Cyclists bad attitude or selfish

[Morat]

How about the woman in Wigan run down by an inconsiderate cyclist travelling at speed? Some cyclists are a danger to every other person around them including other cyclists. Lycra taliban.... I think that will catch on.

 

Or the eight cyclists killed in London this year, mainly by tipper trucks.

No one has a monopoly on victimhood

[Henhouse]

 

Or the eight cyclists killed in London this year, mainly by tipper trucks.

No one has a monopoly on victimhood

You are implying the truck was at fault. Do you have evidence of this.

 

Having driven trucks through central London, I have witnessed how stupid some cyclists can be.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Was the cyclist on a leash and under control plus insured.

Incidentally what do cyclists pay for using towpaths?

 

£29.3m.

[Paul C]

You are implying the truck was at fault. Do you have evidence of this.

 

Having driven trucks through central London, I have witnessed how stupid some cyclists can be.

 

 

Good point - we must accept that a collision/accident/incident between a vulnerable party and a much larger/heavier party is not necessarily the fault of the latter. Each collision/accident/incident MUST be evaluated on its own evidence, rather than a blanket presumption across all types of these.

 

...........Which goes back to my point in post #8.

[Stephen Sugg]

To quote B0atman's post on another topic, and I realise that this may end the whole thing:

 

"there are prats in all walks of life, get over it..."

[Loafer]

Who's paying for all these towpath 'improvements'? Is it my license fee?

 

I'm moored up t'Caldon at the moment, and the towpath for most of its length is just being hardened. Now my dog can't snooze in the sun on the towpath any more. Admittedly there's been little seen of the sun lately, but it is still becoming a more dangerous place. Even getting out of the boat, in narrow sections of towpath, needs a zebra crossing drill.

 

I definitely am deaf to cycle bells. I move out of the way when they have slowed down acceptably.

 

I am definitely considering my own form of deployable stinger, near my boat.

 

I would laugh my **** off, if one of them went into the canal, upon meeting another racer in a bridge 'ole!!

Edited July 8, 2015 by DeanS
bad language against site guidelines

[Jim Batty]

 

On London's roads a large police force, cameras, and loads more technology can't do much about the behaviour of the more reckless cyclists, ...

 

The problem is those cyclists who would probably behave irresponsibly wherever they were, ...

 

As in most other categorisations of people, (e.g. anglers, walkers, dog owners, runners), some cyclists are plonkers, but a very much greater number actually act responsibly.

 

Especially in London there seems to be a much higher proportion of VERY aggressive commuters than elsewhere. Travel on any commuter train from anywhere in the Home Counties at rush hour and you will discover a breed of person with sharp elbows, pressing step, lack of eye-contact ... and no time for anyone but themselves. They will even jostle you standing on the railway platforms at Dorking or Newbury or Tring in order to get onboard ahead of you. And they will literally attempt to walk THROUGH you once you have arrived in the Big Smoke. Try walking across London Bridge against the commuter flow between 8 and 9am and you will become bruised! Seriously.

 

I reckon this is a survival habit that people adopt to deal with overcrowded and inhuman conditions. And by doing it they slowly turn themselves inhuman. And this inhumanity begins to follow them into their weekends and holidays ... and their lives in the suburbs and countryside.

 

And a few towpath cyclists have this attitude. I don't think reason will change them that much. But something like shame could. Any ideas how to apply that?

 

In many places they are dangerously racing through OUR waterways communities. Perhaps they need to be reminded of this by a few boaters now and again. In the gentlest of ways. But persistently.

[Tony Brooks]

To quote B0atman's post on another topic, and I realise that this may end the whole thing:

 

"there are prats in all walks of life, get over it..."

 

But when "prats" in other walks of life behave in a manner likely to damage other people or property there tends to be legal sanctions that can be applied and in bad cases are applied. It is simply that those who are tasked with formulating suitable rules for the waterways have stuck their heads in the sand while those staked with enforcing any rules choose not to.

 

Interesting that in over a month on the Wey and Baisingstoke canal I did not see a single cycists who was riding at what I would consider a dangerous speed for the conditions. Maybe its because the bridges on the Baisingstoke all seem to be called "Cyclists must dismount" and a couple of times a week rangers are on the lock flights. On the Wey much of the towpath has been resurfaced in dredged sandy soil so cyclists going fast tend to fall off (as I witnessed). The rest of the towpaths seem to be rather lumpy.

 

BW and now CaRT chose to "accept the cyclists money" to improve towpaths so now boaters and pedestrians are suffering for it. Part of the agreement for accepting money for towpath "improvements" and cycle route signage should have been for the organisation providing the cash to also provide an on-going ranger service.

[the barnacle]

Who's paying for all these towpath 'improvements'? Is it my license fee?

 

I'm moored up t'Caldon at the moment, and the towpath for most of its length is just being hardened. Now my dog can't snooze in the sun on the towpath any more. Admittedly there's been little seen of the sun lately, but it is still becoming a more dangerous place. Even getting out of the boat, in narrow sections of towpath, needs a zebra crossing drill.

 

I definitely am deaf to cycle bells. I move out of the way when they have slowed down acceptably.

 

I am definitely considering my own form of deployable stinger, near my boat.

 

I would laugh my coc* off, if one of them went into the canal, upon meeting another racer in a bridge 'ole!!

 

i think me the tax payer subsidies your boating / upkeep costs? - is the stinger a threat? please explain more about this? i bike with my kids along the canal path, not sure its called a "Tow" path now? and would be interested to know what your proposing to do now you have stated it.

[b0atman]

Stingers are a no go think of the pets feet.

Simply levering up the pathway to give a camber towards the canal should do it .

Steady cyclists and walkers would have no problem and water would run off into the canal.

[DeanS]

could we steer the thread away from "how to cause physical injury to cyclists" .

 

I propose leaving a chair (slightly) on the towpath perhaps if you are seriously worried by their speed...it would cause them to slow down past your boat. No need for anything worse.

 

A more creative idea would be to buy a ceramic tortoise, and place it on the towpath, with a small sign saying..."please don't ride over the tortoise"....

[peterboat]

I filled in a CRT questioner a while ago and put my concerns on there about cyclists they printed the results and a lot of other peoples concerns where about cyclists so just maybe they will do something about it

 

Peter

[magnetman]

could we steer the thread away from "how to cause physical injury to cyclists" .

 

I propose leaving a chair (slightly) on the towpath perhaps if you are seriously worried by their speed...it would cause them to slow down past your boat. No need for anything worse.

 

A more creative idea would be to buy a ceramic tortoise, and place it on the towpath, with a small sign saying..."please don't ride over the tortoise"....

You would need quite a few tortoises to cover the average width of surface available to cyclists and it may simply cause them to swerve shockingly and impact innocent pedestrians (innocent in the sense of out for a walk - they may be burglars but for the purpose of this argument they are "innocent".

 

Possibly a sign saying "FREE beer for all cyclists " may have some effect but I doubt even that would do much

Maybe "free innertubes on offer as there has been a local drawing pin spillage in the area. While stocks last" would help?

[Paul C]

I filled in a CRT questioner a while ago and put my concerns on there about cyclists they printed the results and a lot of other peoples concerns where about cyclists so just maybe they will do something about it

 

Peter

 

I think they printed out the responses, folded them into an Origami Duck shape, then released them into the nearest canal they could find and let them drift away.

[adam1uk]

I would laugh my **** off, if one of them went into the canal, upon meeting another racer in a bridge 'ole!!

 

You'll probably enjoy this article, then.

[Paul C]

Another solution - and I'm amazed its not been done already - is to simply make the towpath non-continuous. Realistically, a negligible amount of boats actually need towing by horses any more. Boaters don't need the towpath to be continuous - just enough to get to the access they're seeking such as a bridge etc. If walkers (including dog walkers) needed to get past one of the barriers which prevent it being continuous, they could simply await a friendly boater and flag them down. I dare say considerate cyclists would also be treated with similar respect.

[magnetman]

I suppose a barrier could be installed under all bridges with steps both sides of the bridge for access so that it is a walk up and down back to the canal. Pain in the ess for people with prams or wheelchairs but it would surely sort the bikes out !

[Jerra]

I suppose a barrier could be installed under all bridges with steps both sides of the bridge for access so that it is a walk up and down back to the canal. Pain in the ess for people with prams or wheelchairs but it would surely sort the bikes out !

How about a self closing gate with something like a radar key for opening. If the gate self locked at least the bikes would have to stop and open it. Parents and disabled could easily get a key as could the cyclists but it would slow them down.

 

Possibly remove some of the attraction for the speed merchants.

[magnetman]

How about a self closing gate with something like a radar key for opening. If the gate self locked at least the bikes would have to stop and open it. Parents and disabled could easily get a key as could the cyclists but it would slow them down.

 

Possibly remove some of the attraction for the speed merchants.

That's a sound idea

 

I did take on board your earlier comment about walking on roads - yes I am in the wrong part of the country for that particular activity ! And also in the wrong area for walking on the towpath with small children

 

Never mind its not that bad at least nobody is dropping bombs on us !!

[andy the hammer]

I recently contacted C.A.R.T. regarding cyclists on the K.A. and in response they directed me to the link below.

 

 

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/news/new-policy-aims-to-give-better-towpaths-for-everyone

[sirweste]

Opposite to most of the posters in the last two pages I do not have a problem with cyclists using the towpath. I do however get annoyed with boater that seem to think that the section they are moored up on become their garden, leaving chairs and other assorted things on it.

 

When I step off my boat onto the path I tend to have a look around because I'm aware it's not my path and it has a wide variety of users. As when stepping off the pavement onto the road I almost always look first, despite pedestrians having right of way on the road.

 

Must admit that I find the attitude of someone stood square in the path obstructing a persons passage until they deem their speed to be acceptable appalling. As with cars on roads I'm much more concerned with the ability and concentration of a driver than I am with speed. I personally believe the authorities have it wrong with their enforcement and more concentration / better drivers are what's required more than reduced speeds - the opinion I have of bike riders really.

 

[Stephen Sugg]

 

But when "prats" in other walks of life behave in a manner likely to damage other people or property there tends to be legal sanctions that can be applied and in bad cases are applied. It is simply that those who are tasked with formulating suitable rules for the waterways have stuck their heads in the sand while those staked with enforcing any rules choose not to.

 

Interesting that in over a month on the Wey and Baisingstoke canal I did not see a single cycists who was riding at what I would consider a dangerous speed for the conditions. Maybe its because the bridges on the Baisingstoke all seem to be called "Cyclists must dismount" and a couple of times a week rangers are on the lock flights. On the Wey much of the towpath has been resurfaced in dredged sandy soil so cyclists going fast tend to fall off (as I witnessed). The rest of the towpaths seem to be rather lumpy.

 

BW and now CaRT chose to "accept the cyclists money" to improve towpaths so now boaters and pedestrians are suffering for it. Part of the agreement for accepting money for towpath "improvements" and cycle route signage should have been for the organisation providing the cash to also provide an on-going ranger service.

I cycle around Pyrford every so often, it's good cycling there but busy and you have to keep an eye out for walkers. Quite often I stop and let people walk past me, before I carry on. The locks on the Thames are also no go areas on a bike (big signs saying so) and I have seen lockies enforce this. Also, and this is probably not a well visited lock, but the one in Shoreham Harbour (where I live) has massive lock gates that you can cycle over but not allowed to and last week the lockie there was doing his nut at a bloke who ignored him. When the cyclist got me to I pointed this out and he said "who cares, what's he going to do?" I said, as I had stopped him at this point, that eventually all access to the lock will be banned if people keep ignoring the signs, he shrugged and ignorantly moved on.

 

Any half decent path will be used by cyclists, many like me. The same as footpaths, there's not a lot you can do about it if the rules aren't enforced, as for enforcement, a lot depends on the audience, do they know, do they want to listen? A large part of Shoreham town centre is on a national cycle route, the majority of which is off road. There are signs everywhere asking cyclists not to use the pavement, they still do. I, my partner and my daughter walk along there a lot and quite often get the "ding" of a bell. We politely point to the signs, they read them and about 90% go on the road. The remainder stay stuck behind us.

[Jim Riley]

Tow paths should be Uni Cycle only. Problem solved

I'm all right jack! Is there a restriction on height? Lessons anyone?

[Fat Boat]

any reason why we cant have kissing gates, 3rd one down has an ability to open to allow moterised wheelchairs through so that would work for people with prams

 

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/accessiblereserves

[Tony Brooks]

Whilst travelling around the system it is clear that where such gates and other obstructions are already in place they tend to be vandalised or circumvented in some way. Lack of maintenance takes care of the many others.

 

In the final analysis the only way to prevents the "prats" of this world damaging and disrupting the majority is to have enforceable sanctions that ARE ENFORCED.

 

I have no answer other than that and the talk in this thread about what amounts to vigilante action indicates that those who are charged with ensuing public safety are falling down on the job. I include our MPs in that because, as I have said before, legislation is probably required.