Tips for mothers on shared cycleways
Mar. 14th, 2013 11:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blamebrampton* The little diagrams suggesting that you keep left are there, in fact, to suggest you keep left.
* When you choose to ignore them and walk in the middle of the path, do not look hugely surprised when people ring their bells to encourage you to look up from texting as you walk and make you aware of the oncoming bicycle.
* On becoming aware of the oncoming bicycle and noticing that your youngest child is on the right hand side of the path, at a point level with the cyclist, who is successfully negotiating a passing manoeuvre at low speed, do not shriek to the child, encouraging the wee lass to turn around and into the bike.
* On witnessing the cyclist performing an heroic avoidance effort while travelling uphill on a loaded bike with a confused and unpredictable toddler in the vicinity, do not run in front of the bike.
* On finding your toddler wholly avoided despite your best efforts to have her killed, do not call your other daughter to you, especially when she is six and very likely to run in front of the still-moving cyclist, who has just had to veer to the opposite side of the path to avoid ploughing into you.
* When the tried-beyond-endurance cyclist suggests that was less than optimal all round, do not open your mouth unless it is to apologise. Should the first words out of your mouth be 'You should have …', do not be surprised when the cyclist interrupts with: 'Mowed you down, I know' and rides off.
* When you choose to ignore them and walk in the middle of the path, do not look hugely surprised when people ring their bells to encourage you to look up from texting as you walk and make you aware of the oncoming bicycle.
* On becoming aware of the oncoming bicycle and noticing that your youngest child is on the right hand side of the path, at a point level with the cyclist, who is successfully negotiating a passing manoeuvre at low speed, do not shriek to the child, encouraging the wee lass to turn around and into the bike.
* On witnessing the cyclist performing an heroic avoidance effort while travelling uphill on a loaded bike with a confused and unpredictable toddler in the vicinity, do not run in front of the bike.
* On finding your toddler wholly avoided despite your best efforts to have her killed, do not call your other daughter to you, especially when she is six and very likely to run in front of the still-moving cyclist, who has just had to veer to the opposite side of the path to avoid ploughing into you.
* When the tried-beyond-endurance cyclist suggests that was less than optimal all round, do not open your mouth unless it is to apologise. Should the first words out of your mouth be 'You should have …', do not be surprised when the cyclist interrupts with: 'Mowed you down, I know' and rides off.
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no subject
Date: 2013-03-14 12:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-03-14 01:02 pm (UTC)I make allowances on all the shared paths for overseas students and tourists, because I always cock it up in Europe and the US a few times on each trip, but she was definitely a local, judging by the Strine accent when she shouted at the kids.
I do drop back to walking pace if I am on a shared path behind pedestrians and there's not an easy overtake, because my theory is that they are shared and you should give way to the least able user, the same way you do with boats. But there are lanes! And I was going uphill while she was going down, so it was so much easier for her to stay on the correct side! Gah!