Well that really is a daft rule! Notwithstanding this, a bit of common sense is required by all parties at the blind bridges.
If some one is waiting, why would they then think it is ok for them to proceed?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Today's rubbish pedestrians
(219 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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The jogger is a bit daft, though there could be mitigating factors.
Someone, the cyclist, could be waiting for any number of reasons. Stopped cos of a puncture, stopped to blow his nose, stopped (as I do on the bike, on the canal the few times I do it) to take a photo of some wildlife. It's not guaranteed they're stopped because they've heard a bell from a cyclist unseen.
And he may not have heard the bell becaus he may have had headphones on (couldn't see on the vid).
But, from that particular circumstance, you were visible in plenty time and (thinking of rules of the road) the obstruction was on his side so to my mind he should have stopped.
I can sort of see the logic of the canal rules, larger and faster travellers ceding priority, and therefore giving safety, to the more vulnerable, but it's a bit too one sided and 'blanket', everyone (joggers included) should simply have a bit of common sense.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Not sure about naming individuals in this way....
Posted 9 years ago # -
If some one is waiting, why would they then think it is ok for them to proceed?
I was clipped by a cyclist on Monday while on foot, I think because I was following the Highway Code and facing oncoming traffic and they would have preferred not to have to move over for me.
You can spend a long time worrying about what other people think, but sometimes there's no satisfyingly deep answer to be found, you just have to write an anguished 'ped hit by cyclist' letter to the council (or spokes!) and get on with life :)
Posted 9 years ago # -
the obstruction was on his side so to my mind he should have stopped.
People also make mistakes, sometimes not apologising out of embarassment. Some runners think they own the towpath.
Not sure about naming individuals in this way...
I would probably have muttered words to the effect of "I say, that was a bit off." and left it at that. I think I'd feel a bit "how dare you?" if I was sent a message from someone I didn't know. But then, I rarely use Strava and haven't looked into this flyby stuff.
Posted 9 years ago # -
He actually messaged me back "Apologies if you felt like I was close to you. I felt there was plenty of room and I am used to passing people this close on bikes and running regularly on the canal and have never had an incident If the other cyclist continued we wouldn't have ended up with 3 of us side by side. As you see from the video I am stepping out to overtake him by the time I have seen you. So either i go for the gap or run into him.
All the best
Matt"
Fair play, but stopping was also an option for him.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@richardlmpear having watched the video (based on what I had read before I watched it I had assumed that the pass had occurred under the bridge itself for some reason) it appears that you would have been emerging from under the bridge before he started to overtake the other cyclist, and that is completely ignoring the fact that you rang your bell. Had that happened to me I would not have been best pleased with Matt. Whilst that isn't the narrowest section of towpath, it really isn't wide enough for three.
Posted 9 years ago # -
A courteous reply from Matt. On a shared path there is no Highway Code requirement on pedestrians to behave in a particular way. On the other hand, rule 62 for cyclists says that cyclists should always be prepared to slow down and even stop. In the 4 seconds from the bridge to passing the other cyclist, there was time to do that.
This shows why the towpath is not infrastructure suitable for commuting. It's a pootling path; very pleasant for that purpose, but shouldn't be counted towards everyday cycling infrastructure.
Posted 9 years ago # -
An impressively unaware jogger wearing headphones on the canal towpath around Meggetland this evening. I slowed down behind him because he was running in the middle of the path and rang my 80mm ding dong bell a few of times. No reaction. I then rang it continuously for about 5-10 seconds as I slowly closed the gap before he eventually turned around and realised that I was there. I'm still not convinced that he actually heard me ringing my bell loudly as opposed to seeing my front wheel gradually ease into his peripheral vision.
Posted 8 years ago # -
'Beggar' who sits outside Scotmid Leith Walk (you know, the one who gets dropped off by a minivan every morning on Pilrig Street) walked across two lanes of traffic with her hood up at the MacDonald Road junction.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@dougal saw her at the weekend walking up the middle of the road against the flow of traffic and getting a lot of horn tooting for her efforts.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Jogger fails to notice bright red car. Walker decides speaking on phone is more important than looking in the direction of a live traffic stream.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I was one when I very nearly walked out in front of a high speed cyclist who was heading west along the cycle lane opposite the Gare du Lyon this morning in Paris. Ok, so I had failed to look in the appropriate direction, but in my defence I had just pointed out a food shop across the road to my friends and was very close to, if not directly on, a pedestrian crossing over the cycle lane and then the road.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Cycling along the NEPN at the really narrow bit just before you come out at the Shore in Leith. There was a woman walking in the exact middle of this narrow bit forcing two oncoming cyclists to barely squeeze past. I was coming along behind and gently rang my bell at a polite distance. She shuffled over a bit but as I said thank you she sighed very loudly and rolled her eyes. What a *****
Why behave like that when people are trying to be considerate towards you?
Posted 7 years ago # -
"A LAUDER man has admitted breaching his Anti Social Behaviour Order by walking on the A68 during the hours of darkness wearing dark clothing and forcing vehicles to take evasive action." Border Telegraph How he forced them to take action isn't detailed.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Well, I personally I do not agree with this type of new labour legislation that allows it to be an offense to walk on public road, people must have walked on that road for generations. With so few buses, if no car or bike how is someone meant to get where going. Its not a motorway. What if a horse was walking on the road or a bicycle or a tractor people would also be forced to take evasive action or what if a car going a bit slower also evasive action required.
Posted 7 years ago # -
But after being released from Borders General Hospital during the early hours of October 17 and having no money, 38-year-old Anderson was seen walking on the road between Earlston and Birkenside.
That's a 13.5 mile walk from BGH to Lauder (or 10.8 via the B6374). You do have to wonder what you'd do when faced with such a walk in the early hours and no way of paying a taxi home.
Admittedly he had priors for this and an ASBO and "alcohol was involved", I suppose technically he has been charged with breaching his ASBO, not walking on the road.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Bit of a tangent, because he was coming from the south, but on the A68 north of Lauder you have very little choice. It takes either a massive detour or amount of climbing to avoid it. Badly needs a cycle/walking path alongside.
Posted 7 years ago # -
May be had previous but previous for walking on the road which is not a regular offense that has gone through courts but a made up offense at the whims of an official criminalising something legal.
In theory someone could get an asbo for cycling on A68 , if some reported it as a nuisance even if cycling legally. Although in practice unlikely but seems like bad law. There is no law that says someone needs to wear hi viz when walking on a road at night, sensible yes but not a legal requirement.
Even if had money for a bus no night buses in the borders.
Posted 7 years ago # -
A guy got an ASBO to stop him doing something dangerous; walking on the road with a speed limit of 60, at night, in dark clothes. He has previous for being drunk. It not that easy to get an ASBO issued.
I'd rather an ASBO was taken out than some poor driver or cyclist slams into him wandering all over the road at night and then has to live with the consequences.
Posted 7 years ago # -
If we was previous drunk and disorderly he should have been charged for the crime committed.
In respect to some poor driver the same argument may be used in regard to cyclists, some poor drivers kills a cyclist cycling on an A road under taking what may generally be perceived a dangerous activity and the driver has to live with the guilt. Yet would cyclists expect an asbo to save the poor driver from the guilt?
In theory people are not meant to drive beyond their visibility, so be it at night or day if someone driving correctly in theory no accident. The standard speed limit of 60 mph is the default out of town limit, this is a limit on a sunny dry day on a straight road with good visibility. Even single lanes have limits of 60 mph this is not nessiarly a sane speed or recommended speed it may be dangerous driving to drive at 60 mph on some roads with 60 mph limit.
In respect to danger walking on the A68 is possibly safer than cycling, even with no HI VIS as you walk in direction of cars coming and can step of the road if see a car coming at night not that many.
I have walked it and cyclist it and think walking is safer but much slower as you can see hazard and move in the verge.
Country roads are effectively shared use if no payment, in the 1980s I recall my mum pushing my brother in pram on the A68 to lauder I walked behind at 3 , as 4 year old had to walk home up the 1/2 mile 60 mph road to farm where lived, as bus did not go up hill.
Indeed the local education authority would consider a child could walk up to 5km to school so in theory many would have to walk although in reality think people that lives neared paid for the bus often.
I don’t recall school uniforms being HI viz.
The ABSO is some one privates whims that becomes law, its has not been debated in parliament whether people should be allowed to walk on the road with no hi zi. The asbo may be the personal prejudice of an individual’s arbibary whims criminalizing a legal activity that has not been debated and deemed illegal.
If ASBOS were around in the 80s when cycling was not in fashion regarded as poor it may be asbos would have been used to ban cycling on some roads.
asbos seems to be used more again low socio economic groups to criminalise legal behaviour. It seems strange there is a lower evidence threshold used to ban someone from walking on the road indefinitely than to ban someone driving for a year.
If only the man had driven drunk rather than walked may have his road access returned by now-)
Posted 7 years ago # -
"forcing vehicles to take evasive action"
In other words, the vehicles were being controlled by people who chose to drive too fast in the dark, who then got a nasty surprise when they encountered a pedestrian on the road.
Who is exhibiting anti-social behaviour here?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Or alternatively, a man who, when drunk, thought it amusing to jump out in front of cars. What other means could be used to control such behaviour?
Posted 7 years ago # -
“Or alternatively, a man who, when drunk, thought it amusing to jump out in front of cars. What other means could be used to control such behaviour? “
In England I see Highways Act 1980 Part 9 Danger or annoyance to highway users
In Scotland need a bit more googling but would think there is somethingDrunk and dis orderly breach of the peace ( the old non-specific) could possibly be used.
The charge should related to the offense if there is no offense then new legislation proposed and put through the parliament by elected members of parliament in the traditional way.
Otherwise effectively have policy at the whims of unelected officials and their person views on HI viz or whatever it may be circumventing debate and input of and support of elected members. Also end up with a more fragmented system where one law for some another for others, and more who you are, rather than what you did playing a larger role in the outcome. If this man was connected, or had access to good solicitors could challenge this “law”. If this law had been proposed nationally would have been influence objectors. By making law person specific it leaves its target lower socio economic unconnected.
Although possibly in danger of an CCe asbo for waffling on
Posted 7 years ago # -
The braindead morons who decided to kick-off about a dozen wing mirrors along a Circus Place on Saturday night. Could have been more, but I was counting a mixture of damaged cars and abandoned mirrors from cars which had left.
Don't they know this is Stockbridge!
Posted 6 years ago # -
My first instinct was to dash to Twitter to see what The Spurtle has to say about this.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I thought Stockbridge had an anti-asbo force field?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Posted 6 years ago #
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Thursday, 5:45 pm, Melville Dr.
a personal trainer is beasting his client through her run. they are running side by side.
in the cycling lane.the pavement was pretty empty, not full of any rubbish... who runs in the road, especially at that time of day??
Posted 6 years ago # -
that's a horrible story. doesn't sound like they were even after his food, just a victim!
Posted 6 years ago #
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