Criminalising cyclists
It's taken a cycling issue to get me blogging again. In this story, well known speed freak District Judge shows his true cyclist-hating colours.
posted by BondWoman at 6:27 pm
Friday, August 18, 2006
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2 Comments:
Astonishing decision by the judge and one which I would expect to be overturned on appeal. The provision of a cyclepath in the proximity of any other public highway does not remove the right of cyclists to use the road itself. When I was an active cyclist, I was frequently travelling at speeds which made me competent in traffic, but which would have been dangerous to myself and others had I been on a cyclepath. Most cyclepaths are designed for the poggling cyclist who can travel at the low speeds required to deal with their inate hazards such as small-radius bends, obstructions such as lamp-posts and stray toddlers with accompanying pushchairs. I have frequently chosen the main road rather than the cyclepath deliberately in such circumstances.
There are other situations where the cyclepath is definitely the route of choice, such as alongside the A82 at Loch Lomond.
There is a similar fallacious impression held by some motorists that cyclists making good progress should be on the cyclepath and not the road. I profoundly disagree and consider that it is a reasonable choice for the individual cyclist to make in all the circumstances. If the roads authority wish to make (and properly sign) an order prohibiting cyclists from using a stretch of road, it is within their powers to do so, but no offence arises from cycling on any road other than a motorway where no such order has been duly made and properly signed.
You will gather that I'm a little peeved about this.
P.S. I used to love blipping down through Walton in Somerset at 30mph (the speed limit) and just watching the drivers staring at this fat bloke on an old tourer making the pace ...
I love the image conjured up by the PS...
I agree with you - it's hard to imagine this is not going to be overturned on appeal. Most cyclepaths are made for pootling along, not for commuting or whatever.
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