http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Cyclist threatened with fine for riding on bike path en Thu, 21 May 2026 23:47:51 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411&page=2#post-220573 Fri, 20 May 2016 13:48:52 +0000 gembo 220573@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>very good advice Roibeard. Especially, if done calmly </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411&page=2#post-220561 Fri, 20 May 2016 12:47:08 +0000 Roibeard 220561@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Simple solution to obtaining "sir/madam" from police is to obviously record their collar number.</p> <p>Makes subsequent conversation more civil and any subsequent complaint (where necessary) easier.</p> <p>Also gives you a moment or two to calm down too...</p> <p>Robert </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411&page=2#post-220504 Thu, 19 May 2016 17:13:30 +0000 gembo 220504@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>What are changes in society but the actions of individuals added together?</p> <p>Thatcher was a mouthpiece for a type of society where ownership was distributed to indivduals who could afford it and personal choice was introduced into more GDR type policies that In retrospect are fairer than what you have now.</p> <p>THis is not about thatcher though. It is about being polite to the police. They are far less likely to arrest you if you are nice to them. It is not hierarchical excwept that they have the power to arrest you but you can't arrest them back. Thatcher would not allow this much autonomy and loved unifromed bodies. True libertarians like BoJo would be in favour of having ones own private army to take on state functionaries.</p> <p>This is sooooo not a big deal unless you want to make it one? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411&page=2#post-220503 Thu, 19 May 2016 17:05:18 +0000 PS 220503@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Can't remember where I saw it, but I did read a lengthy and convincing argument that Thatcher was a product of changes in society rather than changes in society being a product of Thatcher. </p> <p>Clearly that's not as easy or as satisfying as blaming one person for everything we don't like ;-) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411&page=2#post-220502 Thu, 19 May 2016 16:59:02 +0000 crowriver 220502@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think we pretty much agree on the h*****t issue too, IIRC.</p> <p>Beelzebub's getting frost bitten toes as we speak! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220496 Thu, 19 May 2016 16:41:29 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 220496@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<em>Blaming Thatcher for mouth-breather pedestrians' inability to comprehend blue pictorial roundels? Or bikes painted on the tarmac? Sheesh.</em>"</p> <p>Not quite, more blaming her (and her government, and the drive for uber capitalism for....</p> <p>"<em>... a "me me me"attitude prevalent in the UK that is not prevalent on the continent</em>"</p> <p>Hmmm. crowriver and I pretty much agreed on something, can someone check on the temperature in hell? ;)</p> <p>"<em>some pedestrians seemingly deliberately trying to obstruct cyclists</em>"</p> <p>Like kids on roads with cars? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220494 Thu, 19 May 2016 16:35:47 +0000 Min 220494@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There is a "me me me"attitude prevalent in the UK that is not prevalent on the continent. That must have come from somewhere.</p> <p>Of course in the UK, a lot of people are taught that as children they can run around and do whatever they like and anyone who tries to stop them should be met with threats and aggression from the parent*. Then those children grow up and are handed <strike>sweetie wrappers</strike> driving licences although as we all know, that air of entitlement transfers to bicycle riding and walking too.</p> <p>I am sure there was a thread on here that discussed the behaviour of children in French and German restaurants as opposed to here but I can't find it.</p> <p>* this is of course a generalisation and the lovely parents here will know better than me how some of their childrens friends are allowed to behave! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220492 Thu, 19 May 2016 16:30:10 +0000 steveo 220492@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not the most ridiculous thing I've heard... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220490 Thu, 19 May 2016 16:20:16 +0000 Murun Buchstansangur 220490@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Blaming Thatcher for mouth-breather pedestrians' inability to comprehend blue pictorial roundels? Or bikes painted on the tarmac? Sheesh. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220484 Thu, 19 May 2016 15:32:17 +0000 SRD 220484@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>the other day, I was opposite the new park on the canal (in front of the Napier housing), enjoying the sun. Park was fairly busy, as was canalpath. Two young women were coming along with several kids between them (not of the bourgeois Brunstfield sort) and a half loaf of bread to feed the ducks. Kids were larking about, doing no harm, but pretty oblivious. At least 2 of them were under-school age, the others maybe P1, P2 at most. I watched a cyclist slow down and navigate around them with absolute delicacy and no indication to the kids that they were doing anything at all wrong. Then heard one of the young women call to the other 'hey, that cyclist, he nearly ran her down'. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220483 Thu, 19 May 2016 15:29:56 +0000 stiltskin 220483@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Why are attitudes here so much less relaxed and more dogmatic? Some people seem quite determined to ignore the others' needs, with some pedestrians seemingly deliberately trying to obstruct cyclists and some cyclists barrelling along the path expecting people to get out of the way. Is each side trying to assert their exclusive use of the shared path as a "footpath" or "cycle lane"?</em></p> <p>I don't know what the answer to that is, but I do think you are dead right about this. There is something in British culture which does not seem to understand the concept of shared space. Without wishing to spark another argument I think we even see the attitude reflected on here and other forums where the idea that the more vulnerable user has priority translates into "the more vulnerable user can do exactly as they like and completely ignore anyone they perceive as less vulnerable." That, to me, is not 'sharing' the space. But perhaps that is an argument for another thread. But I think that the attitude that, one person has (for whatever reason) the right to complete use of a public area at the expense of others, is a real bane in this country. People in other countries seem to just rub along together. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220482 Thu, 19 May 2016 15:28:44 +0000 Rosie 220482@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Many many years ago, when every green space was filled with No Cycling signs, I was illegally riding through Inverleith Park on my way to work at the Western General.</p> <p>Park policeman tried to stop me.</p> <p>He was on foot, I was on wheels. I did a getaway and was not apprehended. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220481 Thu, 19 May 2016 15:24:20 +0000 crowriver 220481@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"some pedestrians seemingly deliberately trying to obstruct cyclists"</p> <p>Oh yes. Had this just the other day. Luckily the weather was nice, the sun was shining, I wasn't in a hurry and was very chilled out about it. Bloomin' dog walkers though... :-)</p> <p>"I blame Thatcher (not entirely jokingly)."</p> <p>Certainly some truth in that. "No such thing as society", etc.</p> <p>"the prevalent societal view that cycling is somehow childish and frivolous, whereas drivers are serious grown-ups going about their serious business."</p> <p>Indeed. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220469 Thu, 19 May 2016 14:27:14 +0000 chdot 220469@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>ENews has sensible comments, occasionally</p> <p>"</p> <p>A Friend of Fernando Poo</p> <p>12:11 PM on 19/05/2016</p> <p>It would help increase awareness if the police were required to use bicycles for six months before receiving their squad cars.</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/portobello/cyclist-threatened-with-fine-for-riding-on-bike-path-1-4132290" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/portobello/cyclist-threatened-with-fine-for-riding-on-bike-path-1-4132290</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220457 Thu, 19 May 2016 13:33:47 +0000 cc 220457@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It reads to me like the police officer was in a stinking bad mood and wanted to take their anger out on someone they perceived as weak and vulnerable. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220452 Thu, 19 May 2016 12:57:49 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 220452@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<em>Why are attitudes here so much less relaxed and more dogmatic?</em>"</p> <p>I blame Thatcher (not entirely jokingly). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220451 Thu, 19 May 2016 12:56:21 +0000 Charlethepar 220451@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I've been called Sir by the police when on the bike.</em></p> <p>Personally, I think its less about class, and more about polis reflecting the prevalent societal view that cycling is somehow childish and frivolous, whereas drivers are serious grown-ups going about their serious business. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220450 Thu, 19 May 2016 12:56:12 +0000 Stephan Matthiesen 220450@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Are shared paths such a new concept in the UK that many people don't understand them?</p> <p>I wouldn't oppose shared path as a matter of principle. Whether they are a good practical solution depends on the locality. How much space is there? How busy is it? How long are we prepared to wait for a path being built?</p> <p>On the continent, as crowriver said, they are not uncommon. They are not appropriate everywhere but are often the most appropriate solution. Even the Netherlands doesn't have some sort of higher-dimensional alternative space where cycle lanes run uninterrupted without ever crossing pedestrians' paths. You get the occasional "Kampfradler" ("fighter cyclist") but most people on bikes and on foot just get along and ignore each other, people on foot staying on the side and people on bikes slowing down.</p> <p>Why are attitudes here so much less relaxed and more dogmatic? Some people seem quite determined to ignore the others' needs, with some pedestrians seemingly deliberately trying to obstruct cyclists and some cyclists barrelling along the path expecting people to get out of the way. Is each side trying to assert their exclusive use of the shared path as a "footpath" or "cycle lane"? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220449 Thu, 19 May 2016 12:48:10 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 220449@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<em>You probably give off lawyer vibes</em>"</p> <p>You take that back! </p> <p>(not something I think I've ever been accused of. A more common comment is, 'don't take this the wrong way, but you don't seem like a lawyer' - and I most certainly don't take it the wrong way) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220446 Thu, 19 May 2016 12:30:35 +0000 Min 220446@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I've been called Sir by the police when on the bike. Shades of grey.</em></p> <p>You probably give off lawyer vibes. I give off worthless peasant vibes. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220445 Thu, 19 May 2016 12:27:37 +0000 SRD 220445@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm sure this isn't the most conflict-prone stretch of pavement, but it's by no means the first time that people have complained about cyclists cycling there and not udnerstood what a shared uase path is (as my blogpost linked to above points out). </p> <p>I cycled that path a couple of weeks ago with kids, and we met another cyclist going our way - checking out the scenary and slower than our 5yo - and some walkers coming one way, and as we all tried to carefully negotiate our way through a jogger insisted on pushing through us all. I can't help but think that poor signage and poor public understanding leads to uncomfortable situations which don't need to happen. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220439 Thu, 19 May 2016 12:01:40 +0000 wingpig 220439@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><blockquote><em>"...they are an incredibly hierarchical outfit (quasi-military in their dealings with senior officers)..."</em></blockquote></p> <p>My dad used to have to deal with polices in a professional capacity and would concur.</p> <p>At least this incident proves that the police are able to see things happening from their vans, given all the times we've seen police vehicles passing something we would have liked them to have taken more interest in. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220438 Thu, 19 May 2016 12:01:31 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 220438@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<em>I just wish one leg (on road, ala London superhighway) continued away down past the garages and through Porty to avoid the sun seekers on nice afternoons. When it's busy it doesn't suit anybody to have the main prom a through route.</em>"</p> <p>Agreed. I contacted our local councillors when the roundabout was removed from outside Porty and replaced with the lights, and there weren't ASLs coming from Seafield or Sir Harry Lauder (or for turning onto either) and was told it was simply because they wanted to discourage people cycling on those roads.</p> <p>I've been called Sir by the police when on the bike. Shades of grey. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220431 Thu, 19 May 2016 11:21:22 +0000 Murun Buchstansangur 220431@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"If the guy had parked a Merc on the path, most likely the polis would have ignored him, and if they had stopped would have called him "sir"."</p> <p>^^^ this </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220428 Thu, 19 May 2016 11:12:50 +0000 Klaxon 220428@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Probably the best 'shared use' path in the city due to low numbers of pedestrians, wide width and a good onward routes. It's close as makes no difference a 'cycle path'</p> <p>I just wish one leg (on road, ala London superhighway) continued away down past the garages and through Porty to avoid the sun seekers on nice afternoons. When it's busy it doesn't suit anybody to have the main prom a through route. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220427 Thu, 19 May 2016 11:06:51 +0000 PS 220427@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>if they had stopped would have called him "sir". </em></p> <p>From my limited experience of dealing with the police, they are an incredibly hierarchical outfit (quasi-military in their dealings with senior officers). I suspect that translates into certain behaviours with the public seen through their own lens of where individuals stand in society... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220426 Thu, 19 May 2016 11:06:36 +0000 crowriver 220426@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Agree with Stephan on this. Also Ian Maxwell is right - the police ought to be better informed before reprimanding folk. </p> <p>I've seen plenty of shared use facilities in Germany for example and nobody seems to have a problem with them. They can, and do work well, but junctions need to be properly thought out. Alas the junction at Seafield Street is a bit of a pig's ear! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220424 Thu, 19 May 2016 10:57:56 +0000 Charlethepar 220424@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If the guy had parked a Merc on the path, most likely the polis would have ignored him, and if they had stopped would have called him "sir". </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220423 Thu, 19 May 2016 10:57:26 +0000 PS 220423@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>this particular incident is not such a good argument against shared paths.</em></p> <p>It does, however, demonstrate how they create bad feeling, as SRD suggests. Folk see cycling on a pavement and think there's another cyclist cycling on the pavement. </p> <p>Of course, policemen/women aren't some sort of special breed and are just as fallible as everyone else. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16411#post-220419 Thu, 19 May 2016 10:39:26 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 220419@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>What Stephan said ^^^</p> <p>I was trying to think just what it was I thought was the problem I had with the 'incident' and that sums it up perfectly. Shared use certainly isn't <em>always</em> bad, and I'd agree that this particular path is one such where it makes a lot of sense (though the bit over the bridge could be widened). </p>