Man rides bike with child in trailer down dual carriage way
Discussion
Well, I thought I had seen all the stupid things you could do on a road, but this week I saw a man riding a bike with a child trailer attached down a dual carriage way. To make it worse, it was not even a proper dual carriage way, it doesn't have a hard shoulder, just a soft verge, so people were having to brake and move into the next lane to pass.
There is no amount of money you could pay me to put all that I hold dear in a tiny trailer at wheel height and do the same thing. WTF was he thinking ?
There is no amount of money you could pay me to put all that I hold dear in a tiny trailer at wheel height and do the same thing. WTF was he thinking ?
No requirement for a hard shoulder for it to be a dual carriageway, and nothing illegal about riding a bike on one either, no matter how ill-advised it might appear to be to be towing a child in a trailer at the time.
Sounds more like there was a lot of bad driving (lack of observation) going on if people were having to brake and take avoiding action.
Sounds more like there was a lot of bad driving (lack of observation) going on if people were having to brake and take avoiding action.
marshalla said:
Sounds more like there was a lot of bad driving (lack of observation) going on if people were having to brake and take avoiding action.
Yes but there is always and forever going to be bad driving. You owe that child a duty of care to keep it safe and you are putting it in the way of clear and avoidable danger by doing something like that. Some of these stupid w
kers seem to want to be the most righteous man in the graveyard, and that is fine but they shouldn't take a child with them for company.Since when is it illegal or irresponsible to cycle along a dual carriageway?
Surely it is easier to pass a cyclist than on a narrow country road or single lane 'A' or 'B'-road??
Perhaps the OP would be happier if cyclists didn't use the roads at all? (Cue plenty of aggressive driving to try to scare us off)
Surely it is easier to pass a cyclist than on a narrow country road or single lane 'A' or 'B'-road??
Perhaps the OP would be happier if cyclists didn't use the roads at all? (Cue plenty of aggressive driving to try to scare us off)
marshalla said:
No requirement for a hard shoulder for it to be a dual carriageway, and nothing illegal about riding a bike on one either, no matter how ill-advised it might appear to be to be towing a child in a trailer at the time.
Sounds more like there was a lot of bad driving (lack of observation) going on if people were having to brake and take avoiding action.
Not all of them. A120 https://goo.gl/maps/GRIeLSounds more like there was a lot of bad driving (lack of observation) going on if people were having to brake and take avoiding action.
marshalla said:
No requirement for a hard shoulder for it to be a dual carriageway, and nothing illegal about riding a bike on one either, no matter how ill-advised it might appear to be to be towing a child in a trailer at the time.
Sounds more like there was a lot of bad driving (lack of observation) going on if people were having to brake and take avoiding action.
I didn't say it was illegal, just incredibly stupid. However in true PH Cycling lobby form, you have found a way to blame the drivers, for taking the only course of action they could in order to avoid him. I needed a laugh this morning, and thank you, as you have done an excellent job of providing one. Sounds more like there was a lot of bad driving (lack of observation) going on if people were having to brake and take avoiding action.
Would you have expected the drivers to not take action to avoid the cyclist if he didn't have the trailer behind him?
I wouldn't ride a bike on a dual carriageway full-stop, but given that there's a high chance that it was a two-lane carriageway, in theory it should be SAFER to ride on one than on a single-laned carriageway.
I wouldn't ride a bike on a dual carriageway full-stop, but given that there's a high chance that it was a two-lane carriageway, in theory it should be SAFER to ride on one than on a single-laned carriageway.
ExPat2B said:
There is no amount of money you could pay me to put all that I hold dear in a tiny trailer at wheel height and do the same thing. WTF was he thinking ?
Certainly wouldn't catch me putting my kids in one of those flimsy things and forcing them onto the road.BGarside said:
Since when is it illegal or irresponsible to cycle along a dual carriageway?
Surely it is easier to pass a cyclist than on a narrow country road or single lane 'A' or 'B'-road??
Perhaps the OP would be happier if cyclists didn't use the roads at all? (Cue plenty of aggressive driving to try to scare us off)
Oh behave yourself. Either you didn't read the original post or are deliberately trolling.Surely it is easier to pass a cyclist than on a narrow country road or single lane 'A' or 'B'-road??
Perhaps the OP would be happier if cyclists didn't use the roads at all? (Cue plenty of aggressive driving to try to scare us off)
dme123 said:
marshalla said:
Sounds more like there was a lot of bad driving (lack of observation) going on if people were having to brake and take avoiding action.
Yes but there is always and forever going to be bad driving. You owe that child a duty of care to keep it safe and you are putting it in the way of clear and avoidable danger by doing something like that. Some of these stupid wkers seem to want to be the most righteous man in the graveyard, and that is fine but they shouldn't take a child with them for company.You know like when you passed your test or read the highway code. Slow down if needed, look ahead, check mirrors, indicate, safely overtake. No different than the action you'd take if passing a tractor.
In fact you've got a spare bloody lane.
oyster said:
Or perhaps other road users can learn to share properly.
You know like when you passed your test or read the highway code. Slow down if needed, look ahead, check mirrors, indicate, safely overtake. No different than the action you'd take if passing a tractor.
In fact you've got a spare bloody lane.
I wouldn't be taking my kids on a DC in one of these, but I totally agree with this ^^. Typical abdication of responsibility - 'I wasn't looking where I was going but it's the fault of the cyclist/bus/tractor/tree/junction for being in the way'.You know like when you passed your test or read the highway code. Slow down if needed, look ahead, check mirrors, indicate, safely overtake. No different than the action you'd take if passing a tractor.
In fact you've got a spare bloody lane.
oyster said:
Or perhaps other road users can learn to share properly.
A lot of learning needing to be done in a short time - and so I wouldn't be using my child to help out with the "teaching". As much as we'd all love for it not to be true, it only takes one texting moron.....As others have said, some folk seem to be keen to press home the point - I'd prefer to campaign for better education than prove a point by getting killed or injured with my child.
Simple fact is the cyclist has as much right to be there as anyone. Whether he had a trailer or not is largely irrelevant as motorists would have had to go round him anyway. That said I wouldn't voluntarily take my kids on a dual carriageway behind my bike either but if he had no sensible alternatives that don't involve large hills or long detours its his right to do so (don't underestimate how much work it is to drag one of those things behind a bike for any distance).
Fundamentally the cyclist did nothing wrong. Whether you would do it or not would be your choice. He made his choice and we don't have sufficient information to judge his choice as good or bad as we don't know his circumstances that led to him making the decision to use that route.
Fundamentally the cyclist did nothing wrong. Whether you would do it or not would be your choice. He made his choice and we don't have sufficient information to judge his choice as good or bad as we don't know his circumstances that led to him making the decision to use that route.
I had my 14 month old daughter in a child seat on the back of the bike this week whilst her car seat was being fixed, it wasnt a nice expereince. Despite her head poking over the top of the seat and thus being visible to cars approaching from behind, they still didnt give any more room when passing then I normally get, which in general is fk all. I'm not asking for special dispensation because circumstances meant it was the only sensible way I could get her to nursery but we did a mile on the roads before reverting to the pavements for the rest of the journey albeit at a very casual pace. I accept the close passses when its just me on my own as something that happens if you choose to cycle at busy periods but I was surprised the cars behind didnt see the seat, her helmet and give us a bit more room...
One thing that struck me is how bad the pollution is from buses and old diesels, particularly in the hot weather. It wasnt pleasant for me so it cant have been nice for her either. Normally I am on traffic free paths so dont notice it but that route is twice as long so I opted for the shorter, road route this week.
In short, there is no way in hell I would ride on the road with a child in a trailer, right at exhaust level, to say nothing of the dangers. I'm getting one for the traffic free paths so we can go out at the weekend but it wil lnever see a road.
On a slightly related note, I saw a guy with an old Austin 7 in Bristol last week, Friday rush hour, it was slow off the mark, slow up the hills and generally slow everywhere and geting in everyones way. Had it been a bike, people would have been consumed with rage...
k all. I'm not asking for special dispensation because circumstances meant it was the only sensible way I could get her to nursery but we did a mile on the roads before reverting to the pavements for the rest of the journey albeit at a very casual pace. I accept the close passses when its just me on my own as something that happens if you choose to cycle at busy periods but I was surprised the cars behind didnt see the seat, her helmet and give us a bit more room...One thing that struck me is how bad the pollution is from buses and old diesels, particularly in the hot weather. It wasnt pleasant for me so it cant have been nice for her either. Normally I am on traffic free paths so dont notice it but that route is twice as long so I opted for the shorter, road route this week.
In short, there is no way in hell I would ride on the road with a child in a trailer, right at exhaust level, to say nothing of the dangers. I'm getting one for the traffic free paths so we can go out at the weekend but it wil lnever see a road.
On a slightly related note, I saw a guy with an old Austin 7 in Bristol last week, Friday rush hour, it was slow off the mark, slow up the hills and generally slow everywhere and geting in everyones way. Had it been a bike, people would have been consumed with rage...
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 26th June 12:05
oyster said:
Or perhaps other road users can learn to share properly.
You know like when you passed your test or read the highway code. Slow down if needed, look ahead, check mirrors, indicate, safely overtake. No different than the action you'd take if passing a tractor.
In fact you've got a spare bloody lane.
Yes driving standards should be better, no doubt. You know like when you passed your test or read the highway code. Slow down if needed, look ahead, check mirrors, indicate, safely overtake. No different than the action you'd take if passing a tractor.
In fact you've got a spare bloody lane.
They're not though and the idiot the OP is talking about still chose to take his child onto the dual carriage way despite the risk from other vehicles. I just can't imagine doing that with my daughter.
BGarside said:
Since when is it illegal or irresponsible to cycle along a dual carriageway?
Surely it is easier to pass a cyclist than on a narrow country road or single lane 'A' or 'B'-road??
Perhaps the OP would be happier if cyclists didn't use the roads at all? (Cue plenty of aggressive driving to try to scare us off)
So you'd tow small children in a trailer on a dual carriageway? That is utterly irresponsible.Surely it is easier to pass a cyclist than on a narrow country road or single lane 'A' or 'B'-road??
Perhaps the OP would be happier if cyclists didn't use the roads at all? (Cue plenty of aggressive driving to try to scare us off)
The "cyclists are always right" lobby on here are beyond credibility. I cycle. I drive. I make mistakes doing both. I see plenty of idiots doing both.
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