@Baldcyclist I'm a pavement weaver as a pedestrian since I tend to walk about twice as fast as the average person and I generally relish the challenge so long as there's enough space for me to make reasonable progress - I like to think that I rarely get in the way in the process and will avoid the shoulder barging method unless given no alternative. I am rather more cautious as a cyclist, and then rather more cautious again on the rare occasions that I am a motorist.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Today's rubbish pedestrians
(219 posts)-
Posted 5 years ago #
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@EdinburghCycleCam: If, as occasionally happens, I find myself faced with a group of people coming the other way spread across the whole width of the footway, I often just stop. This seems to be the most effective way to make it clear to them that (a) I'm only one person wide, and can't readily get any narrower, and (b) if they want to get past without resorting to barging, the person coming straight at me is going to have to drop in behind one of their pals for a second or two. Awfully annoying for them I know, to have to give way briefly to another human being - but probably slightly less annoying than finding themselves landing on their soft bottomy bits following a defensive straightarm to the sternum from yours truly (I went to a rugby-playing school).
In normal circumstances, however, I would perhaps classify myself as a 'pavement weaver', like jdanielp - and for the same reasons ie I walk significantly faster than most other pedestrians. I do, however, take care to (a) pick the gaps I go for carefully, (b) avoid sudden, unpredictable changes of direction, and (c) try to make eye contact with people with whose path mine might be about to conflict, so that they know that I've seen them and will try to avoid them. I do also use a "lifesaver" rearward check before I do change direction, probably due to it having been drummed in to me endlessly by my motorcycle instructor way back in mists of time. But if all my anticipation of other footway users' actions breaks down, it's not really a major imposition to slow down to the prevailing speed of the surrounding herd for a few seconds, or stop if necessary.
Another common area for poor pedestrianising is doorways. The commonest fault is people who walk through a door and then immediately stop to work out where they want to go next, thus blocking the doorway to anyone who was following them through (see also: people who ride up or down an escalator, step off at the end and then stay there trying to work out where to go next, and then cast dagger-like stares at the people behind who are forced to barge past them because, believe it or not, just because they have stepped off the escalator and stopped, the escalator itself hasn't). Less common, though almost more annoying, is when one person is e.g. going in to a shop and their best ever bosom pal is going on elsewhere, and they choose the doorway for their protracted goodbyes - thus getting comprehensively in the way of anyone else who might wish to either enter or leave the premises concerned by that particular access point.
Posted 5 years ago # -
See also people who come down the steps to the station platform and just stop - each individual is doing nothing wrong but collectively they form an inconvenience to anyone carrying anything larger than a briefcase (like a bicycle, for example).
Posted 5 years ago # -
@fimm Or worse, when they stop at the bottom of the escalators. More than once I've be forced to push someone out of the way as the mass of people behind me pushes me and the stopper forwards.
Posted 5 years ago # -
"I do also use a "lifesaver" rearward check before I do change direction"
Ha! Same since re-taking up cycling. Definitely not something I used to do with any regularity at all when on foot. I'm also quite a quick walker and I like to think my line choice is better and less jinky nowadays.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I wouldn't bother with the Leith Links path between Links Gardens and Duncan Place (tennis courts/playpark/croft) for the next few days; whilst the fence bounding the blaring funfair is just barely not encroaching on the cycle path the queue for it will be trailing past it and several groups of people will be sitting on the path beside the fence. There will likely be some broken glass before the evening is out, too.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Guy who walked out into the road at the Princes Street exit of Waverley Station, saying "Wanna watch where you're going?" as he wandered into traffic 20m from a crossing. I replied "I am?", to which he replied "You're not though".
Yes, you're absolutely right, I had no idea you were there. That's how I was able to look forwards twice and see you advancing into the road.
I guess he's a yoga teacher looking for a payout.
Posted 5 years ago # -
no need to take up video gaming, just cycle through festival-land...
Posted 5 years ago # -
Guy who walked out into the road at the Princes Street exit of Waverley
You could look at this another way. Guy trying to walk across our capital city's main shopping street finds himself facing crossing four - yes FOUR - lanes of live carriageway... even though only two lanes are ever moving, four are live... right in the very heart of the city. I say again, FOUR live carriageway lanes, on a street that should almost certainly be pedestrianised or perhaps tram only. Like most of us, choosing to go the direct route not walk around the long way and press buttons to wait - because he can see a bus coming he wants to catch.... ...takes out his frustration on a passing 'cyclist' - who he has been taught (to distract him from the four lane thing) are the source of all evil in the world...
That doesn't make him right, but it does make him a fellow victim...
I know everyone knows this - not trying to teach my granny (grannies) to such eggs - but I've been looking today at the the utterly [rude word for bad] conditions that people on foot are currently experiencing on Princes Street. This city should be so ashamed...
Posted 5 years ago # -
He had probably zig zagged his way up from leith. They are throwing themselves into the road down there.
See also St Mary’s St and the Jenners junction where many peds cross en masse regardless of green lights or otherwise
Banning cars would be great but we would still need to watch out for the peds, more so probably
Posted 5 years ago # -
Whenever I see or am part of a mass Princes Street crossing, I bless the Edinburgh Mob, alive and well.
Posted 5 years ago # -
And whenever I want to cycle through junctions, I bless the car, the only thing apparently that makes pedestrians look out for traffic...
Posted 5 years ago # -
After crossing Melville Drive at the west end of NMW the other morning, I was briefly distracted as I cycled on the bike lane towards Tarvit Street. As I looked back, I was surprised to see a pedestrian walking towards me along the bike lane, despite there being more than enough space on the pavement. I managed to swerve around them and continued on my way bemused.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@jdanielp The last 2 or 3 times I've used the Leith Walk cycle lanes (Southbound), I've had people walking straight down the cycle lane towards me - even going so far as to follow it as it snakes around bus stops - so not just walking blindly in a straight line.
There must be something about cycle lanes that attracts pedestrians.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@mgj: And whenever I want to cycle through junctions, I bless the car, the only thing apparently that makes pedestrians look out for traffic...
Don't forget buses, taxis and HGVs. Bless 'em all...
P.S. The reg on my Mum's first car was "MGJ 500D". It was a Fiat 500D, almost exactly like this one. She bought the car from the local Fiat dealer who also happened, somewhat surprisingly, to be the local Bentley dealer, and we suspected that they did that sort of thing for the customers of their 'other brand' as part of the service...
Posted 5 years ago # -
Old fiat 500 a beautifully short car that would be tolerated in Gembo City Centre
Posted 5 years ago # -
Closest near miss I've ever had, I think. No idea how we didn't make contact. Usually there's some sort of warning that someone is about to step off the kerb, not so here...
Posted 5 years ago # -
@EdinburghCycleCam Wow; I'd have been raising an arm to protect myself if theyd stepped out like that in front of me. They arent looking for a bicycle shaped object.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@EdinburghCycleCam @mgj - They aren't even looking in the right direction.... had something similar in Potterrow once, woman stepped straight off the pavement into the cycle lane looking to her left, rather than the right. I put it down at the time (also during festival) that she came from a country where they drive on the "wrong" side of the road....
Posted 5 years ago # -
My first pedestrian collision.
Bottom of the Mound, green light, zero cars, I was flat out to make the lights and carry the speed up the hill.
Group on the gallery side. Will they / won't they / will they / won't they ... Etc... Ok, yes they will at the last minute.
Some shouting "get out of the way".
Clatter. They saw me coming and then just stood there watching. Maybe that's what happens to hedgehogs?
Posted 5 years ago # -
A pedestrian nearly walked straight into me near Five Ways yesterday. I had stopped to let an oncoming cyclist pass but she was less than two metres from me when I was able to get out her way.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Cycled through Cowgate about 8pm last night.
Slowly due to carousers. Had laugh with flyer person who had not seen me, i rang my bell she then tried to give me a flyer I pretended i was going to take it but it just slipped through my hands, all jolly
I was then hugely surprised to find a massive taxi coming the other way through the peds. I suppose the cones are only out at the east end
Posted 5 years ago # -
I didnt know the ban was for motorised traffic only...
Posted 5 years ago # -
According to the photo accompanying this story in the chipwrapper, cycles are indeed exempt from the restrictions.
The EEN story says that "cheeky" drivers are exploiting a "loophole" to ignore the restriction. Gotta love the way that dodgy driver behaviour - some of which as described in the article is simply illegal and doesn't involve any kind of 'loophole' (e.g. just following other vehicles in a sheep-like manner, rather than actually observing and obeying road signs) - is characterised as "cheeky" rather than "illegal", "inconsiderate", "dangerously careless" or "selfish"...
Posted 5 years ago # -
going downhill from saint andrew square to dublin street on that lane which is on the sidewalk, and i hate, but no way am i sliding on to the tram tracks...
i slowed quite a bit for the two tourists walking up towards me, but finally had to stop completely and say 'hello' to get the eejit's attention. this happens so often on that stretch.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Story on bbc website has police looking for pedestrian after he stepped out in front of cyclist on princes st Saturday night. Cyclist swerved and then sustained serious injuries, not good. Apparently taxi driver took cyclist to hospital??
In curious twist the Chipwrapper turned on the trolls in comment section when it reported this. Like actually growing up??
Posted 5 years ago # -
Was sadly on Facebook and saw an article about the injured cyclist. Amazed me just how many people were nonchalantly calling for cyclists to be murdered and, as one person put it, used to fill pot holes.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@gembo do they maybe think the pedestrian jumped out on purpose if they're not just after them as a witness? I've had men who think it's funny to make you swerve pretend to jump out in front of me a couple of times...
Posted 5 years ago # -
Just routine @unhurt
Report tells me the cyclist was riding his white Raleigh- is the only detail i can add
Posted 5 years ago # -
Not sure whether this counts as rubbish driving, rubbish parking (at least a contributory factor) or rubbish pedestrianising but anyway...
Large-ish (but not articulated) delivery lorry stopped in the loading zone on Dalry Road immediately before the eastbound bus stop opposite the demolished petrol station. So, legally parked, but so large as to leave a pretty tight gap between the rear end of the vehicle and the pedestrian refuge. (Why it made any sense to extend the loading zone so far as to overlap with the refuge in the first place is anyone's guess.)
What made the gap even tighter was the bald, overweight bloke leaning against the offside rear corner of the lorry, apparently engaged in conversation with the driver as he busied himself with unloading goods from the vehicle, but not visibly contributing to the task in hand.
So tight was the resulting gap that an eastbound number 4 bus could not get through. So engrossed was fatty slaphead in his conversation (in which his supposed interlocutor appeared to be taking little, if any, part) that the bus had to come to a complete stop before he realised that he was in the way, at which point he "tucked" himself in a teeny bit...then a teeny bit more...then finally had to give up and actually move out of the <rule 2> way. At no time did he appear at all apologetic, just annoyed.
Posted 5 years ago #
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