Little bastard cycling on footpath.

Mr.Lizard

I live on a main road. Right after leaving my house on way out to work each morning there is this one little bollix (maybe 14-15 yo) who loves to cycle down the footbath instead of using the road like normal human beings. If I leave the house at the appropriate time I'll end up being in his path and furthermore to this the curvature to the path and numerous bushes means I don't see the fella until literally seconds before our paths meet.

Seeing as I'm usually a bit groggy in the morning and also in no desire to get hit by a bike I'll inevitably cede the path to him as he bombs down in an unvveering centre line.

Afterwards however I'm usually seething to myself that I didn't just stand my ground and make him play chicken for the path and failing that clothesline the little shyte for thinking he owns the footpath if he doesn't veer off.

But what I'm wondering (as I'm not a cyclist or have I ever doing cycling safety etc) is "do bikes have the right to use the FOOTpath and if so is it their obligation to get out of the way of pedestrians"? Logic would dicate no & yes respectively but I'd like to know my rights before I kung-fu kick the twat off his bike next time for being such a selfish little git.

RaverRo808

Technically you'd be fully within your rights to give him a good shove sending him flying on his head,after all he shouldnt be cycling on the footpath

SV

Bicycles have no right to use the path at all afaik.
they're road users.


if he's cycling towards you put your hand in the general direction of his head..

MagicMarker

It's just a fucking path, as a driver I'd rather a 14 year old cycling on a path than a fucking road.

DirkVoodoo

No, bikes are not allowed on the footpath and it is a stupid and dangerous thing to do. Tell him to get on the road or get off and walk. Some people say they use the footpath because they don't feel safe on the road, which is complete bullcrap.

However, I don't think that clotheslining a kid or pushing him into traffic would earn you much support when the Gardai come to scrape him off the road.

SV

MagicMarker wrote: »

It's just a fucking path, as a driver I'd rather a 14 year old cycling on a path than a fucking road.

I think we can all agree bicycles are best suited nowhere.

johnny_knoxvile

People cycling on the road where there is a cyclepath wrecks my head.

And monkies on tricycles also.

easyeason3

Ah look at it this way, he's only a few years away from driving a 99 Nissan Micra that has blacked out windows, huge spoiler, body kit & a loud exhaust.
Then you won't have to worry about him on his bike because he'll probably spend his time pulling handbrake turns outside your house at three in the morning :pac:

omyatari

no harm in putting up a few more paths for cyclists, car-drivers dont want them on the road, and pedestrians dont want them on the footpaths.
little options there im afraid.

whenever we are over in belgium, my man seems to think there is something going on, because they are mad into cycling. but there are more paths for cyclists then there are any other. so no one is bothered with them.

easyeason3 wrote: »

Ah look at it this way, he's only a few years away from driving a 99 Nissan Micra that has blacked out windows, huge spoiler, body kit & a loud exhaust.

Then you won't have to worry about him on his bike because he'll probably spend his time pulling handbrake turns outside your house at three in the morning

omg....BAZOOKA!!!

jorayme

Definitely, you should stand your ground and block his way. Preferably turn your back to him if you see him coming. If he hits you he is in major sh*t. He has no right on the path whatsoever. You will only have to do this once. he'll get the message.

petes

I hate people cycling on the footpath. It got the name footpath for a reason. I stand my ground and don't move. Fcuk them.

Some one was cycling on a foot path behind me and when they saw I was in the middle of the path they rang their bell for me to move aside. I told them to fcuk off on to the road!

DirkVoodoo

MagicMarker wrote: »

It's just a fucking path, as a driver I'd rather a 14 year old cycling on a path than a fucking road.

Really? What happens if someone reverses out of their driveway and knocks him down? Or he knocks a pedestrian down?

Bikes belong on the road.

@Johnny Knoxville: Try cycling around Dublin before making uninformed comments, half the "cycle paths" are crap, full of glass and badly maintained. Oh, there are also plans to scrap mandatory use, so get ready for some more head wrecking.

Mossy Monk

jorayme wrote: »

Definitely, you should stand your ground and block his way.

I wouldn't advise standing in the way of someone bombing it on a push bike. You will more than likely seriously hurt yourself.

johnny_knoxvile

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Really? What happens if someone reverses out of their driveway and knocks him down? Or he knocks a pedestrian down?

Bikes belong on the road.

@Johnny Knoxville: Try cycling around Dublin before making uninformed comments, half the "cycle paths" are crap, full of glass and badly maintained. Oh, there are also plans to scrap mandatory use, so get ready for some more head wrecking.

dude my first job involved cycling all day.

"Uninformed comments"? How about you eat a big bowl of "quick assumptions!"

Snowie

MagicMarker wrote: »

It's just a fucking path, as a driver I'd rather a 14 year old cycling on a path than a fucking road.

I agree kids should cycle on the foot path far safer then them being on the road there more at risk because they don't have roads sense...

liah

Didn't realise people hated it so much. I grew up in an admittedly small country town in southern Ontario, and cycled on sidewalks and on the side of the road. Everyone did. No one cared, pedestrians included, we'd just move if someone got in our way. We don't really have bicycle paths anywhere so it's just kind of up to your own discretion.

I don't even know what I'd do here, I know no road rules when it comes to bikes, signals and the like. I'd like to go out for a bike ride, and I've a bike available to me, but I'd probably just make myself look like an idiot by the sounds of it.

Takes the fun out of biking, everyone complaining like this.

RaverRo808

I dont mind much if its on a quiet road and little risk of danger,but I work in town and I regulary encounter cyclists bombing down a path full of people,taking sharp turns at speed,usually foreigners(maybe they dont know its illegal to cycle on the path here),Id glady like to see them in hospital with a few broken bones and a cracked skull

Mr.Lizard

Just to clarify I don't mind cyclists using a footpath based on their fear of the road. Some little old lady pushing her shopping down the path at 3mph? Fine by me.

My problem with this guy is he's easily going 15 mph+ down a narrow footpath with an obstructed view. He'll probably be safe as houses the way things go but I can see him hitting someone and hurting them.

I just feel like beating him to that honour and teaching him a lesson BEFORE he even gets to school that morning.

kmick

If he is that dunb its likely he has no brakes either. If you stand your ground expect a large dent in your car and an hours wait while you explain the crash to the police.

Nodin

Mr.Lizard wrote: »

But what I'm wondering (as I'm not a cyclist or have I ever doing cycling safety etc) is "do bikes have the right to use the FOOTpath and if so is it their obligation to get out of the way of pedestrians"? Logic would dicate no & yes respectively but I'd like to know my rights before I kung-fu kick the twat off his bike next time for being such a selfish little git.

That would be assault. You may only legally retaliate by mounting a bike and cycling towards him at speed, with a long yard brush handle couched under yer oxter.

Snowie

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Really? What happens if someone reverses out of their driveway and knocks him down? Or he knocks a pedestrian down?

Bikes belong on the road.

@Johnny Knoxville: Try cycling around Dublin before making uninformed comments, half the "cycle paths" are crap, full of glass and badly maintained. Oh, there are also plans to scrap mandatory use, so get ready for some more head wrecking.

If he cycles into a car it aint going to hurt as much as getting hit bye and dragged under...

johnny_knoxvile wrote: »

dude my first job involved cycling all day.

used to be a peddel pusher my self and cars are the worlds bigist enemys :mad:

IvyTheTerrible

God that's annoying. I would be tempted just to stick my foot out as he goes by!

Doesn't just happen in Ireland either. Yesterday, waiting at traffic lights in Montpellier, a guy on a moped (not a young lad either) was too impatient and drove onto the footpath and sped off!

(At this lights I also saw a guy in a car with a young child (3 or 4) in the passenger seat in front, neither of them belted in, and the kid leaning on the dashboard...but that's another thread....)

Joey the lips

I know this is afterhours and we are all in fighting form Give him a little slack he will no doubt plough into something soon enough. I would agree I would rather him cycle on the patch than the main road,

watna

liah wrote: »

Takes the fun out of biking, everyone complaining like this.

Cycling is meant to be fun?

easyeason3

watna wrote: »

Cycling is meant to be fun?

Only if you have no saddle :P

Mr.Lizard

kmick wrote: »

If he is that dunb its likely he has no brakes either. If you stand your ground expect a large dent in your car and an hours wait while you explain the crash to the police.

I'm not in a car. I'm just a pedestrian trying to use the footpath.

DirkVoodoo

Snow-Monkey wrote: »

If he cycles into a car it aint going to hurt as much as getting hit bye and dragged under...

used to be a peddel pusher my self and cars are the worlds bigist enemys :mad:

Hmm...yes but on the road people can see you (unless you like going down the inside of HGVs). If you feel unsafe on the road, you shouldn't be cycling.

liah

watna wrote: »

Cycling is meant to be fun?

I know you're taking the piss, but I love cycling! Especially on a hot summer day on my old-fashioned cruiser down the flat country roads back home with a bit of lunch strapped to the back. Absolutely lovely way to spend the day imo.

watna

liah wrote: »

I know you're taking the piss, but I love cycling! Especially on a hot summer day on my old-fashioned cruiser down the flat country roads back home with a bit of lunch strapped to the back. Absolutely lovely way to spend the day imo.

I did do a wine tour by bike over Christmas which was awesome. It was a blazing hot day and we went to about 10 vineyards buying a bottle of wine in each and straping it in to special baskets on our bikes.

Now that's my kind of cycling!

mathie

Car vs bike = splat
Bike vs person = not so much splat

Ergo. Vis a vis. Corcordantly the path is ok for cyclists.

WIZE

I cycle to and from work everyday and use the road and cyclepath.

What I hate is the people who use the cyclepath when jogging and 9 times out of 10 I have to move to the path or road.

Snowie

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Hmm...yes but on the road people can see you (unless you like going down the inside of HGVs). If you feel unsafe on the road, you shouldn't be cycling.

At least the kids getting some exercise Ulike half the kids in this world who sit on there ass and play ps3 and xbox, untill the gain the wait of a baby whale and then where all supossed to feel very sorry for them .... If i had a kid who was cycleing to school Id expect him to be on the foot path around a main road I would also tell s/he to be curious to people who are walking...

As much as I can see Mr Lizzards point i still think that in that situation of a kid on a main road should not be cycling on a main road... :rolleyes:

Noopti

Until the government create a proper network of cycle paths then I have no problem with someone cycling on a footpath.

However I would expect them to dodge me, rather than the other way around.

Pablod

BVB wrote: »

I cycle to and from work everyday and use the road and cyclepath.

What I hate is the people who use the cyclepath when jogging and 9 times out of 10 I have to move to the path or road.

1 - Cyclists using the footpath
2 - Pedestrians (Joggers) using the Cycle paths
Whats next - Motorbikes on the Foot path? Joggers on the outside fastlane of a dual carriage-way :pac:

6th

Wheelchairs on the footpath .... dont get me started!

phasers

Kids shouldn't cycle, just like they shouldn't drive.

Fvck kids, let em walk.


Edit: In before footpad.

TheZohanS

1. Get a huge big box, small stool and sweeping brush
2. Cut a window out of box and small 2inch hole out of side of box
3. Place on footpath
4. Stick brush handle out of side of box
5. Place stool inside of box
6. Sit on stool
7. Charge cyclist toll
8. Profit

He won't be long finding an alternative route.

Mr. Presentable

OP, bring out your wheelie bin as the fecker comes past.

WindSock

People should walk on the roads, cars should drive on the fields and bikes cycle on footpaths!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol lol lol!

TheZohanS

WindSock wrote: »

cars should drive on the fields

What about the moo-cows?

Joey the lips

nipplenuts wrote: »

OP, bring out your wheelie bin as the fecker comes past.

Laugh my head off this is the best! I can just picture it.. Priceless! Even better, climb into the bin and jump out as he passes!

Mr. Presentable

TheZohan wrote: »

What about the moo-cows?

Give them bikes.

Pablod

nipplenuts wrote: »

OP, bring out your wheelie bin as the fecker comes past.

Definitly worth it for a Youtube moment!!! lol

cosmic

Maybe get up really early tomorrow morning, or really late tonight, scatter loads of thumbtacks all over the path where he cycles (or some other wylie coyote type plan), a nice puncture should have him out of action for a few days. Repeat as required... :pac:

Dyr

I get this every single day a walking mah dogs, narrow path, arsehole cyclists who won't to use the bicycle lanes that are on BOTH sides of the road. I don't move out of their way and they sometime think that i'm gonna be the one to blink in this deadly game of chicken, the fools.

I had one oul wagon, behind me tutting because I wasn't getting out of her way while sauntering up the road with a friend, this ensued


wagon: "excusse me?? ESCUUSE ME?"

mise: "yeah?"

wagon: "I'm TRYING to get past"

mise "There's a bicycle lane on your right there"

wagon: "but I don't have a helmet"

mise : "and whos' fault is that but yer own?"

F****in cyclists.

WindSock

TheZohan wrote: »

What about the moo-cows?

Replace their udders for spacehoppers.

TheZohanS

Bambi wrote: »

I get this every single day a walking mah dogs, narrow path, arsehole cyclists who won't to use the bicycle lanes that are on BOTH sides of the road. I don't move out of their way and they sometime think that i'm gonna be the one to blink in this deadly game of chicken, the fools.

I had one oul wagon, behind me tutting because I wasn't getting out of her way while sauntering up the road with a friend, this ensued


wagon: "excusse me?? ESCUUSE ME?"

mise: "yeah?"

wagon: "I'm TRYING to get past"

mise "There's a bicycle lane on your right there"

wagon: "but I don't have a helmet"

mise : "and whos' fault is that but yer own?"

F****in cyclists.

Get a bigger dog.

Spastafarian

Of course the kid should be cycling on the footpath! He can cycle on the road once he's done his drivers theory test.

Dyr

TheZohan wrote: »

Get a bigger dog.

ehh...if he was any bigger he'd need a saddle.