Forum Topic

Pavements Putney High Street.

Am I missing something have the pavements that have been made wider for cyclists and electric scooter's. Only today going the full length of the pavement walking, could not believe cyclists and scooters, going the wrong side of the pavement doing what they want. I thought the pavement was for pedestrians.

Barbara Stevens ● 1991d33 Comments

"I thought the pavement was for pedestrians."It is, but too many cyclists and electric scooters lack respect for people on foot. Who is to stop them? There is a huge police building a block away, but when did we last see a Bobby on the PHS beat?

Alexander MacLeod ● 1991d

It is of course illegal to cycle on a footpath. Many boroughs have "No cycling" signs in place so why not PHS? Cyclists are dangerously travelling at speed on footpaths on PHS ( sadly many disability scooter owners also seem to have an inflated sense of entitlement and show little consideration for pedestrians- including children and the elderly).

Timothy Horgan ● 1991d

Yes I agree about the disability scooter's. I was coming out of Sainsbury's a week or so ago, I stepped back into the little side entrance as one was going to park up by the food stall outside. Even though I stood back to let him pass as I could see he had no intention of stopping. He screamed get out of my way, so I said DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT. He didn't answer me back.

Barbara Stevens ● 1991d

Agree with all the above.  
I heard on the news that blind or partially sighted people are having problems because they can’t hear the electric scooters and also scooters dumped on the pavement are hazardous to them. I am a fed up pedestrian.

Martine Guy ● 1991d

I remember reading of somebody getting an ASBO for the way that they rode their mobility scooter!We need to all share the space that there is and there are better ways to travel a lot of the time than by car.  For a start they take up an awful lot of room on the roads particularly when the only person travelling in them is the driver.I did like that picture that Barbara Stevens posted some months back of each person in their own travelling bubble car.It's interesting hearing older and disabled people talking about the places they used to enjoy going to.  With FIL one in particular was the local hotel where he would meet up with friends and have meals.  The reason for not going was the steps up to the front door - no handrail and steep.  It turned out to be the same with others of his generation.  When we did manage to take them back there - there was also the problem with not being able to get a walker through a single door.  We have an Equality Act which now encompasses what was the Disability Act but we still have an awful lot of inaccessible buildings - even when they are new.Many people don't like riding their bicycles on the road because they consider it dangerous.  Children are being denied active travel and end up being chauffered when they could easily walk and it would be better for them - so adjustments are necessary.Here is an interesting article about changing times:https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/05/27/climate/us-cities-highway-removal.html?

Philippa Bond ● 1991d

1. Philippa I haven't posted any picture's on the forum.2. This was not about car's it was about cyclists and Electric scooter's being on the pavement.

Barbara Stevens ● 1990d

Grammar Police here. Two misplaced apostrophes: Neither cars nor electric scooters need one in this context. Also, it's is only ever short for "it is" it's never possessive. If it's unclear whether to put its or it's just replace it's with it is and it's obvious whether it's to be used or not.  Erm....

Mark Phillips ● 1990d

Sorry Mark, I expect that made you feel really BIG picking me up on my grammar well I'm a bit old to go back to school and as long as everybody else on here understands what I have put I couldn't really careless. So glad you have been so well educated. But I had other things on my mind when I was younger and that was enjoying myself.

Barbara Stevens ● 1990d

We clearly need more visible policing. Sadly its not on any of the main party's political agenda. Perhaps if the Police were on e-scooters...Police enforcing the law is also a green issue IMO. A lot of people drive as they do not trust public transport, empty stations etc. We need to make people feel as safe outside their cars as they do in them!

Ed Robinson ● 1990d

Don't worry, help is at hand from the Apostrophe Protection Society 🙂http://www.apostrophe.org.uk/

Michael Ixer ● 1990d

Michael, to be honest I had a drink of wine after doing the garden, then cooking dinner. So an Apostrophe could have been put everywhere. I just didn't give a damn.

Barbara Stevens ● 1990d

There was an item on Radio 4's In Touch about visually impaired people having problems with electric scooters on pavements.On April 30, about 7pm, I was walking on the pavement on the west side of Dryburgh Rd towards Upper Richmond Rd. Suddenly I became aware that someone was edging me out of the way. It was a woman cyclist. I am profoundly deaf in my left ear and had heard nothing. I was too astonished to hurl my  repertoire of expletives at her. There was no vehicular traffic in Dryburgh Rd at the time.I've lost count of the number of times cyclists ride through red lights at the lights controlled pedestrian crossings. Cars, buses, lorries stop. Not cyclists.Pedestrians are of low priority and I cannot see this changing as politicians seem to think the sun shines our of cyclists.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 1990d

Ed. Agreed and a good point about it linking with green issues. (Although I think you mean "... main parties' political agendas ..." if the grammar police are going to be making arrests 🙂)

Michael Ixer ● 1990d

Elizabeth, I agree, cyclists even now the Deliveroo just go past the traffic lights as if they don't exist. The end of Chelverton Road, it's not worth having lights as they don't take any notice of them anyway.

Barbara Stevens ● 1990d

Sorry Barbara if it wasn't you.  It was a sort of cartoon looking at the future.It is about reallocating space as we do all have to share it and motorised transport has been hogging it and pushing others off the roads. Active travel is now the in thing to save us, the NHS and the planet.There are now at last some official e-scooter trials in London - they were promised months ago:https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/rental-e-scooter-london-june-trial-b935694.html All those e-scooters currently being ridden on the roads and pavements are apparently illegal and if the police see them they can stop them.  They can also stop the cyclists on the pavements.(Watch out for those pavements officially shared which have a blue sign telling you this.)T

Philippa Bond ● 1990d

When was the last time you saw a policeman patrolling Putney High Street, Upper and Lower Richmond Road etc. Philippa? Seriously though, no-one stops cyclists on pavements or for running red lights.

Lucille Grant ● 1990d

When President Obama visited Ireland he said he had come in search of his missing apostrophe.  He has Irish blood on his mother's side.

Jonathan Callaway ● 1989d

When the complaints get loud enough.

Philippa Bond ● 1989d

My wife's middle initial is O which has caused confusion on a couple of occasions - extra apostrophes can be nuisance sometimes! 😶 (The advice I've heard is that if one's unsure it's safer to drop apostrophes.)

Michael Ixer ● 1989d

There was a great song at the time of his visit.

Philippa Bond ● 1989d

Thank you Mark, I hate poor grammar.

Lisa Cottam ● 1989d

Lisa, do not read it then, that is the answer to that. Yes well I dislike people who say there is a bit of fluff on your skirt, or your nail varnish is cracked. People who spend all their time finding fault with other people need to get a life, it's much too short. Yes and I get fed up with people who put themselves first instead of others.

Barbara Stevens ● 1989d

I find really annoying that cyclists make all this noise on social media asking the cars drivers to be more considerate when half of them never stop for a red light, go the wrong way in one way streets, use pavements and think that pedestrians are mobile shooting targets. Imagine if car drivers did the same...

Marc Blanchard ● 1989d

We came back along the Upper Richmond Road yesterday, we stopped by the swimming pool at a red light, a cyclist didn't have any intention of stopping at all. My other half said it is only a matter of time before a cyclist has to have some form of recognition or Insurance.

Barbara Stevens ● 1989d

I remember once waiting to cross at the pedestrian lights, not by the Leisure Centre but the parade of shops a bit further east on URR. The lights for the traffic went red, cars, bus, lorries stopped, but a cyclist was powering along going east and I could tell from his body language that he wouldn't stop, so I cowered on the pavement.As he passed he shouted at me "my problem is I don't like stopping.I worry about guide dogs which set out across the road as soon as they hear the beep. But I suppose if you're a cyclist who doesn't like stopping, they're just collateral damage.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 1989d

There is some negative coverage in the national  newspapers about e-scooters. Although the TFL trial scheme does not cover Putney, I wonder if commercial interests will incentivise the police to enforce the law. Otherwise it will become normal for people travel faster on the pavements than vechiles on the roads!"The rental e-scooters will only be allowed to be used on roads and in cycleways - not on footways." "The Metropolitan Police will continue their work engaging with e-scooter riders, and where necessary, will enforce the legislation regarding the use of privately owned e-scooters on the highway."https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2021/may/tfl-and-london-councils-announce-london-s-e-scooter-trial-will-begin-in-june

Ed Robinson ● 1989d

I note Wandsworth doesn't seem to be participating or applying to participate. The Met Police enforcement of the law seems rather patchy as there are still numerous illegal e-scooters around. Interestingly, I saw an Uber Eat cyclist stopped by a police car near Bond Street on Friday but after checking something (couldn't work out what - he seemed to show them something on his mobile phone) they seemed to be satisfied, and a lorry seemed to be rather brave "tooting" the police car for blocking Brook Street!

Michael Ixer ● 1988d

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/cyclist-faces-bankruptcy-over-100k-costs-bill-for-injured-pedestrian/5070701.articleHere's a reason for a cyclist to get insurance.  I understand one way is through the London Cycling Campaign which has lots cycling related info including quieter routes.

Philippa Bond ● 1988d

Michael, they were stopping delivery cyclists and motorcyclists in tooting to check their immigration status. Apparently there has been a clamp down throughout London. It does remind me of the Byron sing a few years ago.Philippa the headline is a bit misleading as the figure was only £20,000 but it is a good point and I guess as car use decreases the insurance companies will need new sources of revenue. Perhaps pedestrian insurance may become a thing too?

Ed Robinson ● 1988d

Thanks, Ed., but how do they get someone to prove their immigration status given there's no requirement to carry identity documents in the UK? If you or I were stopped how would we prove it - ok, I generally carry a driving licence as photo ID from habit as I used to visit places such as banks, software companies and datacentres regularly where I had to prove my identity but I don't always now if I'm just carrying out a local errand.

Michael Ixer ● 1988d

Michael that's a good question. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people just answered honestly. Delivery companies do require: "Proof of your right to work self-employed in the UK". So I assume it would be a case of checking if those details are still valid.

Ed Robinson ● 1988d

As far as I am aware from Safer Neighbourhood meetings, we only have one policeman with powers of arrest in Putney.He has been recently involved in knife searches of parks, and violent crime etc.I have been reporting cyclists and scooters on pavements, but they are hard to catch in the act. Sometimes I tackle them myself as they whizz by with a good shout that pavements are for pedestrians.. Actually got a cyclist to dismount! E scooters are illegal on pavements. The over widening of pavements has left it more dangerous to use them on the roads. Just thankful we are not in a part of the Borough that is conducting trials of these damn things. Suggest readers join Safer Neighbourhoods meetings, next one 7pm, 11th August, we need more to speak out in public meetings, and also write to their local councillors and Fleur Anderson.

Penelope Becker ● 1984d

Penelope, yes I feel the same, cyclists and red lights are a menace, sometimes I feel like swinging my trolley round and bashing them, then I would be in trouble. The cyclists merrily just rides past the lights as if they are not for them as well.

Barbara Stevens ● 1984d