Get Off And Push It
It is an offence,"... [i]f any person shall wilfully ride upon any footpath or causeway by the side of any road made or set apart for the use or accommodation of foot passengers... or shall wilfully lead or drive any horse, ass, sheep, mule, swine, or cattle or carriage of any description... upon any such footpath or causeway"
Section 72 of the 1835 Highways Act
It was later clarified that, "...bicycles, tricycles, velocipedes, and other similar machines are hereby declared to be carriages within the meaning of the Highway Acts"
Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1888
If this is a bit wordy, how about the far more succinct, "You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement"
Section 64 of The Highway Code (The Government put it in bold capitals, not me. I would put it all in bold capitals with several exclamation marks. And flashing text, geocities circa 95 style).
Some would call it a mild nuisance, a pet hate. To me it's a bête noire. People cycling on pavements drives me insane. I understand that cycling on the road in Cardiff can be a dangerous experience. That doesn't mean you should ride on the pavement. It means you should get off and push your bike (or your velocipede).
A couple of days ago I was by the five-way traffic armageddon where City Road, Albany Road, Mackintosh Place, Crwys Road and Richmond Road meet. Twice, a kid over took me on his bike then stopped directly in front of me. Twice. Each time to wait for his family, who were walking, to catch up. Hey douchebag, why don't you push it, therefore travelling at a similar, if not identical pace to your family? Maybe then you could have a conversation with your parents, maybe they might teach you some common-sense, or maybe even teach you some manners?
A few weeks before that some guy in an all-in-one sweat-suit of dubious intelligence threatened to stab me on City Road when I tried to tell him it was illegal to ride on the pavement. Ergo cyclists are tools.
Do they ride on the pavement on the Tour de France? No, they cycle on the road. So should you.
Follow the link for info on the law and your rights
2 Comments – Post a comment
Biscuits
Commented 19 months ago - 15th July 2010 - 17:50pm
I was aware that it was illegal to ride your bike on the pavement, but I still do it; frankly, I don't feel confident enough to cycle down the A470 on a two wheeled frame with only a helmet to protect me. So you tell me to push it? What is the point in using my bike to get me somewhere if I am pushing it half the way? It would actually be faster in this instance just to walk. To overcome this problem, the council should sort out their currently INANE cycle paths on their roads, which start and stop in the most random and inconvenient places!
Pasternak
Commented 19 months ago - 16th July 2010 - 00:54am
Well said, Biscuits. Totally agree.