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The second in a series of posts examining the four most common reasons for people hating cyclists. The usual reasons being given as:
  2. Riding on pavements
  3. Assaulting innocent pedestrians
  4. Wearing lycra

Riding on pavements This is a complete no-no in my book. I would ride on a pavement about as often as I would drive a car on one, i.e. never. However, it is not unknown for cyclists to do this. There is an article in this week’s Time Out by a cyclist attempting to justify doing this regularly on her particular commute. Silly woman.

Cyclists who do this invade a space that is reserved for another class of road user. And by doing so they undermine all cycling campaigns aimed at getting such a space for cyclists themselves. Drivers who park (sometimes legally) in cycle lanes, road work contractors who block cycle lanes unnecessarily, planners who think 10 yards of cycle lane is worth installing so they can add to their cycle lane mileage for PR purposes: all these idiots are given succour by cyclists who ride on pavements.

Fortunately there aren’t many of them. No, really. It’s just that the ones who do are very, very noticeable. But the verdict is guilty anyway.

So we cyclists are 0 for 2. Guilty on the first two charges. Can we recover? See parts 3 and 4.

Posts in this series

  4. Wearing lycra