actions, protect ourselves.
Common sense really!
Why do so many motorists fail to see that their actions are causing problems for the rest of us?
Why do so many pedestrians fail to see that their actions are causing problems for the rest of us?
You can't police everyone else on the roads and footpaths. You can only be responsible for your own actions. Again, you forget that people can use different means of transport, without needing to "switch teams". No one renounces their allegiance to cyclists when they get in a car. A pedestrian doesn't turn into a different person when they ride a bike.
Why do you feel the need to attack cyclists, but not motorists? Why is the mode of transport so important in deciding whether someone is "in the right"?
This crazy tribalism is senseless.
Apart from giving bigots fodder for their rhetorical moaning I don't think they do cause problems for others. Whether cycling or driving I'm not responsible for others behaviour.