For many pedestrians on the streets of the UK today, there can be no bigger nuisance than someone coming past very quickly on their bicycle. As someone who walks to work twice a day (on split shifts) and twice back, I should know. I have lost count of the number of times someone has whizzed past me, leaving me with the thought of what if I had moved my arse or elbow at that point!
Having read the first few lines of this post, one may be surprised to read I would actually support some form of limited legalisation for cycling on pavements. Whilst there are some careless cyclists, there are also (perhaps surprisingly) many considerate cyclists. A simple use of the bell can always be appreciated by the pedestrian. A main point to consider is that if the pedestrian is walking straight ahead, he or she will not always know that there is something potentially sinister behind! I am very often in a world of my own, wondering what team Liverpool will field next weekend!
Now I am under no illusions that to permit some cycling on pavements will still require some clear RED LINES. For instance I believe it should be compulsory for the cyclist to dismount near a group of people, children, or a blind person. It would be also desirable I believe for the cyclist to dismount if the pedestrian does not hear the bell due to traffic noises etc. Where cycle lanes are present, the cyclist should be expected to make use of that facility instead. Any bikes which are not fitted with bells should be BANNED.
In an ideal world, the UK's major towns and cities would have more cycle lanes. However, due to the fact that some roads will already have narrow pavements, building a cycle lane is not always possible.
I recognise it is not ideal for cyclists to use many major roads, due to the amount of traffic. Where cycle lanes are not an option, THE PEDESTRIAN AND THE CYCLIST CAN CO-EXIST. My daily experiences do confirm this.
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