Cycling on the Footpath?

I often cycle on the footpath (in very short stretches), usually because the road is too busy/cluttered, and if the footpath is clear, I'll use it. I'd go slow enough since I'd only be on it temporarily, and if a pedestrian appears, I'll slow down even further or stop, or I'll go back onto the road. I don't have a bell so I won't be aggressively tinkling at anybody. Maybe it makes a difference that I'm not in a city because I get the impression that there is a different breed of cyclist that emerges from that situation.

But people saying that discussing motorists is getting off-topic are wrong. Most of the time, the reason for cyclists are on footpaths is to avoid motorists, so that should be part of the discussion. And pedestrians aren't faultless either. Just because they are on the footpath doesn't mean that they are absolved of being aware of their surroundings. Cyclists shouldn't ring a bell and expect a pedestrian to move, but a pedestrian can't just say "I was on the footpath with my headphones on, therefore anything that happens is other people's fault. I was on the footpath!!". Other pedestrians (like runners/joggers) could cause similar distress that a cyclist might.

I'd still prefer to be on the road, and that's where cyclists should be. Cycle-paths would be lovely too, but there are none on the route from my house to work so I'll continue to cycle on the same 20 metre stretch of footpath on the way home from work..

Indeed, and I'm sure the person who is the inconsiderate cyclist is also an inconsiderate driver when they change mode of transport.

A "friendly warning" from someone who is not allowed to be there

I have no problem if a cyclist rings a bell to alert me of the presence if they are on the road or cycle lane....ie if they think I'm about to cross their lane and cause a collision.

On a footpath though, feck off.

I don't use a motorbike so I don't know where you got that idea from.

If all you can retort is a childish "Oh I bet you don't break any laws EVER" I think we're done here.

I was chilling with my dog outside Dundrum shopping centre waiting for my wife, some teenager was walking along with his headphones in, and there was an auld lad behind him ringing his bell for the young lad to move and giving out that he'd hear if he didn't have headphones in..

The aul lad didn't need to be cycling, he was 10 foot from a bike lock up spot that he wanted to use. The kid was mostly obvlivious to it all.. but I wasn't. I told the aul lad he didn't have the right of way, that this is a footpath for pedestrians and to please shut up.

I don't mind people using the footpath to cycle at all, however you do not have the right of way. If you are behind a pedestrian then you get to go pedestrian speed. It's not a cycle path. It doesn't matter if the road is "more dangerous" or whatever your problem is that has you on the footpath, it's the FOOT path, or as Americans would say the side-WALK, it's really all in the name isn't it.

If you don't like the speed of the pedestrians, cycle where the flow of traffic is quicker.

Presumably, no-one should report any crimes to Gardai other than those done by drivers in cars, given that Gardai are apparently unable to identify or act on any complaints of crimes other than those done by drivers?

If the situation was happening as @ger vallely outlined, it would be remarkably easy for a Gardai to position themselves to apprehend the frequent cyclists terrorising the residents.

Pedestrians in this country are generally clueless. People can't even follow the basic idea of walking on the right and cycing on the left.

I've come around narrow bends in the car on some local roads in recent months and encountered people pushing prams on the left side and on one occasion someone being pushed in a wheelchair. Actually surprised not to hear of more fatal accidents.

Cyclists for the most part I have to say seem to know the score and keep to the LHS of the road.

As per the RSA...

If there is no footpath, walk/run/jog on the right hand side of the road, facing oncoming traffic and keeping as close as possible to the side of the road

Stop

Cycling

in

pedestrian

areas

That's your issue, not mine.

That's the nastiest piece of victim blaming I've come across here for a long time.

Kids ABSOLUTELY SHOULD be using bikes and scooters on the path without fear of being crushed by inattentive drivers.

Yeah you don't have to believe me and you would be wrong but there is a difference between once of events and something happening all the time that can be recorded. I don't think I ever said a story about a motorcyclist as you described it now I am curious.

Yeah it's not like i cycle through pedestrian areas just footpaths sometimes, and that seems to be permitted for cars and bikes so why would I worry about it if I'm courteous to any peds.

Ive actually seen cars mistakenly driving onto Grafton st when it's busy, coming from where Nearys is!

I wasn’t agreeing with you. I include footpaths in ‘pedestrian areas’; I don’t ever see cars driving there.

Non-delivery vehicles on Grafton Street is vanishingly rare.

You dont ever see cars driving on footpaths, what Ireland do you live in? Proof you're prejudiced against people on bikes and blind to the driving and parking on footpaths plague, with deaths occurring regularly.

How do you think all the cars, vans and trucks we see parked on footpaths get there?

I don’t - genuinely. I find it so unpleasant as a pedestrian that I go out of my way on principle to avoid doing it. That you can’t conceive of someone being able to operate without cycling illegal reveals a lot.

You really are delusional. For one, I don’t have a driving license, so I have no reason to be prejudiced, and I prove that by regularly reprimanding motorists who don’t give way to pedestrians at junctions or who stop on the pedestrian crossing. I am not blind to motorist misbehaviour, but it very rarely involves driving (with the exception, as I said, of ramping up to park) on footpaths.

I am waiting on you and your claims. I will wait too

" I am not blind to motorist misbehaviour, but it very rarely involves driving (with the exception, as I said, of ramping up to park) on footpaths."

Well apart from all that Mrs Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?

Fully enforcing all the road laws would require a lot more gards. That would be a huge cost to the state, regardless of whatever fines they manage to bring in from said enforecement.

And should we really be spending all that money on enforcing people not cycling on footpaths or road laws when there is real, legitimate violent crime happening every day?

It's not really all that simple. It would be a lot better if all road users were a bit more cogent of what's going on around them, and were less self involved, but that's never gonna happen either. People are going to act selfishly.

Some pedestrian spaces are shared...

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3424264,-6.238811,3a,75y,27.9h,87.52t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sIIwBhxvF7Q82EpD_uULk1g!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DIIwBhxvF7Q82EpD_uULk1g%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.360306%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

Three things:

1. That is utterly reprehensible driving. If I were there, I would wait for the driver’s return and verbally abuse him on his return. I mean genuinely shouting insults in his face. That is not an idle claim: I have done it several times before when a driver’s behaviour has shown as much disregard for pedestrians as the position of the car in that picture does. I wish more would do it. But…
2. that is not a car driving on the footpath; it is a car that has driven onto it, possibly with no pedestrians around at the time. It would not be a problem if that is what cyclists did, too. But, instead, they cycle along footpaths, at pedestrians, causing them great uncertainty about the cyclist’s intent.
3. It is also behaviour not characteristic of motorists generally. Of course society has antisocial scumbags, and if they drive they will behave like in the picture. The question is whether it is behaviour replicated by all sorts of people who drive, in the way that driving on paths is by cyclists. And I think it very obviously isn’t.

Btw, hundreds of thousands of people drive every day. If you are relying on Twitter for evidence of rule-breaking, you are going to see many more incidents than you would in everyday life and will therefore exaggerate the prevalence.