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Today's rubbish pedestrians

(219 posts)
  • Started 10 years ago by Focus
  • Latest reply from the canuck

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12…8

  1. Focus
    Member

    Not necessarily starting this as a ongoing thread, but you never know...*

    I love the Six Nations rugby but I hate negotiating the roads on match days!

    On Saturday, I encountered some of the worst pre-game pedestrian behaviour for some time, though ironically I think only one example was rugby fan-related.

    1) Turning off St Andrew Square onto S St David St, about a dozen peds decided to walk out in front of me without looking, including two women with buggies, one of which I was close to hitting! I called out to her as I avoided her, but she didn't even flinch. Perhaps she had earphones under her face-obscuring beanie!

    2) Twice, about 5 seconds apart, peds crossed in front of me from the central reservation in Princes St. The first only spotted me once he was right in my path, the second walked diagonally across with her back to me. At least she apologised, but I doubt that would have helped her much had she been under a bus or a tram!

    3) Turning down to Haymarket Yards, all the rugby fans ignored the red light against them, leaving me with the option of threading my way through them or braking without much hope of being rear-ended by a bus. The verbal abuse I got for pointing out the red light still applied to them!

    * we only need one on horse riders to complete the set! ;-)

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. fimm
    Member

    Pedestrians are not obliged to obey red lights. If there was a bus behind you, one can assume the driver was also aware of the pedestrians and would expect you to slow/be slowing themselves.

    It is annoying when people step out without looking.
    I had one this morning - I was coming into the tram stop at Haymarket station (which I do admit is signed trams only, but at just now there are no trams so I'm cycling into it - when the trams start running I may start walking that ten meters...) anyway she stepped out, I think not expecting anything to be coming, I shouted, she got a fright and apologised.

    I guess once there are trams people will have to get used to looking and not relying on their ears...

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. steveo
    Member

    Turning down to Haymarket Yards, all the rugby fans ignored the red light against them

    I think you just learned the lesson that west Edinburgh teenage drivers learn at around 17, avoid Murrayfield and all surrounding areas on match day, no ifs no buts. 70k people trying to get to and from the same place are a proper critical mass.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. algo
    Member

    observing the present participle theme, there is already a thread for this:

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8717

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. SRD
    Moderator

    I've been doing 'pedestrian cam' this morning. No rubbish pedestrianising, but a couple of obnoxious cyclists.....

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. Focus
    Member

    @ fimm

    "Pedestrians are not obliged to obey red lights."

    Partially true. It is not illegal in itself to cross on the red man but: Highway Code -

    "18

    At all crossings. When using any type of crossing you should

    always check that the traffic has stopped before you start to cross or push a pram onto a crossing

    "21

    At traffic lights. There may be special signals for pedestrians. You should only start to cross the road when the green figure shows..."

    "22

    Pelican crossings. These are signal-controlled crossings operated by pedestrians. Push the control button to activate the traffic signals. When the red figure shows, do not cross..."

    Starting to cross on a red man when there is traffic approaching would contravene all the above. I'm aware that wouldn't give me the right to plough through them, which is why I weaved through to avoid being rear-ended.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. Focus
    Member

    @ steveo

    "I think you just learned the lesson..."

    No lesson to be learned. I wouldn't have gone that way if it were at the point where the fans are starting to take over the main road but it wasn't at that stage. Nor was it anywhere near enough game time that the fans needed to rush (except to get a few extra beers in perhaps!) - the Ireland/Wales game was still in the first half.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. Focus
    Member

    @ algo

    I had a feeling there was some related thread before - I just searched for the wrong term :-)

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. algo
    Member

    @Focus - I only know because I did the same thing :-)

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11352

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. fimm
    Member

    @Focus none of those things are MUST NOTs, though, so they don't have legal backing, they're just suggested behaviour.

    I don't do some of the things the Highway Code suggests I do (with reference to choices of headwear and colour of clothing, for example...)

    Posted 10 years ago #

  11. steveo
    Member

    No lesson to be learned.

    Well you didn't say what time it was...

    Its besides the point, pedestrians have the right to be where they want its just the volume of traffic mean that right is very difficult to exercise on busy roads on a side street or a shared use/segregated path all bets are off, you have now learned that! I would expect no different behavour were I on a side street in the car.

    A couple of hours prior to kick off I'd expect all pavements and back routes to be getting busy and would have avoided and stuck to the main roads; closer to kick off I'd have gone several miles out of my way.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  12. Kenny
    Member

    While battling the wind and rain this morning, I had a pedestrian walk straight out in front of me as I was heading to the ASL. Thankfully I was paying more attention than he was.

    It wouldn't have been massively irritating had he not then turned around when he was halfway across the road and give me a look as if to say he'd done it deliberately. Grrr.

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    Posted 10 years ago #

  13. condor2378
    Member

    I've found I have more bother with ped's walking out without looking than I do with vehicles in general. Thusly;

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    WATCH!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  14. cc
    Member

    I find that a loud bell (such as this one) can help a lot. I ring it whenever I see anyone who looks like they might step out in front of me.

    These days I also tend to cycle quite slowly where there might be anyone about.

    Both the bell and the slowness save me a lot of hassle.

    I also try to use quiet routes, avoiding busy roads wherever I can.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  15. gembo
    Member

    That last guy was throwing himself into your path. All bruntsfield? I don't film myself so don't know how close the Peds get. I favour HOY over watch.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  16. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    "I find that a loud bell (such as this one) can help a lot."

    Dat ish the exact shame bell dat I am buying in Amshterdam! I rule the canal with my hearty 'ding-dong' to everyone else's weedy 'ping-ping'. But I never use it on the road...different mindset, I'm on the brakes and assuming invisibility.

    I did bend the lever with over-enthusiastic ringing during PoP2, but it bent right back.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  17. cb
    Member

    "Watch" seems like a reasonable thing to shout; I favour a cry of "Careful!" in such situations. Kind of friendly and helpful, but could be a little condescending if you wanted.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  18. condor2378
    Member

    @Gembo. Yes, the Bruntsfield set are particularly objectionable to looking when they cross the road it would seem.

    Subsequent to these, I invested in an Airzound for use on my commuter (i.e. with the kids in the trailer) but don't use it on my road bike. I've only used it a couple of times on cars.

    Not sure how peds would react to 115dB going off just beside them.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  19. gembo
    Member

    That Dutch bell is so shiny you can see the reflection of the man taking the picture of the bell on the surface of the bell. Might be a woman, these long haired dutchies all look the same to me. Joking,

    Posted 10 years ago #

  20. PS
    Member

    Not sure how peds would react to 115dB going off just beside them.

    Badly, I should expect.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  21. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Not sure how much it fits with "rubbish pedestrians", but I felt that the towpath, right with the junction of Gilmore Park / the Lift Bridge is not really the ideal place for people to try fishing.

    In fact, people waving rods, lines, hooks and weights around as they cast off across a busy cycle/foot path felt downright irresponsible.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  22. jdanielp
    Member

    A few pedestrian moments today.

    The first was as I was turning left into Tavit Street. Several pedestrians travelling in my direction were approaching the end of Tavit Street, presumably with the intention of crossing it, so I rang my ding-dong bell loudly to raise awareness of my presence and then indicated left. The woman who was at the front of the group turned around to look at me in reaction to the bell before turning back again. I assumed that she would then stop at the edge of the pavement and so I started to turn left... It quickly became apparent that she wasn't planning to stop after all! Luckily she stopped abruptly as I passed by in front of her and an apology drifted into my ear upon realisation. I probably should have taken a wider turn in retrospect, but I thought that I had anticipated the situation ok.

    The next moment was on the towpath beyond Harrison Park as a group of parents and children approached, taking up the full width of the towpath. I was being extra-cautious following the above near-miss so slowed down and came to a complete halt because the children who were on my side of the path were distracted by the waterfowl on the canal alongside them. In fact, one of the girls was so distracted that she actually walked into my bike at slow speed despite the fact that I had rung my bell. She apologised and then walked round me.

    The final moment was a guy who was walking ahead of me near one of the bridges at Wester Hailes, who drifted from the left of the path to an exit on the right as I approached from behind. Again, I anticipated this one correctly so I just slowed down and waited for him to move rather than bothering with any bell-ringing, but it wouldn't do him any harm to do a shoulder check...

    Posted 9 years ago #

  23. mgj
    Member

    @jdanielp, you might want to check your HWC for that first one. Rule 170

    Posted 9 years ago #

  24. cb
    Member

    HWC 170 only says that pedestrians have priority if they have started crossing. See also rule 8.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  25. jdanielp
    Member

    @mgj indeed, although she had seen (but had apparently not fully processed this fact) and heard me and hadn't started crossing, but was certainly about to as it turned out, but I take your point. I know that I would have been to blame had we actually collided, but it was still an example of being a rubbish pedestrian...

    Posted 9 years ago #

  26. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Us (apparently). We were reprimanded in the Meadows on Guildswoman's Walk by a Spanish Lady who took exception that we had stopped to talk to some of the other recently babied folks we know and were comparing nappy stories. Despite there being oodles of room to pass on either side, she rudely informed us "this is for pedestrians, not for standing".

    She was followed by a number of fairly sarcastic responses - mainly from myself - about how we had or hadn't levitated into out position.

    Funnily enough I had just been saying to one of the other newdads how it used to be me that sighed and tutted at people with prams who stop to talk on the cycle path and now the shoe was on the other foot (we weren't on the cycle path side though)

    Posted 9 years ago #

  27. le_soigneur
    Member

    You shudda started lullaby-ing the baby with "The Spanish Lady"

    Posted 9 years ago #

  28. SRD
    Moderator

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    Posted 9 years ago #

  29. richardlmpearson
    Member

    More of a rubbish runner than a "Pedestrian".

    Thanks to Stravalabs flyby, I can track down, name and shame. http://labs.strava.com/flyby/viewer/#259336077,uxR1DyAcdQ8=

    On the canal towpath heading westbound, just past the bypass overbridge and coming under the first underbridge, "Ross Christie" kindly waited when he heard my bell at the other side to let me through first.

    Unfortunately runner "Matthew Craig" Decided not to wait and overtook the waiting cyclist as I was coming past and just about put me in the canal.

    I've messaged him an pointed out the error in his ways and shown him the video.

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    Posted 9 years ago #

  30. Dave
    Member

    It will be interesting to see what sort of moral panic this causes!

    Although I personally do not spend hours getting on and off my bike either, the Scottish canals website says:

    "always give way to pedestrians ... dismount at all road crossings, bridges, aqueducts and blind bends and at canal weirs, including cobbled weirs."

    Posted 9 years ago #

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