Dangerous fencing erected in Howth

Atlantic Dawn

I was over in Howth earlier in the week on my bike and noticed Fingal County Council have put seriously dangerous fencing along the green area opposite Beshoff Motors/Garden Centre so that it runs parallel with the cycle lane on the road. Anyone who is unlucky enough to fall off their bike will be badly hurt on the sharp edged fencing, what kind of an absolute idiot approved money to be spent on this, so much for improving safety for cyclists? It looks similar to this..




The road in question is here....
https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.388732,-6.075594,3a,75y,243.02h,73.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sykRrh5UvYogcpbrfE9VcqA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=en

ThisRegard

They could also fall under a car and be hurt to the point of death ?

Atlantic Dawn

ThisRegard wrote: »

They could also fall under a car and be hurt to the point of death ?

Cars are variables, fixed fences are not.

ThisRegard

I don't see it as a problem, I don't think we have a high enough percentage of cyclists randomly falling off their bikes for it to be a significant issue.

punisher5112

About time they erected something to keep cyclists off the grass.

I would guess its more to keep certain people from driving onto green area and setting up home.

So many places and so much money had to be spent to try and keep them of these greens.

Better laws and no toleration of these groups doing said things would be so much better then having stupid fencing, metal barriers and concrete horrible looking poured type walls.

Tenzor07

I wouldn't call this dangerous, i'd say it was put there after years of complaints about people parking there cars etc up on the grass or half up on the grass, half in the cycle lane..

07Lapierre

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Cars are variables, fixed fences are not.

Is falling off your bike not also variable?

KeithTS

Being outraged by this is an overreaction to say the least.
There are far worse things in the world, if you're likely to fall off your bike and severely injure yourself on this wee fence you're a liability and shouldn't own a bike let alone cycle it near a road.

Atlantic Dawn

If I fell off the bike 2 weeks ago at the spot I would be in to the grass, this week I would be partially impaled on a fence, that's the issue.

ThisRegard

If you fell the other direction you could have had your head crushed. And you wouldn't be partially impaled, or anywhere near it.

What made you fall ?

MrWalsh

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

If I fell off the bike 2 weeks ago at the spot I would be in to the grass, this week I would be partially impaled on a fence, that's the issue.

How would you be impaled?

The pic you posted shows a low little fence with no spikes. Alarmist much?

Stheno

There used be people parking there at the weekends so I reckon that's why it was put up

punisher5112

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

If I fell off the bike 2 weeks ago at the spot I would be in to the grass, this week I would be partially impaled on a fence, that's the issue.

How would you be impaled on it.

Worst case you would hit and roll off.

Do you plan on falling of and sueing and having these posts as back up that you said it could hurt you.

I have seen so much worse.

Sure cycle on the road as most others seem to even with more then adequite cycle lanes are fitted.

Had a guy cycling down the road yesterday with a very young child cycling beside him the child was able to cycle really well but the dad to my observations was either been taught how to cycle by the toddler or he was buckled as I passed he swerved over on purpose to hit my mirror.
This was not high speed and I had to pass on the opposite side of the centre.

Keep clear of fence and don't be worrying op you be fine.

Qualitymark

The sharp top is going to do serious damage to a cyclist's head or neck or ribs if s/he falls off and lands on it. A higher fence with a rounded top would seem a lot safer to me.

07Lapierre

Qualitymark wrote: »

The sharp top is going to do serious damage to a cyclist's head or neck or ribs if s/he falls off and lands on it. A higher fence with a rounded top would seem a lot safer to me.

That's true...if they then cover it with Bubble wrap it will be even softer.

ThisRegard

Are we getting to the point were we have to what is essentially child proof all roadside furniture in case an errant cyclist falls ? What about runners, they could hurt themselves off an array of furniture. And for those poles at pedestrian only zones, a pedestrian of a certain height could really crack their nuts.

But I'm still amused as to how people would think that fence is a more serious proposition to a cyclist than the cars, vans, trucks and buses driving the other side of them.

omri

Qualitymark wrote: »

The sharp top is going to do serious damage to a cyclist's head or neck or ribs if s/he falls off and lands on it. A higher fence with a rounded top would seem a lot safer to me.

If it was higher then definitely it would be more likely to decapitate unfortunate cyclist in case of a fall.

average_runner

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

If I fell off the bike 2 weeks ago at the spot I would be in to the grass, this week I would be partially impaled on a fence, that's the issue.

Well then be more careful

ThisRegard

omri wrote: »

If it was higher then definitely it would be more likely to decapitate unfortunate cyclist in case of a fall.

Seriously ? I just don't know with this thread.

average_runner

ThisRegard wrote: »

Are we getting to the point were we have to what is essentially child proof all roadside furniture in case an errant cyclist falls ? What about runners, they could hurt themselves off an array of furniture. And for those poles at pedestrian only zones, a pedestrian of a certain height could really crack their nuts.

But I'm still amused as to how people would think that fence is a more serious proposition to a cyclist than the cars, vans, trucks and buses driving the other side of them.

Don't forget, a pedestrian could black out and hit the fence. Do we need to account for this?

ThisRegard

average_runner wrote: »

Don't forget, a pedestrian could black out and hit the fence. Do we need to account for this?

True ! And think of the damage to a car it could do if a motorist mounted the footpad.

tricky D

Stheno wrote: »

There used be people parking there at the weekends so I reckon that's why it was put up

This is correct. Also residents of the houses were parking there and are to be prevented for some Council logic reason.

punisher5112 wrote: »

I would guess its more to keep certain people from driving onto green area and setting up home.

So many places and so much money had to be spent to try and keep them of these greens.

Better laws and no toleration of these groups doing said things would be so much better then having stupid fencing, metal barriers and concrete horrible looking poured type walls.

This has nothing to do with it.

sconhome

I'd be more concerned about the bollard lamps along the fence. Might need to be wrapped in high vis to stop people crashing into them in the daytime. :rolleyes:

Qualitymark

ThisRegard wrote: »

Are we getting to the point were we have to what is essentially child proof all roadside furniture in case an errant cyclist falls ?

I suppose I was made nervous by having that S-shaped aluminium fencing on motorways pointed out to me by a French person who told me that it had been discontinued on French motorways because motorcyclists kept being decapitated by it in accidents.

07Lapierre

The world is a dangerous place...yesterday I got a paper cut when opening an envelope.

ThisRegard

How high a height would you need to fall from in order to decapitate yourself on a fence though ? It's an impossibility to just fall and do it.

Larbre34

The fence is profiled to be a literal pain in the ar5e for anyone wanting to sit on it, thereby keeping the cycleway free of the far more likely hazard, humans.

You would want to be in a Final Destination movie to have the unlikely coincidental luck to fall off your bike and be seriously hurt by a low post and rail fence. Just keep both hands on the Handlebars.

Sometimes I think the professionally umbridged go out of their way to find fault with amenities and improved facilities.

punisher5112

tricky D wrote: »

This is correct. Also residents of the houses were parking there and are to be prevented for some Council logic reason.


This has nothing to do with it.

Well are you sure as these types of erections are mainly done so to help prevent what I said in previous post.

If cars were parking on it they should have all got tickets isn't that what the cops are for.

Qualitymark

Yes, much more sensible than providing comfortable benches.

Umbrage! A name for my third-next cat!

omri

07Lapierre wrote: »

The world is a dangerous place...yesterday I got a paper cut when opening an envelope.

I have 100s of meters of bubble wrap for sale PM for quote if youre afraid of life and world

CJhaughey

http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/09/18/commuting-101-avoid-target-fixation/

Bloggsie

07Lapierre wrote: »

That's true...if they then cover it with Bubble wrap it will be even softer.

cover it with marshmallows or fluffy teddy bears!

07Lapierre

omri wrote: »

I have 100s of meters of bubble wrap for sale PM for quote if youre afraid of life and world

Do you do home deliveries? its wet out there..I might slip! :P

Harrybelafonte

Do people just topple off their bikes these days? Am I at risk from toppling cyclists?

tricky D

punisher5112 wrote: »

Well are you sure as these types of erections are mainly done so to help prevent what I said in previous post.

Prevention in those cases are done by height restriction barriers, not fences like this. It has never been an issue at that spot.

punisher5112 wrote: »

If cars were parking on it they should have all got tickets isn't that what the cops are for.

2 points:
where the hell are the residents supposed to park? on the cycling lane?
Howth is a bit different (lax) when it comes to parking fines.

Eugene Norman

punisher5112 wrote: »

Well are you sure as these types of erections are mainly done so to help prevent what I said in previous post.

If cars were parking on it they should have all got tickets isn't that what the cops are for.

You don't know Howth at weekends. It was normal day trippers using the grass. The gardai didn't bother for whatever reason, is it even illegal? In any case nobody was ever ticketed.

Bloggsie

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Do people just topple off their bikes these days? Am I at risk from toppling cyclists?

whats the world coming to, cyclists toppling over, I'm selling my bike & I'll take my unicorn to work instead!

neris

tricky D wrote: »

Prevention in those cases are done by height restriction barriers, not fences like this. It has never been an issue at that spot.

2 points:
where the hell are the residents supposed to park? on the cycling lane?
Howth is a bit different (lax) when it comes to parking fines.

the residents on that stretch have driveways of sorts in front of the houses. theres a stretch of concretce between the road and footpath. at weekends alot of visitors were parking up on that grass area to the point that it was like a carpark.

And lax is an understatement when it comes to parking/camping in howth

neris

Bloggsie wrote: »

whats the world coming to, cyclists toppling over, I'm selling my bike & I'll take my unicorn to work instead!

set of stabilisers youll be grand

Thud

Bloggsie wrote: »

whats the world coming to, cyclists toppling over, I'm selling my bike & I'll take my unicorn to work instead!

be careful not to impale yourself on it horn

xebec

Is it Friday?

average_runner

punisher5112 wrote: »

Well are you sure as these types of erections are mainly done so to help prevent what I said in previous post.

If cars were parking on it they should have all got tickets isn't that what the cops are for.

Haven't the gardai better things to be doing than wasting time on tickets

People these days!!:rolleyes:

Crippens1

xebec wrote: »

Is it Friday?

I assumed it was so am having my Friday G&T.

I am having my Friday G&T; therefore it must be Friday.

Lusk_Doyle

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

If I fell off the bike 2 weeks ago at the spot I would be in to the grass, this week I would be partially impaled on a fence, that's the issue.

Define partially impaled?

And oh, the humanity of this thread!

iwillhtfu

tricky D wrote: »

Prevention in those cases are done by height restriction barriers, not fences like this. It has never been an issue at that spot.

I think you'll find that's not always the case and in fact quite rare they normally use height restriction in areas with some form of access.

Barriers are used in order to prevent illegal access. Concrete blocks/earth banks/timber posts and fences.

As for the op it's a fence nothing more. It certainly isn't designed to injure cyclists.

It could be argued the actual cycle lanes are more of a danger than that fence.

Qualitymark

iwillhtfu wrote: »

designed to injure cyclists

Nobody's said that!

iwillhtfu

Qualitymark wrote: »

Nobody's said that!

Sometimes things don't need to be said it was implied that this fence was a hazard to cyclist.

I find it hard to believe that someone would have a complaint about a fence when the number of hazards that already exist are ridiculous.

At the end of the day I haven't seen this fence so maybe it's riddled with nasty splinters or an eau de carbon that attracts cyclists toward it at time altering speeds.

Either way there's plenty more to be worried about.

tricky D

iwillhtfu wrote: »

I think you'll find that's not always the case and in fact quite rare they normally use height restriction in areas with some form of access.

Barriers are used in order to prevent illegal access. Concrete blocks/earth banks/timber posts and fences.

For the blocked public access car parks in Howth, they're all height restrictions. Summit upper, Summit lower, Harbour Road* and Balscadden are all height barriers. *Technically private property.

Only private property uses large rocks around these parts: Greenhallows quarry and Edros. The rest are gated or open.

There are plenty of camper vans down on the middle pier, no caravans though. The issue isn't really relevant to the area we're discussing (so prolly a bit OT).

Dante

Won't someone please think of the children!?

Icepick

07Lapierre wrote: »

The world is a dangerous place...yesterday I got a paper cut when opening an envelope.

lucky you weren't cycling at the time then

Icepick

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The road in question is here....
https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.388732,-6.075594,3a,75y,243.02h,73.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sykRrh5UvYogcpbrfE9VcqA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=en

parking in a cycle lane like you can see that Merc is much more dangerous