We have just returned from a wonderful week in Keswick, a relaxing place, full of dogs and friendly people, don’t forget J.A.M.I.E. from my post, dated 15th May, and throw in some beautiful scenery seen from the surrounding hills, it is a place I will definitely go back to one day, maybe if not Keswick itself, then somewhere else in the Lake District for sure.
I have done more writing than normal in my eleven days off; being relaxed meant I was certainly more in the mood to get the laptop up and running. And as always, there are up to date matters that need to be written about, such as the FA Cup Final, played whilst we were on holiday. But today, back home, it is Monday 24th May, and it is horrible and wet outside. I did contemplate getting the bike out and stretching the legs, but at fifty-eight, the weather won, and so I decided to exercise my fingers on the laptop instead.
If you have read any of my posts, you will know I have written a lot about cycling from all angles, and I wanted to add to those stories after my visit to Keswick because there are things I don’t get, again from all angles. This is not a dig at Keswick, as mentioned it is a lovely place, and these things will happen all over the UK every day, they are just observations from my holiday, in the town I was staying in! But Keswick boasts a lovely pedestrian centre with a host of shops, cafes and pubs with something for everyone; it really is a good place to visit, and if you do go I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
But I was surprised to see so many cyclists insisting on using the pedestrian area while on their bikes and cycling when clear signs state ‘cyclists dismount’ and are at all entrances to the pedestrian zone. The first was a group of four road cyclists all dressed up in what I call ‘proper cycling gear,’ you know the type. Nice bike, probably at least a Boardman brand, tight lycra/spandex clothing, likely Oakley glasses and looking like they’d just cycled in from the Tour de France.
But as ‘professional’ as they looked or tried to look, sure enough, there they were brazenly cycling past the ‘cyclists dismount’ signs, and so through the pedestrians. But as always, what I don’t quite understand is that these people think it’s actually okay and safe to cycle through crowds of people with young kids running about and older senior people who may not be aware of cyclists, especially when they shouldn’t be there – total ignorance and inconsideration in my world. So as this group cycled past me, I simply said ‘no cycling’ to each one, and each one just ignored me and carried on regardless.
Then there were four more who had visited the local chip shop, also in some very serious looking cycling gear and this time on some very serious looking mountain bikes and a different type of cyclist. But still serious with serious equipment all around, but who still thought it was okay not just to cycle through the busy pedestrian area but to do so one-handed with their takeaway food in the other hand. Please remember that it is a very busy area. There are also lots of people with dogs, and a variety of ages of people with kids running around, and people exiting shops and bars and changing direction without looking over their shoulder first.
One point to remember is that people who see the ‘cyclists dismount’ signs and are in a pedestrian area will not be on ‘cyclist alert’ why should they be? Cyclists shouldn’t be there; it is that simple. I have called these cyclists ‘serious,’ as I can’t help but feel that if you spend what will be hundreds and hundreds of pounds, possibly into the thousands on bikes and the attire, you know what you are doing, and so you know your bike stuff, or should I say you ‘should know.’ But so many don’t!
I call them ‘serious cyclists’, and I feel they would know everything and do everything right, but it is often these ‘serious cyclists’ who blatantly ignore these signs. Unfortunately, they do in my home town as well as they cycle through the much smaller ‘no cycling’ pedestrian area going to join their friends at the designated meeting point.
And so some serious cyclists must often be ignorant and inconsiderate and certainly couldn’t care, maybe we even say stupid, but let’s be honest it must be one of them because the signs are there for all to see, and so are the crowds of people.
Cyclists should know there will be signage to advise them of their expected actions in areas like this, but more so, what person with any amount of common sense thinks it is okay to cycle in these circumstances? So many people walking about in a pedestrian area, so I will cycle at speed and weave in amongst them all, probably with fingers crossed – or maybe not!!
Let’s look at the slightly ‘less serious’ if by image alone. One lady on a bike looked like a local worker as it looked like she was carrying some work gear with her on her bike, and it sounded like a local accent when she spoke. However, as she passed I mentioned to her there was no cycling. With her response, I was told, ‘no, no, no don’t worry, we can cycle here, it’s okay’ or similar, and I was quite amazed at the response, I didn’t have time to tell her to cycle fifty metres to see the ‘cyclists dismount’ sign, and prove her wrong, as after her response she was off. And this, as mentioned, was, I assume, a local person who should probably know better. What hope is there?
The worst thing about all of these examples is I never managed to get any photos, I think part of it is out of amazement at the blatant disregard for pedestrians but had I spent thirty minutes sitting on a bench, I am sure I would have had quite a few photos. But being on holiday I had better things to do. But these examples weren’t the only ones, children using people as obstacles in a zig-zag game to cycle through without a care in the world, these serious-looking guys on bikes, the local lady, the older gentleman wearing his raincoat and others. And as a cyclist, I’m afraid I don’t get it, and I will never understand why people on bikes, think it is okay to cycle through busy pedestrian areas, but as always – that’s me!
I cycled the Keswick to Threlkeld custom made foot/cycle path and with plenty of room for all as long as care is taken. It is a very good shared pathway with signs every 200m or so stating to all ‘keep left’ and more, yet people don’t. One couple even turned around and looked at me coming towards them before walking on the same way, and as I passed them, they tutted, and I can only assume it was at me, and I should maybe have stopped and asked why? Perhaps I should have said ‘sorry’ for cycling on the shared path.
But as mentioned, when cycling we had to take care, but with those signs, every 200m or so saying ‘keep left’ why was it I cycled around a corner and one walker decided to keep to his right as his partner kept left as per the signs, and I end up cycling between them. So do all these people drive and ignore red traffic lights, and are they the type who probably don’t stop when someone is waiting at a zebra crossing? But surely when where there are reminder signs at such regular intervals, you should be aware and should be ready to comply as most people did!
We all make mistakes; that’s why they put rubbers on the end of pencils, and that certainly includes me, but to me, there is making mistakes, but in a lot of the things I have mentioned, it is ignorance or inconsideration, not a mistake.
But so that the car drivers don’t feel left out when cycling home, I had to turn right into the drive of my cottage, and so to try to do the right thing, I signalled and went into the right-hand side of my lane preparing to turn. But I was cycling slowly for a few metres close to my turning because there was an oncoming car, and I’ve never really argued with cars whilst on a bike and assumed he would let me cross in front of him.
Again to my amazement, he decided he didn’t want to give me right of way, but it was okay for him to pull out to overtake the parked cars on his side of the road, meaning he had to come into my lane where I was cycling and turning right – again, total ignorance and inconsideration in my world.
I was nearing my destination before he approached me and the parked cars, so I had started my manoeuvre before he came to the vehicles, so as far as I could see, I had the right of way. But not in his world, he just carried on driving over the ‘only cross when safe do so’ white lines, which it obviously wasn’t and even when I raised my hand in that ‘what are you doing’ gesture, (and please find the homemade sketch showing what happened.) But even though I was positioned in my lane before he pulled out to overtake the cars, even though he shouldn’t have crossed the white lines because it wasn’t safe to do so, evasive action was required by me, had I stayed where I was; he would have hit me without fail.
A gentleman of more senior years, he didn’t notice my bright orange cycling attire (not lycra/spandex style, I’m too old for that), but nor did he spot my front white quite bright, intermittently flashing light, nor did he seem to notice when I gesticulated to him, he was totally oblivious (or ignorant) to my presence and position in the road, and if I’m honest I would say it was the first, and that worries me. But, still, senior people driving is a topic for another occasion.
And so the cyclist doesn’t feel I am picking on them; I am one, but I wanted to point out we all seem to be at fault when bikes are concerned, but the actions of some cyclists and others do frustrate me. When it is a car on bike situation, the bike and the cyclist will come off second best, but I would imagine when it is a cyclist on pedestrian situation, it is possibly the pedestrian that will come off second best. But you only need to read my story to show that is not always the case – I didn’t collide with anyone, and look what happened.
But cyclists, please dismount in pedestrian areas, just out of consideration to others who won’t be looking out for you; after all, they don’t have an obligation to do so, especially in Keswick centre. But at least you’re not as much of a nuisance as those pesky electric scooters, which are invariably ridden faster than bikes and also shouldn’t be on pavements and in pedestrian areas, at least not according to one of Britain’s biggest bike retailers, but again, another story for another time!
Thanks for reading, and stay safe