What were they thinking?
Discussion
Sometimes I see people doing something but can’t figure out what led them to choose that course of action. As an example, I was walking into town this morning. On the other side of the road the pedestrian pavement was about 5m wide. Next to the pavement was a 2.5m wide bidirectional cycle lane, separated from the pavement by concrete sleepers. An old guy with a stick was walking in the cycle lane. I mean why? Just to annoy cyclists? Wanting to get run down? Didn’t realise it was a cycle lane?
Esceptico said:
Sometimes I see people doing something but can’t figure out what led them to choose that course of action. As an example, I was walking into town this morning. On the other side of the road the pedestrian pavement was about 5m wide. Next to the pavement was a 2.5m wide bidirectional cycle lane, separated from the pavement by concrete sleepers. An old guy with a stick was walking in the cycle lane. I mean why? Just to annoy cyclists? Wanting to get run down? Didn’t realise it was a cycle lane?
Probably the last option. Why not ask?CoolHands said:
Probably cos cyclists rarely use cycle lanes - they’re usually too busy cycling on the road or footpath, so who was he inconveniencing?
That is another problem. Particularly here in Auckland as the council spent millions (I assume) building the cycle lane from Auckland out towards Mission Bay yet many cyclists still use the pavement or road in preference to the cycle lane. Jules Sunley said:
jdw100 said:
Me? The 13th Duke of Wybourne? Here? In a sixth form girl's dormitory? At three o'clock in the morning? With three bottles of champagne? With my reputation? What were they thinking?!?
Old man gets mown down by cyclist. Only words he mutters - 'Oh Bugger' #fastshowEsceptico said:
That is another problem. Particularly here in Auckland as the council spent millions (I assume) building the cycle lane from Auckland out towards Mission Bay yet many cyclists still use the pavement or road in preference to the cycle lane.
- * boring Auckland content follows ***
This cycle path stops at Orakei Road and feeds into a 1 to 1.5m wide footpath painted for shared cycle and pedestrian use for the remaining 3km to Mission Bay.
Most cyclists (yes even fast, lycra types) use the new path at Mechanics bay but revert to the road after that because cycling on the pavement around children and other users really isn’t terribly safe.
That aside, most of the new cycling infrastructure in Auckland is rubbish verging on outright dangerous. It appears to have been designed by people who rarely walk, let alone cycle anywhere.
The Pink Path and NW Cycleway are notable exceptions to this, and it’s interesting that these are very heavily used.
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Jules Sunley said:
jdw100 said:
Me? The 13th Duke of Wybourne? Here? In a sixth form girl's dormitory? At three o'clock in the morning? With three bottles of champagne? With my reputation? What were they thinking?!?
Old man gets mown down by cyclist. Only words he mutters - 'Oh Bugger' #fastshowEsceptico said:
Sometimes I see people doing something but can’t figure out what led them to choose that course of action. As an example, I was walking into town this morning. On the other side of the road the pedestrian pavement was about 5m wide. Next to the pavement was a 2.5m wide bidirectional cycle lane, separated from the pavement by concrete sleepers. An old guy with a stick was walking in the cycle lane. I mean why? Just to annoy cyclists? Wanting to get run down? Didn’t realise it was a cycle lane?
Wasn't a white stick was it?AndySheff said:
Jules Sunley said:
jdw100 said:
Me? The 13th Duke of Wybourne? Here? In a sixth form girl's dormitory? At three o'clock in the morning? With three bottles of champagne? With my reputation? What were they thinking?!?
Old man gets mown down by cyclist. Only words he mutters - 'Oh Bugger' #fastshowEsceptico said:
CoolHands said:
Probably cos cyclists rarely use cycle lanes - they’re usually too busy cycling on the road or footpath, so who was he inconveniencing?
That is another problem. Particularly here in Auckland as the council spent millions (I assume) building the cycle lane from Auckland out towards Mission Bay yet many cyclists still use the pavement or road in preference to the cycle lane. Cyclists tend not to use cycle lanes which are poorly built, have hazardous intersections with road traffic, are shared with pedestrians, and make their journey more awkward. Blame the lane, not the cyclists.
jdw100 said:
AndySheff said:
Jules Sunley said:
jdw100 said:
Me? The 13th Duke of Wybourne? Here? In a sixth form girl's dormitory? At three o'clock in the morning? With three bottles of champagne? With my reputation? What were they thinking?!?
Old man gets mown down by cyclist. Only words he mutters - 'Oh Bugger' #fastshowdirty doug said:
jdw100 said:
AndySheff said:
Jules Sunley said:
jdw100 said:
Me? The 13th Duke of Wybourne? Here? In a sixth form girl's dormitory? At three o'clock in the morning? With three bottles of champagne? With my reputation? What were they thinking?!?
Old man gets mown down by cyclist. Only words he mutters - 'Oh Bugger' #fastshowBiggus thingus said:
dirty doug said:
jdw100 said:
AndySheff said:
Jules Sunley said:
jdw100 said:
Me? The 13th Duke of Wybourne? Here? In a sixth form girl's dormitory? At three o'clock in the morning? With three bottles of champagne? With my reputation? What were they thinking?!?
Old man gets mown down by cyclist. Only words he mutters - 'Oh Bugger' #fastshowEsceptico said:
Sometimes I see people doing something but can’t figure out what led them to choose that course of action. As an example, I was walking into town this morning. On the other side of the road the pedestrian pavement was about 5m wide. Next to the pavement was a 2.5m wide bidirectional cycle lane, separated from the pavement by concrete sleepers. An old guy with a stick was walking in the cycle lane. I mean why? Just to annoy cyclists? Wanting to get run down? Didn’t realise it was a cycle lane?
Was riding one of the new MTB trails at Sutton Bank a few weekends back. There's a footpath that runs alongside the bike track, and I counted at least 12 big signs both at the entrance to the MTB trail and along the beginning of the tail saying it was a track for bikes only, pedestrians not allowed, etc...So imagine my surprise when around the first fast corner there was an older couple giving a group of mountain bikers a telling off for 'riding too fast'...
jdw100 said:
Biggus thingus said:
dirty doug said:
jdw100 said:
AndySheff said:
Jules Sunley said:
jdw100 said:
Me? The 13th Duke of Wybourne? Here? In a sixth form girl's dormitory? At three o'clock in the morning? With three bottles of champagne? With my reputation? What were they thinking?!?
Old man gets mown down by cyclist. Only words he mutters - 'Oh Bugger' #fastshowJules Sunley said:
jdw100 said:
Biggus thingus said:
dirty doug said:
jdw100 said:
AndySheff said:
Jules Sunley said:
jdw100 said:
Me? The 13th Duke of Wybourne? Here? In a sixth form girl's dormitory? At three o'clock in the morning? With three bottles of champagne? With my reputation? What were they thinking?!?
Old man gets mown down by cyclist. Only words he mutters - 'Oh Bugger' #fastshowEdited by Bobupndown on Tuesday 10th May 08:09
deckster said:
The specific point has already been answered - but I see this a lot from people and the answer is always the same. Cyclists will use cycle lanes that are well thought out, safe, and make their journey easier. Obviously, because, well, why wouldn't you?
Cyclists tend not to use cycle lanes which are poorly built, have hazardous intersections with road traffic, are shared with pedestrians, and make their journey more awkward. Blame the lane, not the cyclists.
Good Post.Cyclists tend not to use cycle lanes which are poorly built, have hazardous intersections with road traffic, are shared with pedestrians, and make their journey more awkward. Blame the lane, not the cyclists.
Where cycle lanes require people riding bikes to frequently give way to road users or ride contrived routes around pavement obstacles and pedestrians, they are often inferior to, and less safe than, just using the road.
Esceptico said:
Sometimes I see people doing something but can’t figure out what led them to choose that course of action. As an example, I was walking into town this morning. On the other side of the road the pedestrian pavement was about 5m wide. Next to the pavement was a 2.5m wide bidirectional cycle lane, separated from the pavement by concrete sleepers. An old guy with a stick was walking in the cycle lane. I mean why? Just to annoy cyclists? Wanting to get run down? Didn’t realise it was a cycle lane?
This sort of thing intrigues me as well - there’s sheltered housing near us and I frequently see elderly people walking down the middle of road rather than on the pavement. The only thing I can think of is that the pavement may be uneven and difficult to walk on?Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff