Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Pedestrians in the cycle lane

Options
123468

Comments

  • Options
    #152
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,265 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    RainyDay wrote: »
    I'm often tempted to try this approach

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcs7Veis7-Y

    The cyclist is a d*k. He is the equivalent of a bus driver trying to teach a lesson to those cycling in a bus lane.


  • Options
    #153
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,610 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    Right a few pics of that cycle lane to nowhere between the r108 at the western end of the Dublin airport runway. You might have to zoom out from them as I uploaded direct from my phone.

    The first one is the entrance off the road, its more so set up for pedestrians as it is two quick 90 degree turns when done on a bicycle. From there the pavement bends to the left to head towards Kilshane Cross and the cycle lane begins where you see the start of the hedging. The hedging is currently around 1.5m high, back in July before they chopped it was around 2-2.2m in height and overgrowing into the cycle lane to the extent that you had to cycle in the dead centre of it or thorns would grab your jumper. That was annoying so the council came along and chopped it and left the entire cycle covered in several layers of shards of branches, thorns, rendering the cycle lane pretty unusable for several weeks during the summer.

    About half way down the cycle lane there is the entrance to a farmers field. As you can see from the markings in the cycle lane it seems like cyclists should stop here and yield to the farmer if he happens to be coming out of his field when you're passing by.

    At the very end there is a blue sign that states 'End of Cycle lane', nowever it is crumpled, covered in dirt and also facing inwards towards the left side hedging. As well as that it is barely 7-8m away from the actual exit into traffic so if you were hairing it down there and didn't know how this cycle lane spits you onto the road then the warning sign would come way to late for you.

    The entire lane is approx 400m, maybe 500m long. It begins nowhere and it ends nowhere. Still though it is nice to be cycling along with grown hedges either side of you, when I first came across it I was pleasently surprised to find a cycle lane in a rural location. Its lovely to cycle down but make sure when you get to 50m of the end of it that you're looking over your right shoulder and observing and listening out for cars on the other side of the hedge. If its clear you can press the pedals on and rejoin the road maintaining much of your speed, if its not you got to be on the brakes pretty sharpish.


  • Options
    #154
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,610 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    And the end of it where it spits you out from behind a hedge right into the path of cars. The whole cycle lane is slightly down hill so you can easily be going quite fast when you hit this obstacle.

    There's also fresh rubbish just tipped there. Lovely.


  • Options
    #155
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,446 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    ted1 wrote: »
    The cyclist is a d*k. He is the equivalent of a bus driver trying to teach a lesson to those cycling in a bus lane.

    Agreed, buzzing people is one of the d*ckest moves you can do as well as one of the most dangerous. It's no different than the buses that skim cyclist because they feel entitled to do so.

    I usually go wide, there are one or two who I might give a dry, dripping with sarcasm comment too (like moustache man in Clonskeagh, who runs towards you and will skim you even if you stop in heavy traffic, as if to prove a point) but generally live and let live, I'd sooner be minorly (as in negligibly/not really) inconvenienced than give some idiot a heart attack to prove a point.


  • Options
    #156
    Tenzor07
    Registered Users Posts: 8,444 ✭✭✭Tenzor07


    Or pedestrians getting out of a taxi onto the cycle-lanes...

    ouch!!



  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #157
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,446 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    Tenzor07 wrote: »
    Or pedestrians getting out of a taxi onto the cycle-lanes...

    ouch!!


    Nearly hits a pedestrian and decides, seeing that they are going to cross him, to plough through. Then on seeing a Taxi with it's emergency blinkers on, decides, there is nothing to worry about.

    Can't hear the sound in work, and technically none of it is the guys fault but all I can think is that the near hit with the ped and the dooring by the taxi were easily avoided.

    Taxi driver still should have held his fare in the cab till it was clear though and the cyclists inability to read the road does not excuse the taxi drivers lack of observation.

    EDIT: Just read his webpage, he pretty much agrees he should have seen the blinkers, oddly admits he seen both peds though and that he decided to go through as they were not paying attention. Surely you would have slowed and took the outside of the ped if they were clearly not paying attention


  • Options
    #158
    check_six
    Registered Users Posts: 2,245 ✭✭✭check_six


    Tenzor07 wrote: »
    Or pedestrians getting out of a taxi onto the cycle-lanes...

    ouch!!

    *video of guy getting doored in new york*

    If anyone does take the opportunity to watch this video see how far you can get without shouting "Just check your front wheel, dammit!"

    For those of you who can't view the video: The guy gets doored by a passenger in a taxi. The taxi driver starts giving out to the passengers. The passerby people are all very sympathetic to the cyclist. The cyclist meanwhile is checking his bike. He keeps picking up the bike and spinning the back wheel which runs freely, but, when he puts the bike on the ground and rolls it forward *something* is jamming. So he picks the bike up again and examines the back wheel again, and again, and again. At no point does he get the idea to look elsewhere on the bike. Especially not the bit that actually smashed into the car!


  • Options
    #159
    RainyDay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,925 ✭✭✭RainyDay


    ted1 wrote: »
    The cyclist is a d*k. He is the equivalent of a bus driver trying to teach a lesson to those cycling in a bus lane.

    The key difference is that cyclists are supposed to be in bus lanes, joggers are NOT supposed to be in on-road cycle lanes.


  • Options
    #160
    Iwannahurl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,156 ✭✭✭Iwannahurl


    The jogger does not appear to be wearing head/ear phones, so the cyclist could have simply used his bell, which he is required by law to have on his bike.

    My impression is that very few cyclists have a bell, or use it appropriately.

    Too trendy to tinkle, I suppose...


  • Options
    #161
    lennymc
    Registered Users Posts: 6,458 ✭✭✭lennymc


    Wasn't there some lad who used to go tearing through the Phoenix park literally screaming at pedestrians, other cyclists, buses, cars, the animals in the zoo, himself, trees, clouds, etc. He was a bit of a loon.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #162
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,446 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    Iwannahurl wrote: »
    The jogger does not appear to be wearing head/ear phones, so the cyclist could have simply used his bell, which he is required by law to have on his bike.

    My impression is that very few cyclists have a bell, or use it appropriately.

    Too trendy to tinkle, I suppose...

    I had one but then it broke, like most bells, (IMO) in a city centre it is only effective in close range due to noise pollution. The few times peds heard it they tended to jump out in front of me. I find my voice to be far more effective and adaptable to the situation at hand.

    On a side note, is it not that the UK requires a bike to be sold with a bell but not requires one to be on the bike, whereas Ireland does not require it at point of sale but does require it on the bike unless heading to or from a race?


  • Options
    #163
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,446 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    lennymc wrote: »
    Wasn't there some lad who used to go tearing through the Phoenix park literally screaming at pedestrians, other cyclists, buses, cars, the animals in the zoo, himself, trees, clouds, etc. He was a bit of a loon.

    Are you thinking of the whistle guy, I remember him, very aggressive.


  • Options
    #164
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    Muahahaha wrote: »
    Right ... that cycle lane to nowhere between the r108 at the western end of the Dublin airport runway.

    ...

    About half way down the cycle lane there is the entrance to a farmers field. As you can see from the markings in the cycle lane it seems like cyclists should stop here and yield to the farmer if he happens to be coming out of his field when you're passing by.
    The entire lane is approx 400m, maybe 500m long. It begins nowhere and it ends nowhere.

    If you look at Google maps, you can see that that section of road is new, and the old road ( coming from Kilshane Cross) used to curve left and go in front of the houses labelled Newtown Cottages.

    The main runway was built/extended in 1989, and this section of road was built then I'd say.

    Not that this justifies the poor design, but might explain it.
    Aer Rianta own a load of the land including the roads around the Airport. They might own the wide road and cycle lane, while FCC own the remaining bit to Kilshane Cross.


  • Options
    #165
    bazermc
    Registered Users Posts: 3,116 ✭✭✭bazermc


    ted1 wrote: »
    The cyclist is a d*k. He is the equivalent of a bus driver trying to teach a lesson to those cycling in a bus lane.

    But the runner is an idiot


  • Options
    #166
    transylman
    Registered Users Posts: 599 ✭✭✭transylman


    ted1 wrote: »
    The cyclist is a d*k. He is the equivalent of a bus driver trying to teach a lesson to those cycling in a bus lane.

    He is a git, but I couldn't help laughing at this one.



  • Options
    #167
    helimachoptor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 21,640 Mod ✭✭✭✭helimachoptor


    I've had a few over the last few weeks, one person I have an issue with 3 times, basically she has her earphones in and is texting but if they are coming towards me I normally cycle right up and stop in front of them not because they are in the bike lane but more to get them to realise I could be a car or bus, they get a fright then look around and see they are in a bus lane sheepishly move on.

    Last week I was taking a left hand turn to my office it's a very busy turn but also has a lot of crossing pedestrian traffic, frankly I'm surprised there aren't more accidents because often I see people with hoodies up and 0 peripheral vision with earphones in cross the road when a bike, motorbike and car are taking the turn. I pulled up in front of a girl and screamed at her, she got a fright, I asked her what if I was a car etc

    More than anything it amazes me how little awareness people have I'm general


  • Options
    #168
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,323 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    helimachoptor wrote: »
    I pulled up in front of a girl and screamed at her
    just a bit of advice - don't terrorise strangers.


  • Options
    #169
    helimachoptor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 21,640 Mod ✭✭✭✭helimachoptor


    Obviously nothing sinister, more along the lines of what the hell are you doing


  • Options
    #170
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,323 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    maybe using the phrase 'screamed at her' was a bit ill-advised so, if that doesn't accurately describe your actions.


  • Options
    #171
    bambergbike
    Registered Users Posts: 342 ✭✭bambergbike


    I don't go out of my way to scare pedestrians - mostly they either don't notice me at all, or the interaction is friendly (sometimes I hold up the traffic behind me for a second or two to let a miserable pedestrian stranded on a traffic island in heavy traffic finish crossing the road.) I have two bells on my town bike - a high-pitched small one and a bigger one with a deeper Ding-Dong tone that sounds friendlier and is easier for people with hearing loss at the upper frequencies to pick up on. When I use my voice instead, people seem to need 5 seconds to process why a stranger is talking at them before they free up enough space in their brains to process the message.

    But occasionally I get a flicker of satisfaction from seeing somnambulent pedestrians crossing my path without looking startled by the loud screeching of my brakes as I pull up to accomodate their erratic movements. If all bike brakes were noiseless and all cyclists were polite, many pedestrians would never notice that crossing cycle lanes without looking and then only looking left and right before crossing the "real" road leads to a lot of cyclists having to make a lot of emergency stops that are both inconvenient and can result in rather nasty injuries when they go wrong and the bike stops but the rider flies over the handlebars.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #172
    Buchaill_Mor
    Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Buchaill_Mor


    bambergbike wrote: »
    But occasionally I get a flicker of satisfaction from seeing somnambulent pedestrians crossing my path without looking startled by the loud screeching of my brakes as I pull up to accomodate their erratic movements. If all bike brakes were noiseless and all cyclists were polite, many pedestrians would never notice that crossing cycle lanes without looking and then only looking left and right before crossing the "real" road leads to a lot of cyclists having to make a lot of emergency stops that are both inconvenient and can result in rather nasty injuries when they go wrong and the bike stops but the rider flies over the handlebars.

    I agree with the sentiment from Bamber. I tend to slow significantly when I am in areas with pedestrians. I have been off my bike on about 5 occasions so far *touch wood*. One was with a car where the final break stopping point was a few centimetres past where my left leg was, but all the other times were peds stepping out in to the cycle lane, looking the other way, or with headphones on. I always took the fall, and got badly hurt on two occasions. When I talk about this to friends, I am always amazed to hear them say, as peds or car drivers themselves, "why don't you just crash into them and they can break your fall?" I don't think I would do that myself, my natural instinct is to avoid contact in the first place. But it is a wonder to me that hospitals don't report the number of cycling related injuries even if the person is the cyclist or not. They must be huge.


  • Options
    #173
    Zyzz
    Registered Users Posts: 2,874 ✭✭✭Zyzz


    transylman wrote: »
    He is a git, but I couldn't help laughing at this one.


    Didn't find that funny at all, calling a child a d*ckhead..


  • Options
    #174
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,834 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    Zyzz wrote: »
    Didn't find that funny at all, calling a child a d*ckhead..

    Agree. There's a trend with many adult road users who completely disregard the safety or others including children, if they feel they're somewhere they shouldn't be.


  • Options
    #175
    check_six
    Registered Users Posts: 2,245 ✭✭✭check_six


    I got stuck on the N11 Stillorgan Road on one bit of cycle track. There is a part where there is no footpath only cycle track. I presume the footpath is further in behind a wall or some trees or something. Anyway, I'm cycling along with a trailer in tow when I espy in the distance a lady standing in the middle of the track. I can't go left or right of her because of the trailer, and I'm a little reluctant to bump down onto the road as my passenger is asleep.

    So, I roll up behind the lady, stop, and call out a jolly "Hi!", which, upon receiving no acknowledgement changed to a slightly louder and more insistent "Hello?". This went on for a while with my shouts becoming louder, and grumpier, as this lady continued to ignore me. I'm still stuck behind this woman when it becomes apparent that she is fiddling with some kind of mp3 player.

    Eventually, a very loud "Hey, lady! Excuse me!" and a tap on the shoulder made her rotate her head ever so slowly in my direction. She gazed in my direction with no understanding in her eyes, and set off in a meander down the track.

    After a while she wandered far enough left for me to squeeze past, but I was wondering if I should have started at the crankier, noisier end of the scale to begin with.

    Developing a shout to use while cycling takes practice. You need to hone your skill so that you roar at someone the very moment *before* they lurch into your path, because it's way too late if you are already on a collision course. If you can't do this then there is not much point calling out in the first place. The calls in the videos look a bit premeditated, in a kind of "I'm going to shout at someone today" manner. I don't think they show the cyclist in a good light.


  • Options
    #176
    bazermc
    Registered Users Posts: 3,116 ✭✭✭bazermc


    The split pedestrian/cycle lane on the Samuel Becket Bridge is a complete disaster especially in the morning and especially as you come off the bridge at the ferry man. I am surprised I have never seen an accident.


  • Options
    #177
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,446 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    check_six wrote: »
    She gazed in my direction with no understanding in her eyes, and set off in a meander down the track.

    That zombie look makes me fear for the future, I get it myself, when I am at home, watching TV but not really engaging mentally. That's fine, at home, in front of the TV but out in the world, it's a frightening thing, that people can be so out of touch with whats going on and still continue to get by, day to day.

    I one day expect to cycle in to town and finally figure out that the Zombie apocolypse did not start with a rush or a bang, any catastrophe or wide scale panic, but with a whisper, like its first victims, it has trundled into us and infected humanity without any of us attempting to fight back.


  • Options
    #178
    bambergbike
    Registered Users Posts: 342 ✭✭bambergbike


    check_six wrote: »
    Developing a shout to use while cycling takes practice. You need to hone your skill so that you roar at someone the very moment *before* they lurch into your path, because it's way too late if you are already on a collision course. If you can't do this then there is not much point calling out in the first place.

    There are particular roads where I ride "fingers on the buzzer" because of this need to be timely with warnings. I had a situation recently where maybe I should have shouted instead, but I'm not sure WHAT I should have shouted. The zombie pedestrians weren't going to walk out into my path, but into the path of the hand-cyclist just in front of me on a narrow cycle path (contraflow facility on a one-way street). So I rang my bell to deter them, successfully - but I think the poor cyclist thought I wanted *him* out of my way rather than *them* out of his, and I couldn't explain myself very well from behind him.


  • Options
    #179
    Buchaill_Mor
    Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Buchaill_Mor


    bambergbike wrote: »
    but I'm not sure WHAT I should have shouted

    I find shouting a really loud, short abrupt "HEJ!" gets peoples attention. And if someone accuses me of being rude, I pretend to be Swedish, and I am shouting hello ;)


  • Options
    #180
    Ole Rodrigo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,013 ✭✭✭Ole Rodrigo


    If you can master a ' townie ' whistle its very effective. The short, sharp, raspy tone tends to get someones attention as they step out in front of you.

    Even if its only a half whistle it'll work.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #181
    Iwannahurl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,156 ✭✭✭Iwannahurl


    CramCycle wrote: »
    That zombie look makes me fear for the future, I get it myself, when I am at home, watching TV but not really engaging mentally. That's fine, at home, in front of the TV but out in the world, it's a frightening thing, that people can be so out of touch with whats going on and still continue to get by, day to day.

    I one day expect to cycle in to town and finally figure out that the Zombie apocolypse did not start with a rush or a bang, any catastrophe or wide scale panic, but with a whisper, like its first victims, it has trundled into us and infected humanity without any of us attempting to fight back.


    The way things are going suggests that most zombies will be driving. If humans are so ridiculously car dependent while living, perhaps it's unlikely that they'll turn into runners and walkers when undead. Whether that is a Good Thing or a Bad Thing (in terms of survival) remains to be seen.

    zombie-driver.jpg


Advertisement