I had a cheeky chappy in tartan and a saltire flag as a skirt deliberately press the ped crossing button at east end of cowgate whist laughing heartily. I shouted FREEDOM at him and he liked that. Seemed a bit drunk for 8.30 a.m.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Today's rubbish walking
(230 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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Ha! That sort of scenario has been my experience of commuting to work, gembo and I have yet to encounter a bad experience with peds... many indifferent 'passings' but many pleasant, happy exchanges/banter/laughs. In saying that, I've only been commuting for a few weeks, so... Hands up how many of you instantly thought, "Aye, wait another few weeks, pal..."?
Possibly one reason for this is that I always come down some big hill or other from the Pentlands - you know, one of those "Yeehaaa!!!" jobs - where there's never any peds or traffic to contend with, and by the time I get to Colinton village, I've had my fill of early morning adventure, so I just amble along the remaining 2-3 miles down the WoL to work. A combination of my cheap mountain bike and 'less than youthful' legs may also be a contributing factor as I amble along at a very leisurely pace!
The pleasant exchanges are one of the reasons I love cycling to work in the morning, although not as much as the yeehaa descent!
Posted 11 years ago # -
A variant of the SMIDSY for the girls... SDIDSY "sorry darling I didn't see you" from the gentleman who walked out in front of me on leith walk tonight. No harm done as i did see him. For the record I had lights and was wearing hi viz. pedestrian had no lights and was wearing dark clothing.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Bipeds on leith walk can be quite random if not even erratic in their behaviour as the day wears on. Dalry Road I have also noticed similar behaviour. None of them have ever called me darling. Though I was called darlin' by a head teacher the other day, but she was calling everyone that.
Posted 10 years ago # -
On the radio, I heard that two pedestrians were blown against the side of a taxi - evidently a hazard for traffic as it was on the traffic news.
Posted 10 years ago # -
"...two pedestrians were blown against the side of a taxi..."
I assume they didn't phrase it as "pedestrians collided with a vehicle" on the grounds that it was, for once, true?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Heading along the Longstone path at the back of Saughton Prison from here and found it a bit busier than usual with people - caution warranted.
Woman with pram steps to side to let me by. Thanks given. Next few peds do the same.
Just after the downhill bit I spot a woman walking the same way I'm going with a couple of dogs ahead.
Okay, slow down, couple of loud dings with the bell while I'm still far back. No response.
Come a bit closer. Ding Ding! No response.
Come a bit closer again. Ding Ding! Excuse me please! No response.
Has she got earphones in? Can't tell. Does she just not care? Who knows. I stop for a minute to see if she might shoulder check (I'm stuck in the habit of doing it along that stretch when walking and others). Nope, she's walking steadily on in her own little universe. I start again and then as I catch her up again then she turns sideways to clean up behind the dogs at the side of the path. Ah I see, she's got massive earplugs in that are totally invisible from behind due to her hair.
Okay squeeze by her and the dogs. Phew.
I'm going to class it as somewhat rubbish walking as I don't in principle have that great of an issue with people having earphones in as long as you can hear me dinging the bell when I'm directly behind you on a narrow path.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Jogger jumping onto the road to get past some bins facing away from the direction of traffic without looking at the imminent bus on E. Norton Pl. yesterday evening.
Posted 10 years ago # -
The irony of the following verbal exchange!
Yesterday afternoon. I'd headed down from Dundee St to the slope leading to the Telfer Subway. As I came off the "bumpity-bumps" beside the steps and onto the smooth slope, I had a tall guy walking in front of me on my left suddenly walk to the right-hand side as if to overtake the guy in front of him. Except he didn't - he kept to the same pace and the same distance, making an overtake impolite at best.
So I sighed quietly and waited till I could turn right onto the ramp, knowing I cold expect to get to the bottom of it before either ped reached the bottom of the steps. Except, of course, tall guy decided this was the time to speed up and he ran down the steps, reaching the bottom just before I did. Seeing a space, I carefully weaved around him before a ped coming the other way would be inconvenienced.
His reaction? "Watch where you're going!" :-o
He'd blindly moved in front of me as I was about to pass him, blocked my progress twice, all without looking first and yet I wasn't looking where I was going. Priceless! I just suggested he engaged his brain before his mouth and carried on.
Posted 10 years ago # -
If you are going to use a pedestrian crossing when the lights are red for you then fair enough, it's your decision. But don't then shout "it's a f**** red light ya c***" at the cyclist who is obeying the green light for road traffic.
(this morning, at the junction of Gardiners Crescent and Fountainbridge)
Posted 10 years ago # -
"I'd headed down from Dundee St to the slope leading to the Telfer Subway."
there is something about that space... i have a video clip of two women and a boy walking a dog - clearly new to task. they're filling up whole width. one (maybe both) of the women looks, sees me patiently waiting behind girl with dog, and just kind of smiles. not meanly, or anything, but verging on a smerk. i just carry on calmly behind them. boy eventually notices me, and is clearly interested in me/bike/camera. but at no point do they suggest he or dog move to make room to let me by. i just wait until we get out onto road and carry on. later on, when i've done my shopping, hear boy exclaiming loudly 'we saw that lady earlier'.
makes me wonder what they made of me, given that i was totally bemused by them.
Posted 10 years ago # -
A new one for me today.
Coming home as the Celtic game was coming out and I'd stopped behind a car at some red lights with more traffic behind me. Some bloke starts shouting out "Mister, mister" and runs up as the lights start to change, puts his arm around me and pulls out his camera to take a photo of himself with me. Of course, as he's doing this, I've tried to get moving. So he's sort of holding me in position, as my bike moves forward. I manage to push him off and recover from a severe wobble and get on my way. I yell back "Sorry mate" as I ride off into the sunset (that's a lie, I was heading east).
Running out to take a 'selfie' with somebody in traffic (albeit not moving) is not exactly wise. I would not recommend it to anyone.
Posted 10 years ago # -
A few Fringes ago, before the selfie thing became a thing, some nerks in green Morph suits tried to surround me in the George IV-Bristo Place ASL just as the lights went green.
Posted 10 years ago # -
A relatively common occurrence for recumbenteers. Although at least you're less huggable given you're on a seat.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Encountered a mad woman today on NEPN (other types of mental disturbance are available - I wondered if it might be drink or drugs).
In the distance I could see three or four riders coming uphill towards me and said woman was basically jumping into / in the direction of their path and flapping her arms about.
My turn was a tricky situation because she also had a dog running out of control, so I had to negotiate a gap between her and the dog (she was evidently less willing to jump in front of my recumbent chainrings, so actually I got through no problem).
Shouted something about getting killed, I stirred myself just enough to tell her where to go.
Odd times.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Said same woman, who I passed about 2 minutes after Dave, did not thankfully jump in front of me, but suddenly raised her arms in some kind of sarcastic celebratory way as I was about to pass her. Decidedly odd. I'd post the video of her doing this, but tbh, I'm unsure about the situation and thus won't, to save her embarrassment.
Posted 10 years ago # -
There was what appeared to be a woman standing with a dog and a child with a bike turned perpendicular to the path in the shadows beneath a bridge on the Roseburn this evening. Seemed a bit weird, especially when there were better-lit bits or sections of not-right-in-the-path to loiter n nearby.
Posted 10 years ago # -
There were some strange chos on canal towpath the other forenoon in their underpants. Looked. Bit wonky donkey. I sincerely hope they did not go in for. Swim
Posted 10 years ago # -
Pedestrians in town are pretty much hurling themselves infront of moving vehicles (pedal and infernal combustion powered). Sadly a bike bell cannot be heard over the roar of buses so I've resorted to yelling at them.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Holding a bike, but walking, stepping out without looking. Also featuring some of this evening's presumed association shoutball performance viewers zombieing across Haymarket, instead of the usual not-looking suicidal commuters:
Posted 10 years ago # -
Phew, I was worried that was going to turn out to be me... (I was pithering around at that crossing try to decide on the best way to get to where I wanted to go, but I don't recall inconveniencing any cyclists (just possibly a taxi driver)).
Posted 10 years ago # -
Smashed a woman this morning on the way to work - she stepped out to cross the road without looking, and there wasn't time (or room, in the traffic) for me to avoid her.
Locked the back wheel, slammed into her, smacked into the back of a car going my way. She said something, can't remember if it was an apology or what, and walked off.
Luckily I wasn't going too fast as the traffic was pretty thick, but I've still got a pretty sore hand where it hit the car and I'm not sure that the bike hasn't been bent a little.
Driver was very decent, just wanted to know that I was OK.
Posted 10 years ago # -
For me, a timely reminder that you can't rely on people to take reasonable care. It's been ages since I had a really unwelcome surprise on the commute:
Also made me very glad (again) for the camera. It shows both that I'm not going very fast and also that there was virtually no time to react. Could have saved me a fortune if that was a different driver I slammed into.
Posted 10 years ago # -
[EEN COMMENTARD]
Typical pedestrian...No Hi-Viz
No Lights
Not looking
No means of easy identification
Probably no insurance
Haven't passed a test of any kind
Roads are for Bikes
[/EEN COMMENTARD]As long as you're OK and the innocent driver is too. I'm always amazed at the number of pedestrians who don't look - with more quieter vehicles on the road i.e. electric there'll probably be carnage!
Posted 10 years ago # -
Also made me very glad (again) for the camera. It shows both that I'm not going very fast and also that there was virtually no time to react. Could have saved me a fortune if that was a different driver I slammed into. "
Why would this have saved you a fortune? I don’t know how liability works in respect to cycling, but I am guessing if someone were driving down the street in a car a pedestrian walked and you swerved in to the back of a car you would still be liable in respect to insurance claims the presumption being your crashed in to the back even if this was caused by swearing to avoid a pedistrain.
You could of course take a civil action against pedestrian to recover costs. I guess this is how it works?Posted 10 years ago # -
Your middle paragraph is a bit hard to read, but I meant that with no friendly witness to the contrary I'd be wide open to an accusation of ferocious cycling and wanton ramming into the back of an innocent motorist and held 100% to blame for costs.
Replacing just one panel on an expensive car can be ££££...
I'm not really sure what the procedure would be in this case, I can't imagine it's very common and that's what lawyers are for. However, with a video I'd take my chances at the small claims court to see how it was proportioned up.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Does anyone know the legal status of filtering in a queue of traffic?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Overtaking on the left of stationary traffic can legally be done if you are in a separate lane. Otherwise, you should be overtaking on the right. If you'd damaged the car, you'd be as liable as the pedestrian, who should have looked before crossing between vehicles for filtering bikes (the HWC meantions doing this for right turning traffic and that is used by some to justify filtering - I think that is an argument for the hard of thinking).
Looking at the road, there is room for a cycle lane, and maybe there should be one, but there isnt.
Posted 10 years ago # -
That reply doesn't reference The Highway Code so I give it as much credence as hearsay.
67 You should... watch out for ... pedestrians stepping into your path
72 Do not ride on the inside of vehicles signalling or slowing down to turn left.72 to me means it is otherwise ok to ride on the inside of vehicles (as long as they are not turning left)
Posted 10 years ago # -
Two guys with two unleashed dogs who were taking up most of the width of the towpath at the canal bridge following Meggetland as I was heading into town last night. I slowed down considerably and was ringing my bell as I rode under the bridge, then had to squeeze between a tiny gap between the guys and dogs. One of them said something along the lines of "you can't just ring your bell and expect to come through" to which I retorted "you can't just take up the entire path"...
This followed what I had intended to be a 'friendly' ring of my bell to warn a pedestrian with two dogs on leads that I was about to pass from behind as I was passing Meggetland itself. He said something along the lines of "I'm already over as far as I can go" to which I replied "I'm just letting you know I'm here".
Posted 10 years ago #
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