walkways

[jojo]

Anything that might move cars off the roads gets my vote. I used to be more of a cyclist but too many close shaves with unthinking and even downright vindictive dangerous car and lorry drivers has rather put me off.
There are plenty of rude and unthinking cyclists too, unfortunately, who don't respect other users but remembering a lorry driver that overtook me and then nearly crushed me between his back wheels and a steel fence at a traffic light still makes me shudder.

 

[Jodie]

I suppose it is a bit like rock, paper, scissors with pedestrians, cyclists and motorists
all loathing each other...

In an ideal world all moving objects (people on foot, on bikes or in cars) would have
their own areas based on the speeds that they can go at (not sure where to put
skaters!) but I can't expect the land to support that many roads and lanes hehe.

I hate to see fellow pedestrians dash across the road at a 'red man' sign - it must
be a bit disconcerting for the people driving their cars.

 

[Mirius]

There will always be idiots. Cyclists making life worse for other cyclists by thoughtless and reckless actions. Bushcrafters getting access to woods and campsites blocked by their thoughtless and reckless actions. The same could be said of all forms of activities - swimming pools come to mind for example.

The majority who quietly enjoy their activities and leave so little trace that their presence isn't even noticed of course, don't get noticed, which is rather the point. But of course we are judged by the actions of the noticeable minority, not the sensible majority

 

[British Red]

Your probably right Mirius - sadly with "offroad" cyclists, I can honestly say the majority I have encountered around here have been of the rude and inconsiderate mould (not all I agree but more than half). Personally I would back a move to go to proper cycleways to keep bikes off the roads and footpaths to the benefit of all

Red

 

[irishlostboy]

...The majority of mountain bikers are ignorant idiots who shout at you and make you scuttle for the ditch when you're walking on a footpath.....

this is a side of cycling i was unaware of, and it is totally out of order. i am a generally well behaved cyclist. personally i think there should be a bike license, the same as a car license, to provide education to cyclists. my cyclist-hate is the urban cyclists who like wearing black spandex while whizzing around on their racers, with no lights, no helmet and no vizi-vest, and treat the rules of the road as something which applies to other people. i

 

[John Fenna]

I have to agree with Britih Red - there are an awful lot of cyclists who are no better than scum and can spoil it for all the decent cyclists out there.
However, if you read recent threads it would seem that there are an awful lot of fishermen/walkers/BUSHCRAFTERS doing the same!
I think the problem is endemic and it is down to the malaise gripping Britain these days - the "I have my rights" culture!
I think that anyone abusing these "rights" without even concidering the responsibilities that go with rights should have these "rights" revoked and suffer as total outcasts from society. Preferably a small off shore island should be found, one that has been totally degraded by mans thoughtless exploitation and is of no interest to a reasonable person, and these scum dropped on it equipped with a basic survival kit, a basic tent, stale rat packs, instant coffee and a full set of "rights" to bl**dy well get on with it
Once they have seen the error of their ways they would be permitted to try and swim back to rejoin decent humans again.
On second thoughts it would have to be a big island... or group of islands....is Bikini Atoll still being used for atom bomb tests?
I think that I will go with the planting of trees bit - that may give Bushcrafters of the future another set of woods to play in....

 

[dave k]

I agree there should be more cyclist training. There used to be training in school's where the plod came in and taught you how to cycle properly.

I've seen bad (afraid it's not the miniority) cycling every day as I used to cycle to work. The amount of people who run red lights is astounding - it's so dangerous and people keep doing it.. I've also been on the receiving end of abuse however - from mums in people carriers bumbling their way to work not realizing that they were trying to occupy the same space/time as me on a small bike "I didn't see you so it's not my fault"!.. to people trying to beat me up with handbags as I cycled along a cycle path (amazing that one - getting abuse at random for obeying the law!).

I was wondering if there are many more activities that I can actually do that people hate. I cycle, have a 4X4, enjoy shooting, eating what I shoot. I got abuse the other day just driving along the road - some bloke said I `should take my car where it belongs not on my road`.. considering I was driving to the beach in portland along country roads..

It doesn't take much effort to show a bit of courteous behavour what every you're doing. And please, if you're walking a dog and a cyclist has stopped to let you past, don't let the dog ravage the guy standing still on the bike please - it's happened to me twice. Not one of the people said sorry, one even laughed as I held the gate open for him.

The only thing I've been really surprised at is some people's attitude here that we should not be allowed access to the countryside. I thought of all places where people would want to share the outdoors people here would show some interest in getting everyone outside..

 

[Tadpole]

This is turning out to be a them and us hate fest, I was a cyclist until a car drove over me. I had not jumped any lights or rode over the pavement. I was wearing my high visibility jacket and three ‘cat eye’ halogen lights on the front and two flashing lights on the back. In my day-glow tights and bright yellow rucksack cover, I would be impossible to miss, if you were bothering to look for something other than a lorry or bus. The woman who drove over me claimed that she “didn’t see me” until she was parked on top of me. Until that point, I did something like 80 miles a week on my bike, and have lost count of the number of times that the car drivers have cut me up, knocked into me or generally treated me (as a cyclist) as unworthy of sharing the roads.
Some if not most car drivers reap what they sow, they cause the hatred on the roads by thinking themselves more worthy, they make it a dog eat dog fight to the lights, by driving in cycle lanes, by pushing cyclist on to the pavement, by blocking cycle spaces at the lights, by being idiots who think that the phrase “tear down the dotted line” on their licence gives them the right to force anything smaller than themselves off the road. Buses pick on vans, vans pick on 4x4, who in turn pick on everyone who is not a 4x4, big cars pick on little cars and they all pick on cyclists.

The only way I can see this changing is if everyone who wants to drive a car has to spend two years as a motorcyclist or a year on a bicycle.
If after the relevant number of years, you are still alive, you get to drive a car.
The most considerate drivers on the road today are the ones who either cycle or have ridden a two-wheeled vehicle at some time.

As for the walkers v cyclists, again I have to politely disagree, I still cycle off track, and walkers are almost as arrogant as car users, they hog the paths and clog up the tracks, walking in large groups blocking the whole of the path/track. They stick out their stick forcing cyclists in to ditches, or they deliberately spread out, making it impossible to pass. If as most of my friends do, you ring your bell merely to warn others of you approach, you get a mouthful of foul abuse or a sudden change of direction forcing you off your track in into the hedge. I’ve had little old lady ramblers trying to stick me (walking stick through the front wheel) and swearing at me as I avoid them.

 

[robin wood]

Gosh what an emotive subject. I would like to vote seperate ways I am with Red when it comes to off road mountain biking and with Tadpole and Eric on road cycling.

Bring on European style urban and rural tarmac cycleways to encourage people to cycle short distances to work and let our kids safely cycle to school.

Mountain biking in this area has become a rich kids playtime thing this is not a NIMBY attitude I am all for walkers past the door and very happy with bikes that slow to say twice walking pace as they pass walkers but the the track past my workshop is at the bottom of the MTB equivalent of the Cresta run. They come yelping and squeeling with delight and if I don't keep the gate shut accross the track pass through the farmyard well in excess of 30mph on gravel downhill. When my kids were toddling about I was genuinly woried for their safety. Over 10 years in my workshop I watch folk go by and chat with plenty, to begin with I thought it must be a thoughtless minority but as Red says it is not, we are certainly talking about more than 50% that are there primarily for the speed kicks and adreneline rush and that simply does not work when sharing a path with pedestrians.

Its a difficult one though I am into people getting out and would rather they were doing this than some of the more harmfull damaging activities they could get their kicks on.

 

[irishlostboy]

Preferably a small off shore island should be found, one that has been totally degraded by mans thoughtless exploitation and is of no interest to a reasonable person,

well, funny you should mention it, but there is this place just west of england..... but i think the polish beat you to it this time. LMAO

 

[jojo]

I have to agree with Britih Red - there are an awful lot of cyclists who are no better than scum and can spoil it for all the decent cyclists out there.
However, if you read recent threads it would seem that there are an awful lot of fishermen/walkers/BUSHCRAFTERS doing the same!
I think the problem is endemic and it is down to the malaise gripping Britain these days - the "I have my rights" culture!
I think that anyone abusing these "rights" without even concidering the responsibilities that go with rights should have these "rights" revoked and suffer as total outcasts from society. Preferably a small off shore island should be found, one that has been totally degraded by mans thoughtless exploitation and is of no interest to a reasonable person, and these scum dropped on it equipped with a basic survival kit, a basic tent, stale rat packs, instant coffee and a full set of "rights" to bl**dy well get on with it
Once they have seen the error of their ways they would be permitted to try and swim back to rejoin decent humans again.
On second thoughts it would have to be a big island... or group of islands....is Bikini Atoll still being used for atom bomb tests?
I think that I will go with the planting of trees bit - that may give Bushcrafters of the future another set of woods to play in....

I couldn't agree more, john. That business of " human rights" should also have "human duties" attached to it. An awful lot of people don't seem to care at all for anything except "their right" and will trample anybody to get their right. Somehow it's society as a whole than need a facelift.

Please don't drop them on Bikini Atoll. It's mean to be a rather beautiful place now. But if you fly about 250 mile left, there is a nice place than could be of use.... plop.....

 

[Jodie]

Well the Sustrans Connect2 walkways and cycleways project won the money...

You can watch the broadcast short programmes featuring Lorraine Kelly, Ray
Mears, Brian Blessed and Toyah Wilcox courtesy of YouTube at the People's
50 million website: http://www.thepeoples50million.org.uk/home