"CJG" wrote in message
news
In message m, Martin
Underwood writes
In terms of cycling on pavements, I can't help thinking that on a quiet
pavement on a fast road with no pedestrians around, the pavement is the
best place for a cyclist to be

Until someone steps out of their garden/house/shop onto the pavement
without first looking to make sure no cyclists are taking advantage of a
quiet road.

As I said before, most pedestrians don't even look before walking out in
front of other pedestrians, so what hope is there for them looking for
cyclists? If only pedestrians were as disciplined as motorists.

I was talking about a deserted pavement in the countryside, not one with
driveways and shops on.

Reluctantly I still think that the differential speed between pedestrian and
bike (20 mph) is better than the differential speed between car and bike (40
mph). The moral of the story is that there should be many more cycle/horse
lanes.

Cyclists should only be on the pavement if they are off their bike and
walking it along.
And certain cyclists need to remember that red lights at pedestrian
crossings apply to them too. Crossing the road at crossing A whole group
of us and cyclist nearly went into us. Straight through a red light.

And also that zebra crossings apply to them. I witnessed a nasty accident
once where a cyclist was riding hell for leather down Blackboy Hill in
Bristol, weaving around cars, and failed to stop at a zebra crossing at
which all the other cars had stopped. He tried to swerve around the
pedestrian who was on the crossing, skidded and cannoned into first the
person on the crossing and then a load of passers by on the pavement. He and
his bike came off worst (poetic justice for once) though he threatened to
"sue the arse" off the woman on the zebra crossing - until he saw a
conveniently-placed policeman and realised the he didn't have a leg to stand
on (or a bike to sit on!).