Cycling on Sydenham's pavements

[Annie.]

Sounds like a plan.

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[Rachael]

I see that someone is posting photos of people with their feet on train and bus seats on Twitter and getting in trending. That might be the way to go with the pavement cycling issue. Make it bigger than Sydenham.

[Tim Lund]

I see that someone is posting photos of people with their feet on train and bus seats on Twitter and getting in trending. That might be the way to go with the pavement cycling issue. Make it bigger than Sydenham.

Agreed.

[marymck]

What did we all do before mobile phones!

The mobiles have limited speakers,shame the owners don,t :0))

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Rootling around the back of the adelphi tonight, trying to find lower Robert street (curiosity getting the better of commonsense thanks to peter ackroyd) every single person I could find to ask for directions had a mobile clamped to their ear or were listening to ipods.

Found it for myself in the end. It was suitably spooky.

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[ALIB]

Cyclists on pavements is a particular bug-bear of mine. It's not the fact they are there, but also their selfish/inconsiderate/aggressive behaviour, which is detrimental to the pedestrians well-being (which is the whole point of having pavements!!)

putting things into some sort of context, I am a 42 year old male, who is of the larger build and 6ft tall.
I have been sworn at by an 8yr old girl cyclist for not getting out of her way.
I have had a male cyclist "front me up" for telling him to watch where he was going
I seem to have fortnightly encounters with yoof on their mouintain bikes who expect me to get out of their way
And a recent thing is the leaving of bicycles on the pavement outside of shop doorways.

I would hate to be a disabled or elderly person having to deal with these daily issues.

[Annie.]

That blind man that is brave enough to walk Sydenham high street,it must be so difficult.

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[Eagle]

Yes I agree bikes outside shops are a menace.

Regret we have a new generation of youngsters who have been taught they can do what they like,

[pip]

It is against the law to ride a cycle on the pavement under

section 72 of the 1935 highways act

section 129 of the 1984 road safety act

punishable by by £30.00 fixed penalty notice under

section 51 and schedule 3 of the 1988 Road traffic offenders act

I would love to see the official figures of how many of these fines have been handed out over the last 24 years.

[Eagle]

Probably FAT ZERO.

[marymck]

Many cyclists don't realize that even just whizzing closely past an elderly person can cause them to lose their balance and fall. And a fall can kill someone with an arthritic hip. Of course, as bikes aren't licensed and number plated, the culprit could never be identified and so couldn't be charged with manslaughter. So I guess a number of them feel they can just get away with it.

[Annie.]

Sheer disregard for others and pure ignorance, I dont care who it is, no cycle should be on the pavement! Full stop! as for the youth of Sydenham who leave their bikes on the floor taking up most of the pavement, sort it out!

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[Eagle]

Annie
I agree except for small children. Not sure of the age limit but probably about 8. Maybe this is to high?

[Annie.]

Depends if they are with a responsible adult I guess Eagle?

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[marymck]

Annie
I agree except for small children. Not sure of the age limit but probably about 8. Maybe this is to high?

Oh so an elderly person's hip or pelvis broken by a small child on a bike is OK then Eagle? They should learn to ride in the parks or at school and once they have their cycling proficiency badge then they can be allowed on the roads. But never, ever the pavements.

[Annie.]

I got the impression Eagle meant very small children on their 3 wheelers as opposed to big bikes Mary. thats why I answered under responsible adult supervision,I dont for example object to those little bike where the parent has a bar that guides it as the child rides.

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[Sydenham]

I don't think pedestrians and cyclists sharing the same space (pavements) is dangerous in itself. An example in a busy Northern European country that clearly shows this is Copenhagen in Denmark - cyclists and pedestrians share the same space

However what does cause this to all go wrong is when any one group, or in reality individuals - be it cyclists or pedestrians or "buggy meisters" (or for that matter car drivers) do anything without consideration for others, and act as if they are the only entity that is about.

Its the inability of individuals to understand and realise the impact their individual actions have on others - a complete lack of empathy - that is the problem. We live in a city - by definition we share this space with others. If people don't want to interact with others then why live here - become a hermit or individual in the wild country.

Just my point of view.

[ALIB]

13.30 Just witnessed a hoodie yoof roller-blading down the middle of Dartmouth Road from Kirkdale to Forest Hill. Several cars beeped their horns and swerved to avoid him. If i was a driver at that time,.........who knows what might have happened

[Annie.]

Just a sign of the times I think Sydenham,selfish society at all levels it seems.

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[Annie.]

Alib,that frightens the life out of me,thank God I dont drive!

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[14BradfordRoad]

I don't think pedestrians and cyclists sharing the same space (pavements) is dangerous in itself. An example in a busy Northern European country that clearly shows this is Copenhagen in Denmark - cyclists and pedestrians share the same space

However what does cause this to all go wrong is when any one group, or in reality individuals - be it cyclists or pedestrians or "buggy meisters" (or for that matter car drivers) do anything without consideration for others, and act as if they are the only entity that is about.

Its the inability of individuals to understand and realise the impact their individual actions have on others - a complete lack of empathy - that is the problem. We live in a city - by definition we share this space with others. If people don't want to interact with others then why live here - become a hermit or individual in the wild country.

Just my point of view.

Totally agree!
You have summed up my very thoughts 'Sydenham' far better than I could have done.

Only respect for others and acting with consideration will resolve this issue, laws never will
and all too often have made such little difference. Eg: pavement parking, mobile phone use whist driving, anti social behaviour and many other social issues, we have laws which are
almost totally ignored or seemingly unenforceable.
As you say other cities are managing to avoid these problems. Maybe it's partly down to responsible education and the setting of better social examples?

We already have laws on illegal pavement cycling (for big people on big bikes I believe)..
I wouldn't have thought that small children on little trikes, etc are much of a problem,
common sense, consideration obviously have a large part to play..