Ouch - hope you are not too damaged fimm.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4503 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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The numerous bike turnips on the Roseburn Path near St George's School who didn't stop or even slow down when a little boy got separated from the small group of children and adults he was walking with. Instead he had to stand whilst bikes whizzed past on either side.
No wonder the children at St George's singled out bikes when designing the signs they put up recently.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I used the canal path to get from town to Hermiston Gait this evening. First time I've used it at "rush hour". Is it always that bad? I really didn't enjoy it.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Unfortunately my camera was off for the most spectacular bit of selfish NEPN impatient turnippery yet witnessed this month. I was between the St George kink and the Ravelston slope when there came a need to slow down for the usual pedestrian-heading-my-way-with-oncoming-cyclist, so I matched the pedestrian's speed a good distance back. After a couple of seconds of this an orange-clad racing-turnip whizzed through the very narrow gap between pedestrian and oncoming cyclist with such disregard that I felt compelled to shout, though fortunately my habit of referring to such people as turnips meant that that was what I shouted, rather than something more rude. Evidently feeling (or attempting to convince himself) that he was not a turnip, he half-turned round and said something unintelligible with some arm-waving before facing back forwards and pumping off into the not very distant distance, remaining close enough to catch him doing the exact same thing a little later before I turned off on the Blackhall spur and he carried on north.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The bunch of fixed/singlespeed riders I've had the misfortune to meet in Edinburgh recently all have had the same jumped up sense of entitlement that makes them think they don't need to slow down for anyone/thing. Grr.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I don't often 'tell people off', but I have managed to do so twice during my last couple of cycle journeys...
Last night, I was cycling into town along Valleyfield Street and was confronted with two cyclists riding alongside one another towards me, taking up at least half of the road (I'm ok(ish) with single riders going the wrong way, but I do like to take the lane, safely clear of any opening doors and vehicles pulling out). I pointed out that they were travelling in the wrong direction, but I didn't hear a response of any kind.
This morning, I was heading to work on Lower Gilmore Place and signalled to turn right on to the lifting bridge when a cyclist emerged at speed from Leamington Road (a bugbear I mentioned the other day on the "bad driving" thread), forcing me to brake abruptly whilst cornering so as to avoid colliding with him. I pulled alongside him just after we had joined the towpath and explained that he was supposed to give way back there, to which he replied that he hadn't seen any signs - I am fairly sure that there are obvious give way lines on the road and possibly even additional road signs?!
Posted 8 years ago # -
That's a route I use fairly often; I've never thought about needing to give way to my right when emerging from Leamington Rd because (a) I've never noticed any Give Way sign or markings and (b) I thought (incorrectly) that Lower Gilmore Place was one-way (just as Leam Rd is), so no-one would be coming in that direction anyway. I've just checked on StreetView - I don't see any Give Way indications on Leam Rd. Correction: on closer inspection, it does show the nearly worn off remnants of a Give Way line on the road, if you look at the junction from the LGP direction, but pretty much undetectable from LR direction. Perhaps some repainting needed.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Lower Gilmore Place is definitely not a one-way though it seems it should be because Leamington Road is one-way: it would make more sense. It creates a confusing transition between the two in the current setup. For a long time I travelled along LGP expecting not to meet any traffic coming from Gilmore Place and the first time I did assumed it was a naughty manoeuvre.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Colonies_Chris that is interesting - I will have a look at what is actually evident on my way home - given that there is now the possibility of traffic continuing from Lower Gilmore on to Rope Walk, which runs behind the new buildings by the canal, or vice vesa, the give way signs are all the more important to try and prevent accidents. As dougal says, if the whole set-up was one-way, things would be a whole lot easier, although Rope Walk access would still present a degree of potential for conflict.
Posted 8 years ago # -
...although before anyone goes asking the council to install the correct signage, remember that Leamington Road is one of those that's supposed to be on the list of potential one-way cycling exemptions, to legalise all those currently too lazy to go an extra couple of hundred feet around the block after crossing the lift bridge southwards.
Posted 8 years ago # -
There's very vague evidence of give way line paint, but I was clearly making up the memory of it being at all clear.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Posted 8 years ago #
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@condor2378 oops! Good to see nice people coming to help.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Yeah those extra wide pavements are deadly!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Good job you are amongst friends here. Glad you weren't hurt :-)
Posted 8 years ago # -
A jogging/walking/cycling colleague, who was jogging at the time, was seemingly expected to move out of the way of an oncoming canal cycle-turnip yesterday. Colleague was on the landward side of the path, as is popular with people who don't want to fall into the water. It sounds like the cycleturnip was interpreting the space as a "road" on which he had "priority" to speed willy-nilly towards people on his left, rather than applying the correct behaviour of ceding space to the less kinetically-energetic party and not being a pillock.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@condor2378 Glad you are unhurt. I once did a similar thing when I was following a van a little too closely downhill. When the van braked sharply my v-brakes couldn't match its deceleration and it was a choice between the van or the kerb! Important lesson learnt.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@wingpig Sounds like the same turnip who did the same thing the other week near the same spot; I slowed behind a ped to wait as there was a Mum with buggy coming the other way and he ripped past, just making the gap & terrifying both me and the mother.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Me, this morning. At the Polwarth mini-roundabout I was turning left from Polwarth Gardens onto Polwarth Crescent. I misjudged the speed of a Transit van coming towards me and indicating right, so I pulled out rather smartly in front of him. I'm sure he didn't have to brake, given that he was taking a big Transit round the mini-roundabout it was just a bit cheeky on my part.
Cheeky it may have been, but there was no excuse for him then to use his van to bully me into the back of a parked lorry a bit further down Polwarth Crescent (rather than give me room to get round it in front of him) nor was there any excuse for him to open his door and get half out of his van at the junction with Dundee Street call me an f****** c*** and make actual threats of physical violence against me.
Luckily I was going down Telfer Subway, so I'm afraid I just walked away on the pavement to the crossing and left him to it. He wasn't in the frame of mind where there was any point talking to him.
It rankles with me, not so much about the threats and unpleasantness, but rather that I made a simple misjudgement that we all make every now and again and as a result this chap is going to be joining the ranks of cycle-haters (if he wasn't already a member) and thinking that 'they all pull out in front of me and they all shouldn't be allowed on the roads'. I could have said sorry, but he didn't look as if he'd be receptive to anything and was spoiling for a chance to punch me.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@condor Ouch, glad you are alright. Good to see people assisting, including the young-Ricky-Gervais lookalike! Hope the Allez was ok - was that a front puncture?
@wingpig I've seen a few of those this week. Concept of shared space hasn't caught up with them yet. They ride like they undoubtedly drive.
@greenroofer Indeed, I must wave apologies to other riders or drivers on at least a weekly basis for manoeuvres that have been poorly timed, and the vast majority of people are cool, but occasionally you do get the ones who treat it like you've assaulted their children, or something. Says more about their sense of self worth or lack thereof. You can't do much about it, and it's not about the bike: they're just like that to everyone. You did the right thing by moving on.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@All. Thanks all, bruising in hand and a sore shoulder appeared layer that day but nothing a couple of painkillers can't handle.
@Snowy good eyes, front puncture and this is when I find out I have leavers, pump, CO2 and ....no spare tube. Another lesson learned.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@wingpig there is actually one of those signs about 2/3 of the way along Leamington Road to the right-hand side, but I imagine that it is easily missed... Now, to add to the confusion in the area, there are road works of some kind on Lower Gilmore Place, reducing the traffic to one lane for a very short section which happens to be just outside the garage, meaning that random vehicles are likely to emerge in either direction regardless of the sequence. Having said that, I was encouraged to cycle through the red light by a workie since nothing was actually coming.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I was sitting on Gilmore place, waiting to turn right and head towards the meadows. Left hand turn light had just started, and rangerover partly in the ASZ had started engine and was ponderously moving forward when a cyclist coming up Home St, took the right onto Gilmore place so tightly that they were riding straight into the front of the RangeRover.
Cyclist changed course and got into the right (left) lane.
No idea what they were trying to do - get onto the pavement at Lochrin buildings?
One of those moves you shouldn't try to make unless you know the sequence of lights.
Posted 8 years ago # -
last evening, I was (driving) going right on LW roundabout from Elm Row to London Road.
just as I entered the roundabout a plankton tried to over take me on his orange (coloured) MTB. He only managed to do so safely because I braked heavily to allow him to pass without careering into my front wing.
A truly idiotic manoeuvre. Had some reference to Lochmaddy on his tee shirt. I hope not a cycling club.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Young kids playing chase on MMW just a Peters Yard at lunch time there.
Cyclist coming up the hill chose to ignore the potential danger, and when the inevitable happened he rode over the top of a young boy.
He came off his bike with a clatter shouting "f*ck sake" in an aggressive tone. The child finished up under the bike, being crushed by the bike and cyclist. He then lifted the bike off the child and started shouting at the mums "This is a f*cking cycle path, f*ck sake!
In the mean time one of the other parents had scooped up the child and carried him to the side to tend for them.
The cyclist who had one of those middle class English accents, and was wearing a sports jacket and slacks, then proceeded to walk away from the incident towards me after firing another salvo of profanity at the two mums.
As he approached me, as I had stopped to watch the incident, I said "Did you even bother to enquire after the child's welfare?".
To which he replied, again aggressively "You know what, I don't give a f*ck".
You sir, are a prize twat!
Posted 8 years ago # -
was wearing a sports jacket and slacks
Not a "lycra lout" then. A citizen cyclist!
who had one of those middle class English accents
Not sure what you mean by this?
Posted 8 years ago # -
perhaps when sports jacket man calms down he will reflect on his thoughtlessness?
He might also like to reflect that he is in fact mostly to blame. THe cycle path side of MMW allows pedestrians on it. The pedestrian side does not allow cyclists. I bet his father was a hamster and his mother smelled of elderberries.
Posted 8 years ago # -
BC - That's putting it mildly.
Ideal EN story to generalise 'more of us'.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Another candidate for an EEN story:
I just saw a cyclist on the bypass, just after Gogar and heading towards Hermiston Gait. I can only assume they got lost. I pulled over an called the police for the guy's own safety.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Can you even get Farah slacks anymore?
<fx/Google>
Yes, you can. I don't think I'll bother.
http://www.matalan.co.uk/mens/brands/farah
I have been known to wear a flat cap, I did this morning when I went to the quack, but it was a black Kangol 504 Ventair as worn by Mr Samuel L Jackson in Jackie Brown and other things. It was therefore approx -273ºC and cooler than Huggy Bear's cold bits.
Posted 8 years ago #
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