15 May 2012

In the park

Cycling is now permitted in Verulamium Park.  The two routes where cycling is permitted are the main cross routes:
- from Westminster Lodge to the 'cross road' and along past the basketball and the playground to the car park
-from Abbey Mill Lane (The Fighting Cocks) to King Harry Lane
If going from Wetsminster Lodge to Abbey Mill Lane, or vice versa, you can take the nearer fork.

Cyclists must give priority to pedestrians.

Simple? But controversial, many people are not happy about cycling in the park, and with good reason.  As always, a few selfish morons give the majority a bad name.
So it behoves all of us to behave with exceptional courtesy and consideration to restore the balance.  Go to it, stick to the permitted routes, ting your bell, get off and walk if it's busy, smile! and happy cycling.

7 comments:

rona471 said...

Last week I thought the above was a bit patronising..... Another week, more letters in the local paper. We need to be exemplary in our behaviour as cyclists, whether in the park, or on the road, or in any other shared space. We need to be so courteous and lovely that it gets noticed! And makes a stronger impression than the selfish twerps (you can call them something ruder if you want!) that get us all branded as louts.

Mike1727 said...

With you completely.

This includes stopping at red lights. I've been taking the train a few times over the past couple of weeks and each time on my way home a cyclist has jumped the lights at the Hatfield road end. This really winds me up. On both occasions there was no danger at all from traffic behind, the ASL was clear (I was in it) so no reason at all to jump the lights other than sheer bloody mindedness. Both cyclists got a 'OI STOP AT RED!' and then a mouthful when they didn't. We get so.much general abuse/careless driving around us anyway, why give drivers more ammunition? The bloke tonight looked late 50s+, really should have known better.

I won't stop shouting at (and abusing) red light jumpers in St Albans, there is no need here.

Rant over!

rona471 said...

A reasonable rant. Ther eis a website called Silly Cyclists (I think it is dot co dot uk, but it might be dot org dot uk) that shows clips of cyclist doing stupid things. A recent clip shows RLJs and on the soundtrack you can hear all the stopped cyclists shouting STOP AT RED at the slefish twerps. There is a stop at red website too, it was started by South London families after a family member was hurt by a red light jumper.

Anonymous said...

I agree that cyclist should not jump red lights, however who does mike think he is shouting at people? is he the new cycle police?
I suppose he shouts at kids cycling on pavements too!
Get a life mike, if you cant handle others selfish behaviour then get a new hobby

Mike1727 said...

I'm Judge Dredd on a pushbike fella, riding the mean streets of Mega City One. I am the law, dispensing justice as I ride.

Seriously, I shout at people to embarrass them. Riding through reds isn't clever, apart from the danger to the rider it adds to the stupid Daily Mail stereotype of cyclists as dangerous breakers and make it harder to get things done for cyclists. Have you ever been on the butt end of a argument with a driver who accuses all cyclists of jumping reds? I have, and it's a pain.

Kids on pavements? No, because some of them may be mine. Adults on crowded pavements? Yup.

But then again, along with many others, I work to help make things better for cyclists here.

annoy knee mouse said...

I see where you are coming from but I don't see it is your right to shout at people.
The bad cyclists really do give the good ones a bad rap. Only today I was overtaken by a Lycra Lout who overtook me at beech road and went through the red traffic lights at the King Will. It was stupid and he was literally dodging through the oncoming traffic. Another instance on the same journey was riders riding doubled up on the Harpenden road, causing traffic tailbacks. They may well be right in the eyes of the law but it is bad manners or just inconsiderate riding, they should wait until the minor roads before doubling up. I personally think that riding through red traffic lights is acceptable if turning left at a junction and it does not endanger anyone, i think you can do this in the states on the road. Cycling on pavements is ok as well in certain curcumstances, I would not advocate cycling at full speed through towns for instance but short trips on sparsely populated areas is ok in my view, as long as the pedestrian has unimpeded access.
the bottom line is it is down to the person riding to assess how his actions will affect others.
those same lycra louts are probably audi driving sales reps (no offence if you are either)who park on double yellows and 50mph in town etc etc i.e. they dont really care about other people.
my rant over probably

Mike1727 said...

I ride in lycra when appropriate, but I don't wear a shiny suit to work and I have a Toyota, which I don't drive too often.;*)

In sparse/no pedestrian traffic maybe riding as you describe on the pavement is less of an issue, especially where traffic is really fast on a narrow road. But if you hit someone it's still your fault. STACC is looking for routes like this to see if they can be made bike legal, if you have any suggestions please let us know.

For me, I can't condone breaking the law on the road. This isn't because I am a fastidious rule follower, but the highway code and traffic laws should make the road a safer place if all follow them.

Left turn, carefully observed with no traffic is very low risk, and you won't get caught. From where I stand, if I condone that I would have difficulty arguing the culpability of a driver who made an illegal move which they thought was safe, missed something and hit and hurt someone. I won't that.