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Today's rubbish walking

(230 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Arellcat
  • Latest reply from the canuck

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12…8

  1. Arellcat
    Moderator

    On account of feeling fed up I took to the canal path on my way home today for a pootle, but I was frustrated by several people on foot, each of whom was wearing some magical material that absorbs photons. The only way to spot them is when the landing lights are eclipsed, and you have to start guessing what's up ahead. I mean, it was dark, and foggy, and still no-one had a shred of reflective on them, and I had all my lights turned up to 11, albeit pointing at the ground out of politeness instead of into car drivers' eyes.

    Two of the people had dogs with them, but at least dogs have light-up eyes to balance out their photon-absorbent fur. One walker coming towards me apologised as I came to a stop, explaning that his dog was ambling around in front of me because it was deaf and couldn't hear his calls. I'd approached for some distance so he'd still had plenty of notice.

    I gave up at Ashley Terrace and went back onto the roads.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. gembo
    Member

    You get lights for dogs now,msometimes at xmasnowners put fairy lights on. Isnthenfree lights for every student happening again this year?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. Dave
    Member

    Ha, this topic could grow to be very large!

    Today on the way down NEPN, chap 20m or so down the turn-off to Victoria Park while his dog attended nature's call on the side of the path, before promptly trying to run under my wheels.

    Sometimes I do think that only vet bills (or damages) would teach people to be responsible with their four-legged friends. Shame though as the dogs, unlike the other occupants of our "today's rubbish XXXX" series, genuinely don't know any better.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    "free lights for every student happening again this year?"

    Yes (not just students...)

    Next week (for obvious reasons - though this week might have made more sense!)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. fimm
    Member

    Free lights? Where do I sign up.

    I know others will disagree with me, but I think that on any shared use path it is the cyclist's responsibility to slow down, and stop if necessary, if there are hazards (on two or four legs) around. After all, that is how we would like to be treated by drivers on the roads, which is where I think you should be if you want to avoid wandering dogs and children.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. crowriver
    Member

    @fimm, I agree.

    I find these wonderful inventions called bicycle bells to be of great utility on the paths for clearing the way ahead. If visibility is bad, then just as on the roads, one ought to slow down to a safe speed for the conditions.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. steveo
    Member

    The only way to spot them is when the landing lights are eclipsed, and you have to start guessing what's up ahead.

    Ah, you've discovered the transit method too. If its good enough for NASA its good enough for me.

    Last year I noticed a lot of pedestrians with torches swinging by their sides, this proved very distracting when a white light is flailing around at hip height and not moving towards you.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. Dave
    Member

    It's a perennial difficulty. When we walk on the canal I generally feel it's not appropriate for cyclists, period, and they should be banned. When I ride on the canal I obviously feel the opposite, and that having a dog out of control on a highway or byway is the owner's responsibility.

    I'm not sure where it stands legally. Everyone has a responsibility to avoid injury and damage, but is the person who hits an out-of-control dog liable because they didn't avoid it, or is the owner liable because their dog was out of control?

    The argument about slowing down presumably has limits, because you can be stationary and still come unstuck at the paws of a "friendly" dog...

    To me the "cyclists should avoid all collisions" argument sounds a bit like "it's ok for my dog to foul, because you should just avoid it". And in fairness, it's really very easy to avoid dog foul compared with an actual uncontrolled dog.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. Min
    Member

    If you don't know the dog is there you can't slow down for it.

    Although of course roads are where you should be of you want to make any progress. After all roads are for motorists and they are Important and no-one would dream of allowing their dogs to run under their wheels.

    The Innocent is even worse for black hole pedestrians because it is completely unlit and even my mega-light on full beam can't pick them out.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. amir
    Member

    Highway code

    Rules about animals
    56
    Dogs. Do not let a dog out on the road on its own. Keep it on a short lead when walking on the pavement, road or path shared with cyclists or horse riders.

    Rules for pedestrians
    3
    Help other road users to see you. Wear or carry something light-coloured, bright or fluorescent in poor daylight conditions. When it is dark, use reflective materials (e.g. armbands, sashes, waistcoats, jackets, footwear), which can be seen by drivers using headlights up to three times as far away as non-reflective materials.

    Rules for cyclists
    62
    Cycle Tracks. These are normally located away from the road, but may occasionally be found alongside footpaths or pavements. Cyclists and pedestrians may be segregated or they may share the same space (unsegregated). When using segregated tracks you MUST keep to the side intended for cyclists as the pedestrian side remains a pavement or footpath. Take care when passing pedestrians, especially children, older or disabled people, and allow them plenty of room. Always be prepared to slow down and stop if necessary. Take care near road junctions as you may have difficulty seeing other road users, who might not notice you.
    Law HA 1835 sect 72

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. cc
    Member

    Just go slowly when cycling the towpath, I'd say, and only speed up as long as you can see a lovely tempting empty bit stretching out in front of you.

    Maybe there's a role here for night vision goggles - the next trendy cycle accessory?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Known-known dogs - that is, dogs you can see - are OK if you slow right down and expect the thing to walk infront of you.

    Then there are known-unknown dogs, that is dogs that you know might be there but you can't be sure are there. Signs of potential known-unknown dogs include;

    Humans staring into bushes
    Humans carrying small carrier bag tied in a bow
    Humans carrying small carrier bad tied in a bow and staring into bushes for somewhere to hang it
    Humans more sensibly attired for the weather than people on way to work, e.g. wellies and raincoats.

    There's no advice I can offer about unknown-unknown dogs however, which are dogs that you don't know aren't there.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. Uberuce
    Member

    Before I started cycling, I was overtaken along the towpath by a chap who, in a good natured lecture tone of voice said to me 'lights, lights.'

    At the time I was somewhat indignant, since I didn't see it as my responsibility to be visible from miles away - rather that it was his to ride slowly enough to see me in time to brake.

    Since I've begun cycling along the canal, I remain on the same side of the fence, although I do admit that's mostly because it's so easy for me to use the road instead.

    The UFO guidance lights make it so much easier to detect ninjas by ther occlusion that I actually prefer using the feeblest lights possible.

    The thing that frustrates me more than the slow riding, which I think of myself as having signed up for by getting on it in the first place, is how bad pedestrians are at working out why a cyclist(me) in front of them would be unwilling to pass them. Instead of looking behind them to see the jogger or other cyclist approaching from their rear, they often walk into their way instead, apparently thinking I'm unwilling to move away from the left side of the path.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. lionfish
    Member

    I'm with fimm here: However rubbish pedestrians can be, it's definitely the cyclist's responsibility not to run over any of them (or their dogs)! Although I'm trying to match that to my belief that not having lights on the road at night is a bit silly... I guess the logical extension is that it's still the driver's fault if they hit a cyclist who doesn't have lights.

    A couple of grumbles though! The nearest I came to taking out a dog was when minimoth and I were cycling W-E across the meadows and a guy was walking down the middle of the cycle path towards us, on his mobile. I broke the high-way code and went onto the pedestrian bit to get 'round him, but didn't spot his tiny dog (hidden by minimoth). A quick reaction on the brakes (the dog bleated in fear) avoided running the tiny creature over... so the moral: 1. Don't walk in the middle of the cycle path on your mobile 2. Don't cycle too close to the person in front, otherwise you can't see tiny dogs running about. 3. Maybe keep dogs on leads when near cycle paths and roads? </moral>

    PS Love the take on the known unknowns kaputnik!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. DaveC
    Member

    Crowriver said "I find these wonderful inventions called bicycle bells to be of great utility on the paths for clearing the way ahead."

    I was in a knik Knak shop in Dunfermline and saw some of those old squeezy horns. I want one for my bike now!!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  16. Dave
    Member

    Thing is, I'm just not sure that dogs understand what they mean. (And what do they mean anyway? If you can ring at the dog you're probably in a position where it would be more sensible to hold on to the brakes?)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  17. Uberuce
    Member

    I wish people would keep quiet as I go past their dogs. Nine times out of [some other number I'm yet to quantify] they'll call the pooch's name at the exact worse moment, and it'll stop paying any attention to avoiding me and turn round to see what the fuss is about.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  18. cc
    Member

    "I was in a knik Knak shop in Dunfermline and saw some of those old squeezy horns. I want one for my bike now!! "

    I've been bought a big honky squeezy horn by a friend in Delhi! I shall be taking delivery in a month or two then attempting to fit it to the bike. I'll let you know how it goes. If all goes well I may change my CCE name to Parp Parp.

    Apparently my horn is at least 9" long.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  19. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    I've got a curly wurly horn in the garage...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  20. chdot
    Admin

    "Free lights? Where do I sign up."

    This might be one -

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8723

    Posted 12 years ago #

  21. DaveC
    Member

    Its not the size of the horn but who you honk and how close to them you can get before honking the life out of them. [joke]

    Posted 12 years ago #

  22. Kirst
    Member

    Cyclists should have lights and be going slowly enough to stop if need be. Dogs should be on leads on the canal path. And pedestrians should wear or carry something light or reflective if they're out in the dark - I learnt that in the Tufty Club before I was five; it's pretty basic.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  23. fimm
    Member

    "Pedestrians should wear something light at night" - really? even if they're walking on the pavement in a well lit area?

    Not having a go at you personally, Kirst, but rather at the general "everything brighter than everything else" mentality which leads to my triathlon club mates turning up in high vis to run round Inverleath Park...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  24. amir
    Member

    "rather at the general "everything brighter than everything else" mentality"

    The fog lights on cars were annoying yesterday - it wasn't that foggy in the south of Edinburgh. I am sure it makes they make it more difficult to spot peds, cyclists and even cars with normal lights.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  25. Kirst
    Member

    Are you arguing with the Tufty Club? *shocked face*

    Posted 12 years ago #

  26. amir
    Member

    Tufty's alive!

    http://www.rospa.com/about/history/tufty.aspx

    Posted 12 years ago #

  27. amir
    Member

    "Highway code rule 226
    You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 236). Law RVLR regs 25 & 27"

    Visibility was much better than 100 metres (one city block) last night in South Edinburgh.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  28. steveo
    Member

    Not sure a city block really applies in Edinburgh. Old town or new? Council estate??

    Posted 12 years ago #

  29. SRD
    Moderator

    @amir, don't know where you were in south edin, but I could not see across george square (either direction) or Melville drive from MMW until I was closer than 100m, etc etc Bikes without lights were very hard to see last night - and I was shocked at how many were out.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  30. cb
    Member

    "Visibility was much better than 100 metres (one city block) last night in South Edinburgh."

    Yes, and even when visibility is very low it's rarely worth having fog lights on in typical town centre heavy traffic where cars are only a few metres apart.

    Posted 12 years ago #

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