CaB Pedestrians

[Attila]

Fucking bonkers how seldom people in America are willing to walk from one location to another. When I was in Colorado a few years back the person whose home I was staying in was giving me directions into town, all of which were by some very difficult convoluted bus/tram combo because "you can't get anywhere in America without a car". I looked it up on my phone and told her it was no bother, as it was under 3 miles so I was happy to walk it. She looked at me as though I'd just kicked her dog to death.

Yep -- when I was growing up, it wasn't unusual to go shopping somewhere with my mom, to one of those big shopping centres (not a mall, where everything is under one roof). She'd parkup at one end to get whatever she needed from that store, then we'd drive across the parking lot to the next one, instead of walking. Granted, some of those places are huge, and you might be buying something you don't want lug any farther than you have to, but generally she'd do the same even for small shopping.

I prefer walking everywhere if I can -- you have to drive places here in the south of England, but I liked living in London where I would just say fuckit and walk rather than taking the Tube or busses (or like friends who came over from the US who wanted to take taxis everywhere!) It can be quicker to walk from point to point in London than the time it takes to faff with the underground.

[flotemysost]

I can neither drive a car or ride a bike

Same here. Not that many people I know in London own a car, unsurprisingly, but lots of my mates do cycle regularly (either their own bike or a Santander one, or whatever they're called now). I feel like I probably should learn as it would be a really convenient way of getting around but it scares me even more than the thought of driving a car.

It also seems to be a given that people assume everyone must be a proficient cyclist (much like swimming - my parents taught me fuck all about either). I remember one lunch break one of my colleagues told me that a few of them were grabbing bikes and heading over to Hyde Park, did I want to join? I had to reiterate several times that as much as I'd love to come, it would be an absolute guaranteed death wish for me to get on a bike and attempt to navigate main roads in Zone 1. Or any roads.

[monkfromhavana]

Same here. Not that many people I know in London own a car, unsurprisingly, but lots of my mates do cycle regularly (either their own bike or a Santander one, or whatever they're called now). I feel like I probably should learn as it would be a really convenient way of getting around but it scares me even more than the thought of driving a car.

It also seems to be a given that people assume everyone must be a proficient cyclist (much like swimming - my parents taught me fuck all about either). I remember one lunch break one of my colleagues told me that a few of them were grabbing bikes and heading over to Hyde Park, did I want to join? I had to reiterate several times that as much as I'd love to come, it would be an absolute guaranteed death wish for me to get on a bike and attempt to navigate main roads in Zone 1. Or any roads.

I can't swim either, I am genuinely fucking useless at transporting my hulking frame unless it's via my feet and I am standing up. Cycling just seems mental to me, gunning along mega busy roads at a rate of knots on basically a set of Technics lego, relying solely on other people and a helmet to avoid death.

Swimming - For a start, I'm not going to drown because I won't be in a situation to drown. Secondly i can have just as much fun chest high arsing about in the waves,

These are the excuses I have told myself over and over again.

[flotemysost]

Cycling just seems mental to me, gunning along mega busy roads at a rate of knots on basically a set of Technics lego, relying solely on other people and a helmet to avoid death.

Oh absolutely. Loads of people I know don't even bother with a helmet (especially those who don't own a bike, but regularly jump on a Santander one). I also don't think I'd feel comfortable cycling on busy roads without knowing how to drive a car - having some understanding of things from a motorist's point of view must surely help as well. Which is one of my excuses, anyway.

I think lots of people just assume that being taught to swim and/or ride a bike as a child is this universal experience and everyone grows up with these skills. My family aren't remotely sporty, my dad has a phobia of swimming, my mum has mobility issues and I never had a bike as a kid, but I've got by OK without either tbh.

[Blue Jam]

Get the worst of it as a pedestrian; all the obvious crap from motorists like getting showered with water from a puddle or being killed; you get shat on by cyclists- going through a red light at a pedestrian crossing while you're in the road or zooming along on the pavement, turning a simple trip to the shops into something akin to a game of Frogger; plus the general abuse you get from other pedestrians. It's fucking terrible.

The best option is to drive a tank.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Fucking bonkers how seldom people in America are willing to walk from one location to another. When I was in Colorado a few years back the person whose home I was staying in was giving me directions into town, all of which were by some very difficult convoluted bus/tram combo because "you can't get anywhere in America without a car". I looked it up on my phone and told her it was no bother, as it was under 3 miles so I was happy to walk it. She looked at me as though I'd just kicked her dog to death.

When I lived in Florida I worked in an office with a girl who would drive this route, which takes 4 minutes to walk there and back, to get her lunch



People walk a lot in cities like NY or Chicago but the likes of Colorado and Florida, forget about it. The only people I ever saw walking were homeless. One of my last memories of walking in FL was this guy in a red 80s muscle car pulling up alongside me and asking if I wanted a ride home. I said no of course but still wonder to this day if he was planning to abduct me or was genuinely disturbed that I was walking home.

[Icehaven]

When I lived in Florida I worked in an office with a girl who would drive this route, which takes 4 minutes to walk there and back, to get her lunch

Please tell me she was enormously obese, driving distances like that and having pizza for lunch.

[El Unicornio, mang]

She actually wasn't, but she was in her early 20s and possibly had a super fast metabolism. She was also the most annoying person I've ever worked with and managed to get under everyone's skin. Reported me to our supervisor after I threw a paper airplane at her head. Worth it.

[Fambo Number Mive]

Adult pavement cyclists are even more annoying than normal, as if you want to cross over to social distance and some wazzok is cycling along the centre of the pavement on the other side of the road (as happened to me recently on a quiet road) you have to wait until the pavement cyclist has trundled past.

During the time I waited for him to cycle ten metres or so, only one car went past at a slow speed. Still, he was clearly more important than me otherwise he wouldn't be preventing me from using the only mode of transport i had during a pandemic.

[Blue Jam]

As a cyclist myself I can forgive children cycling on pavements but adult pavement cyclists can fuck the fuck off. One golden rule of cycling I always try and follow is "Avoid antagonising drivers as much as possible", because it's the pavement cyclists and red light jumpers who make them hate us as a whole.

I once had a driver ram me off my bike, seemingly deliberately, before fleeing the scene, so it's something I'm hyper aware off. As a result of that selfish cunt I am also very anxious about cycling on roads but I still do it and avoid cycling on pavements unless there's a cycle path marked on them.

My commute takes in a cycle path on a pavement. It's a poorly-signposted one where the markings on the tarmac have mostly worn away but it is very definitely a cycle path, and I just really hope the locals are aware when they see me riding along it. When I lived in London I would occasionally get pedestrians telling me off for "cycling on the pavement" when I was in a clearly-marked cycle lane and I am anxious about that happening again.

[Fambo Number Mive]

I agree that cycle paths in Britain are very poorly marked. Sometimes you see the white line dividing the pavement but there is no marking saying which side is for cyclists and which side is for pedestrians. I can think of a few cycle lines like that near me. Is the cycle side always the same side of the shared pavement?

It's probably only a small minority of adults who cycle on the pavement but I've had several frustrating encounters with them

- a bloke on the pavement who was cycling at speed directly at me and would not get out of the way, he could see me and clearly expected me to move. This was autumn last year so I moved for distancing reasons (the road was not a busy one)
- a cyclist who was cycling along the pavement as I stood at the bus stop and swore at me for not moving rather than him going onto the road to get past the bus stop
- Once when I lived in Walthamstow I stopped to tie up my shoelace and from behind someone said "Scuse me". I moved and a pavement cyclist said "Stopped right in front of me" as he moved off, as if I should have had eyes in the back of my head. Again, it wasn't a busy road at all. He could easily have cycled along the road.

Each them they just got away with being so rude. What can you do though?

Cowley Road in Oxford seems to be pavement cyclist central, which probably isn't helping with social distancing at the moment.

[Ray Travez]

Each them they just got away with being so rude. What can you do though?

I know exactly what you mean. You start to feel like prey after a while. A particularly unnerving thing, because you can't plan for it, is stepping out from a bus shelter to see if the bus is coming, and a cyclist zooms by on the pavement, swerving and missing you by inches. Happened to me a good few times. Eventually you become hyperalert to cyclist danger at all times, but that won't save you. It's a numbers game. They come round blind corners.

My most dangerous near-miss was a cyclist doing about 35 miles per hour, straight through a red light at a pedestrian crossing. I was stood behind a lampost waiting to cross, so he didn't see me, and as I stepped out into the road he just missed me. All i could see were his fruity little lycra bun cheeks wiggling as he powered on down the road, and I wished for him to be involved in a collision.[nb]Now I think of it, this crossing was about 150 yards from a pedestrian crossing where a friend's son was killed by a motorist going through a red light.[/nb]

Motorists are no better. They'll accelerate AT you. Like they're driving a missile or something, with you as the target. I'm ok, I can jump out of the way, but... I knew these twins who lived a couple of floors above me when I was living in old Trafford. Two middle aged women, dressed the same, walked everywhere together. They were lovely people, always stopped to chat to me. One time I saw one of them on her own. She told me that a car had accelerated at them on New England Street, and they'd tried to jump out of the way, but Jane had fallen onto the kerb and broken her hip, so now she was in hospital. That injury will affect her for the rest of her life.

[jobotic]

The only time I would cycle on the pavement is when I'm cycling with my son but I go really slowly and stop if there are people coming. If I can I'll stay on the road while he is on the pavement.

I'd never dream of doing it when cycling normally. Why would you? Apart from the obvious cuntiness of it, it would be a massive pain in the arse having to stop all the time. Ride on the road mate, it's quicker and you look like a grown up.

I did once get shouted at by an impatient car driver to "get on the fucking pavement".

[Fambo Number Mive]

I think adult pavement cyclists not with children, unless they have a learning disability or similar, should be punished by having to have training wheels welded to their bike and they can't remove them for a month. Of course there's no way for them to face any consequences for their dangerous cycling, whereas at least you can sometimes identify dangerous drivers from their numberplate.

The crossing in St Aldates in central Oxford at the corner of the crossroads with the High Street/Cornmarket/Queen Street is notorious for cyclists not stopping when the light is red, I've used it several times and had to dodge cyclists going past at speed ignoring the red light and people crossing. It makes you feel like people regard you as a lesser person and although it's a small thing (as long as you don't actually get hit by one) it does become wearing. The message I get is "Your safety is not important, whereas me getting somewhere a couple of minutes earlier is".

[sirhenry]

Gave up driving cars/motorbikes/ambulances/buses 25 years ago in favour of walking everywhere or getting a taxi half a dozen times a year. No idea how many extra years of life it's given me but the daily stress of commuting across Bradford definitely took years off previously.

As for pavement cyclists, a walking stick definitely helps - just point it at the face of the git who's aiming straight at you, expecting you to move, and watch their expectations change.

[Fambo Number Mive]

Not having the best time at the moment so went out for a walk to clear my head and get some exercise. I was walking along when I heard a bell ring behind me. It was a pavement cyclist who expected me to get out there way rather than them go on the road for a couple of minutes (where they should have been anyway).

During the pandemic I am getting out these people's way because I'd rather be as  far over from a cyclist as possible for COVID reasons, also the road was 5 mins walk from where I live so don't want a row with another "local".

Cars drive quite fast on that road but there wasn't much traffic and there was a lay by type are for parking they could have ridden in. Just seems really arrogant when you also have the option of going on the road ringing your bell demanding people who can only be on the pavement get out of your way.

[popcorn]

I decided to get an Apple Watch to track my movement data. Over lockdown I've got into the habit of going for a walk once a day, usually an hour or two, because if I don't leave the house I start feeling mildly bananas by about 6pm. According to my watch, which has my weight, height etc, the other day I managed to burn 600 calories by walking for 2 hours. This astonishes me - I'd have to kill myself to hit that number on a treadmill.

[Mobbd]

Not having the best time at the moment so went out for a walk to clear my head and get some exercise. I was walking along when I heard a bell ring behind me. It was a pavement cyclist who expected me to get out there way rather than them go on the road for a couple of minutes (where they should have been anyway).

During the pandemic I am getting out these people's way because I'd rather be as  far over from a cyclist as possible for COVID reasons, also the road was 5 mins walk from where I live so don't want a row with another "local".

Cars drive quite fast on that road but there wasn't much traffic and there was a lay by type are for parking they could have ridden in. Just seems really arrogant when you also have the option of going on the road ringing your bell demanding people who can only be on the pavement get out of your way.

Yes, this is a thing that annoys me too. Cyclists are allowed to be a bit smug because they really do have the moral high ground over drivers. But they all too often forget their place in the morality totem pole and think they have the right to be sniffy towards pedestrians.

I'd love to drop-kick one of them and then crouch to explain the system very carefully.

[Gurke and Hare]

Fucking bonkers how seldom people in America are willing to walk from one location to another.

And, of course, it isn't always possible to walk. About 20 years ago I was on a road trip holiday in the US, and I ended up one night in a hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts with a pool. I didn't have any trunks with me, but there was a retail park over the road from the hotel so I thought that's okay, I'll nip over the road and get one. It was hopeless trying to cross the road on foot - 6 lanes of traffic, no crossing points and even where there were lights it was all designed so that there was no way I could make my own unofficial crossing points safely. I had to drive, there was no other way to do this 100 yard journey.

[Marner and Me]

I decided to get an Apple Watch to track my movement data. Over lockdown I've got into the habit of going for a walk once a day, usually an hour or two, because if I don't leave the house I start feeling mildly bananas by about 6pm. According to my watch, which has my weight, height etc, the other day I managed to burn 600 calories by walking for 2 hours. This astonishes me - I'd have to kill myself to hit that number on a treadmill.

I'm the same, a 2 hour walk does the same amount as a 40minute run. However I'd rather do the run as I fucking hate walking.

As for cyclists on pavements I thought it was only smackheads and bagheads that did that.

[Marner and Me]

And, of course, it isn't always possible to walk. About 20 years ago I was on a road trip holiday in the US, and I ended up one night in a hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts with a pool. I didn't have any trunks with me, but there was a retail park over the road from the hotel so I thought that's okay, I'll nip over the road and get one. It was hopeless trying to cross the road on foot - 6 lanes of traffic, no crossing points and even where there were lights it was all designed so that there was no way I could make my own unofficial crossing points safely. I had to drive, there was no other way to do this 100 yard journey.

There is with perseverance, a group of us did it in Virginia. We went to the retail park for some dinner, got pissed, then asked the locals where the local discotheque was, that way. That way turned into a slip road. In the distance we could see it though, across 8 lanes of motorway traffic, with a 5 foot wall in the middle. Anyway after two breaks in traffic and a climb down into some useful bales of hay. We were in, into one of the worst night clubs I've ever been.

[Ferris]

Walk everywhere, not owned (or even driven) a car since 2011, never felt the need.

Live in cities, walk where you need, transit if you need to get somewhere super fast (or an Uber if you must). Walked for an hour to go downtown and back and have a meander through the park, condensation froze solid in my beard cos it were -24c with wind chill and couldn't give a FUCK.

Absolutely baffles some members of the wife's family who insist on driving everywhere.

[Ferris]

Re: cycling on the sidewalk - it was legal in Toronto as long as your wheels were below a certain diameter which I thought was a neat solution. Makes it fine for kids, but a ticketing offence for adults. You got the odd joker riding a bike with tiny wheels to skirt the law but that's just dickheads innit? Can't do anything with them.

I also briefly lived in London, ON and it was fucking impossible to walk anywhere. Sidewalks disappeared and roads turned into highways with no warning and oh you're stuffed cos you wanted to go there, and you can see it, but it's on the other side of a 8 lanes of traffic and a load of bridges/exits. Unlike Marner^ that meant we gave up and trudged home.

Edinburgh was always lovely to walk around. I miss it very much.

[Icehaven]

A particularly unnerving thing, because you can't plan for it, is stepping out from a bus shelter to see if the bus is coming, and a cyclist zooms by on the pavement, swerving and missing you by inches. Happened to me a good few times.

A few years ago I did something like this only I stuck my arm out as I stepped to hail the bus, and a cyclist flying down the pavement had to swerve sharply to avoid getting clotheslined. I wish he had been, might have taught him a lesson, albeit one that broke my arm.

[Ray Travez]

maybe these pyhrric victories are all we can hope for

"yeah, I was knocked right off; bruised my elbow and my bike was all scratched up. Really taught me a lesson; won't be riding on the pavement again"

"what about the guy at the bus stop?"

"he died"

[The Dog]

Hate pedestrianism. I once literally drove myself to my car.

[Marner and Me]

Re: cycling on the sidewalk - it was legal in Toronto as long as your wheels were below a certain diameter which I thought was a neat solution. Makes it fine for kids, but a ticketing offence for adults. You got the odd joker riding a bike with tiny wheels to skirt the law but that's just dickheads innit? Can't do anything with them.

I also briefly lived in London, ON and it was fucking impossible to walk anywhere. Sidewalks disappeared and roads turned into highways with no warning and oh you're stuffed cos you wanted to go there, and you can see it, but it's on the other side of a 8 lanes of traffic and a load of bridges/exits. Unlike Marner^ that meant we gave up and trudged home.

Edinburgh was always lovely to walk around. I miss it very much.

Been to London once, watched the Knights play when Marner was playing for them. I have a pal who is a huge collector of his and Knights in general.

[The Dog]

Love the London Knights. My favourite one is Sir John Majors.

Yeah? So what? Don't even care.

[Ferris]

Been to London once, watched the Knights play when Marner was playing for them. I have a pal who is a huge collector of his and Knights in general.

Shithole innit? Had to ride the greyhound 90 minutes (plus 45 mins walk across highways) each way to get to Toronto for job interviews only to get knocked back. Lasted about 2 months, first job I got I left the place and have never been back.

A buddy of mine moved there subsequently and reckons it's alright, but he's wrong.

[Marner and Me]

Tbh I arrived about an hour before face off, parked, found Bud Gardens, mooched in the shop. Watched the warm ups (one of my favourite bits with ice hockey) met two of the blokes I'd been conversing over FB with then back to TO. Niagra is a shit hole