Forum Topic

Dear Tony Purton

"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." - Winston Churchill.Please bear this in mind.

Caspar Mason ● 4395d29 Comments

Agree Paul. The speed limits are the maxima [u]not[/u] a target and I will drive accordingly. I can deal with the light-flashing buffoons who want to drive at 40 in fog on suburban side roads as was the case last Thursday morning.

Nigel Brooks ● 4384d

Exactly Paul! But I was trying to make the point of how self righteous Tony Purton is in making pedestrians blameless.

Ben Owen ● 4384d

>No hi - viz clothing is certainly one of  the sad reasons why more pedestrians are getting killed in the winter than in the summer.I'd say the reason people are killed more in the winter is because too many drivers and riders don't drive according to the conditions.Any good driver would spot an unlit non hi-viz wearing pedestrian.

Paul James ● 4384d

With anticipation of a response,BenDon't hold you breath Ben :-)

Nigel Brooks ● 4384d

Dear Tony,It's lovely to see the days are getting longer.It has occurred to me that the vast majority of pedestrians do not heed The  Highway Code advice that pedestrians should - whether on the pavement or not - wear reflective gear such as armbands, waistcoats or jackets when walking after dark. No hi - viz clothing is certainly one of  the sad reasons why more pedestrians are getting killed in the winter than in the summer.It would do an awful lot of good if pedestrians learnt The Highway Code and heeded this advice. Could you preach this messages in your PEDESTRIANS - 15 post?With anticipation of a response,Ben

Ben Owen ● 4384d

I do think there is something distinctly suspect in that van drive verdict - especially considering the evidence on the underside of his van indicating that the cyclist had been there.You might, very very rarely, knock something with your wing mirror and be slightly bemused as to what had just occurred (his defence) but you do not run over a human body - even in a transit van - and not notice.A very poor court result in my view.

Tony Colliver ● 4386d

It's a shame this forum doesn't have those little voting buttons that allow one to express approval of individual posts.

Tony Colliver ● 4386d

How about holding a course to teach users of walking sticks how to insert them into the spokes without endangering their own safety?

Tony Colliver ● 4386d

Dear Tony Purton,Two more shocking deaths for you to mull over. Do you still think the most important issue is cyclists on pavements or that of motorists killing pedestrians on pavements and cyclists on the road and getting off scot free with little or no consequence. Is it right that you can get 5 points and a £300 fine for driving at 38mph in a 30mph zone but can admit to not being able to see where you are going, continuing to drive, killing someone, failing to stop and get either no points or at best carry on driving with 3 points and a £35 fine?http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-25949342http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jan/18/taxi-driver-fined-cyclists-death

Chris Martin ● 4387d

And, if they don't hear me first time I will shout out a little bit louder. Most of the time that works. Third time will be a light blow on my whistle.If they still haven't seen me, then it is at my discretion as to determine what I do next. At all times, you can be certain that I am more careful cycling past an eighty - five year old than a twenty - five year old. Even if both are wicked Tories!

Ben Owen ● 4387d

Why didn't you make that plain, that it was a shared footpath, in the original post then if you are now 'most disappointed'?

Keith Iddon ● 4387d

Keith,I am most disappointed that you believed I was doing anything wrong by cycling on the footpath. I am allowed to cycle on some footpaths. Why? Because it will be officially be a SHARED FOOTPATH indicated by a blue circle sign with a person and a bicycle on it such as the one going through Pitshanger Park to Perivale; another example is the shared use path on the A4 with its dedicated space for cycling that pedestrians stray into; and, of course, cycling slowly along the lovely canal meandering past drunks, lovers and fishermen. A little shout there can make all the difference. It is why I get thanked.

Ben Owen ● 4387d

Ouch. I hope you're all right Ben.We also have the problem of all those kids on scooters now.  Obviously we don't want them to be on the road but they do need to be taught consideration of others and to be under close surveillance of parents/nannies.  They sometimes scoot straight across driveways without looking and they are so small that a driver backing out could so easily not see them.  They are positively dangerous in a supermarket aisle because of the length of them whether they are moving or not.  In fact probably more when they are not.There is good information about avoiding falls here - with a pamphlet that can be downloaded.  Unfortunately many for whom this would be useful won't have the internet.http://www.ageuk.org.uk/health-wellbeing/keeping-fit/preventing-falls/falls-awareness-week/

Philippa Bond ● 4388d

What were you doing on the footpath in the first place Ben? And what if the person you are 'behind you' to is elderly or hard of hearing? Getting off the footpath or dismounting and walking is the considerate and responsible thing to do, not saying a warning.

Keith Iddon ● 4388d

Boris is full of hypocrisy. He was fined for not wearing a helmet whilst cycling in Melbourne!Cycling behind pedestrians: I always always say "behind you, on your left/right" as I approach with enough space and time for the person to look over their shoulder and see me. I am usually thanked for doing so. I always encourage others to do the same.I got poked in the eye this afternoon by an umbrella. The middle - aged person didn't have the grace to apologise.

Ben Owen ● 4388d

No it is an I think - but without going back through all the posts which I haven't got time to do - I'm sure someone did say that this was the case.  Correct me if I'm wrong.I also spotted a twitter answer of the Mayor's to someone asking for cycling helmets to be made mandatory saying that doing that in Australia had meant a reduction in the number of people cycling.Just like the grab-a-grant cycling lanes which we know in places could be better located - more work needs to be done.  Feedback is always needed so that improvements can be made.

Philippa Bond ● 4388d

As it is against the law to ride on pavements, but it is not enforced due to reduced resources, then I suggest more cameras.Police this week said they want more. Why does Ealing not support them? Julian Bell rides a bike. Some of the senior staff do. Who are they tring to protect?

George Knox ● 4388d

"I think we have now ascertained that the illegality of cycling on the pavement isn't included in any cycling courses held"Philippa, is that really true, or is full verifiacation still needed?We pay taxes for our kids to be cycle trained because we have too many useless parents. Ealing is proud of funding lessons as well.

George Knox ● 4388d

Nigel, I understand that you find it frustrating but I suspect that he has a reason that has meant that he is concentrating on this issue.I think we have now ascertained that the illegality of cycling on the pavement isn't included in any cycling courses held and that the Council in their pursuit of clutter-free streets state they won't put up any signs (but of course this would also cost money and just might put some people off cycling).  It is like the league tables positions which have become more important than the learning actually imparted.There has been and is a push to increase cycling.  That's great and a lot of good work is being done on this but sometimes I feel that this singular promotion of cycling has been to the detriment of the less able and less vociferous. We need to make walking on the pavement safer AS WELL as cycling lanes and roads!

Philippa Bond ● 4388d

Well I did try to prevent more Purton diatribes.The simple fact is that none of the regular cyclists on this forum condone pavement cycling, indeed they are among the first to condemn it.There can be no dispute about its illegality and we routinely have a reasoned debate.The problem with Mr Purton's posts is that he has a singular 'vision', will not engage in debate throwing false accusations and resolutely failing to respond to questions. Hence my desire not to give him the 'oxygen' to feed his diatribes by 'promoting' his threads.

Nigel Brooks ● 4388d

I couldn't agree more Keith.  I also suspect that the death you mention won't be amongst the statistics that are so often quoted for one reason or another.Many of the elderly who do recover enough to leave hospital never regain the mobility they once had and so lose their independence. 

Philippa Bond ● 4388d

Absolutely Philippa. I know an elderly lady who was knocked over by a footpath cyclist and spent most of the last 6 months of her life in hospital and in agony. That this lethal cyclist brought her life to a premature end is in no doubt.The cyclists who silently come flying past you when walking are by far the worst. Why should a pedestrian on the footpath be wary of maybe changing direction to look in a shop window and straight into the path of a cyclist who probably won't stop when he or she knocks someone, like the old lady I highlighted, flying.

Keith Iddon ● 4388d

It would be good if everybody DID know that cycling is illegal on the pavement and DID appreciate that the pavement is used by many elderly people who can/do no longer drive/cycle and for whom a fall could be devastating. Unfortunately they don't and because people are more self-centred nowadays they often just don't want to know when told and are dismissive of anything that doesn't suit them.Cyclists often approach silently from behind (and fast compared to some people's slow walking pace). This can badly surprise someone who may have poorer sight, hearing and mobility and is therefore unable to take swift evasive action if necessary. I don't believe that many of the able young have any or enough understanding of how dangerous falls can be for the elderly.  Hip fractures, hospital admissions and anaesthetics are something to be avoided particularly by the elderly as they often have life-changing consequences. 

Philippa Bond ● 4388d

Agreed. Tired of this stuff......

Tom Clifford ● 4389d

In one!

Nigel Brooks ● 4389d

Why cant everyone just ignore this Tony Purton and not reply to any of his messages about cyclists on pavements everyone knows its illegal to ride a bike on the pavement cant we just leave it at that

Jack Ryan ● 4389d

I just ignore those long rambling posts unless I have trouble sleeping.  Those cycling on pavements are so tedious, the other thing posters do is to bang on about one particular subject, then provide a link because if its on the internet, it must be true.Do not feed the Trolls.

Christine Daniels ● 4390d

Whatever the subject matter, posting lengthy screeds (word of the day) and either ignoring or aggressively responding to other users is not how a forum works, and is the clear mark of a tedious fanatic. Cos there ain't no 'fun' in 'fanatic'.

Caspar Mason ● 4390d

I'm not sure minds need to be changed about cycling in the  pavement, it's illegal and shouldn't be done where it's not permitted.It is a strange thing to get so angry about though considering the stats showing if you're going to be killed or seriously injured on the pavement it'll be a motorised vehicle that does it.

Paul James ● 4395d