Mobile Phones

[sparksburnout]

Don't really know what to say. Obviously, they are a fantastic communication tool and an invaluable part of life these days. However, on the other side of the coin - just been for a meal at a pub about 6 miles away where I met the missus from her work, its a fantastic real ale and proper home cooked food sort of place. Went on my bike, a great route mostly off road and through a nature reserve and along a canal towpath. Spent most of the ride ringing my bell and shouting various warnings at almost every pedestrian (and cyclists) along the towpath, who had ear/headphones in/on and were totally oblivious to their surroundings. Then repeated the performance thought the nature reserve dodging parents/kids who just trudged en-mass with their heads down looking at their phones. At the worst I very nearly impaled one young lad (Kyle) who's mum managed to raise her head from her device for a second to utter "mind the bike Kyle" only for the little git to totally ignore her and just walk straight into my now stationary front wheel. Bloody nightmare. Got to the pub, which is supposed to be a mobile-free area, only to be treated to some plank on the next table playing some you-tube garbage that they seemed to think funny at full volume to not only their table but all the other surrounding ones. Missus just about managed to stop me from telling the ----ers what I though of them. Is this it now, forever??

 

[Leesparkykent]

Are you Victor Meldrew by any chance?

 

[sparksburnout]

Are you Victor Meldrew by any chance?

No, just think its a bit of a sorry state of affairs when families are walking through a nature reserve and the kids eyes never get off the screen of their mobiles, at the age of 7. I've lost count of the number of near misses I have had with pillocks completely unaware of their surroundings. watched a young woman this morning driving down the street, just two minutes from home but glued to her phone, its an epidemic.

 

[Marvo]

Here's a weekend project for you http://blog.jammer-store.com/2011/06/how-to-make-your-cell-phone-jammer-diy-guide/

You should be able to bring that baby in for under a tenner. Endless hours of fun and it will probably get you arrested depending where you live

 

[Midwest]

Does make you wonder. Whilst they are an invaluable tool, some people are obsessed with the things, some teenagers think their world will end without one. Then there's social media, just why people need to be in touch with their mates every second of the day, is beyond me.

Did you see the owner of the Gin Club in Hove, who's lined the walls of his pub, so there's no mobile signal. People actually have to talk to each other, face to face!

 

[UNG]

Don't really know what to say. Obviously, they are a fantastic communication tool and an invaluable part of life these days. However, on the other side of the coin - just been for a meal at a pub about 6 miles away where I met the missus from her work, its a fantastic real ale and proper home cooked food sort of place. Went on my bike, a great route mostly off road and through a nature reserve and along a canal towpath. Spent most of the ride ringing my bell and shouting various warnings at almost every pedestrian (and cyclists)

spoiling the peace and tranquility of the countryside with little consideration for those

along the towpath, who had ear/headphones in/on and were totally oblivious to their surroundings. Then repeated the performance thought the nature reserve dodging parents/kids who just trudged en-mass with their heads down looking at their phones. At the worst I very nearly impaled one young lad (Kyle) who's mum managed to raise her head from her device for a second to utter "mind the bike Kyle" only for the little git to totally ignore her and just walk straight into my now stationary front wheel. Bloody nightmare. Got to the pub, which is supposed to be a mobile-free area, only to be treated to some plank on the next table playing some you-tube garbage that they seemed to think funny at full volume to not only their table but all the other surrounding ones. Missus just about managed to stop me from telling the ----ers what I though of them. Is this it now, forever??

Yes phones, iPods etc can be quite anti social devices but so can bikes ridden without respect and courtesy for others would you drive down the road using your horn to get other road users out of your way so why do you think you have a greater right of way when on your bike racing through the countryside putting people at risk of injury I can only assume you could pay a personal injury claim against you as I doubt you have any insurance cover

 

[Midwest]

Here's one social runner who got the hump with a car driver;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-36986087

 

[telectrix]

spoiling the peace and tranquility of the countryside with little consideration for those



Yes phones, iPods etc can be quite anti social devices but so can bikes ridden without respect and courtesy for others would you drive down the road using your horn to get other road users out of your way so why do you think you have a greater right of way when on your bike racing through the countryside putting people at risk of injury I can only assume you could pay a personal injury claim against you as I doubt you have any insurance cover

Oh, Oh. who got out of bed on the wrong side? :28:.

 

[UNG]

Oh, Oh. who got out of bed on the wrong side? :28:.

No I didn't, I'm allowed an opinion and that is it a lot of these cyclists are not out to enjoy the countryside they just want to ride hell for leather through it

 

[telectrix]

No I didn't, I'm allowed an opinion and that is it a lot of these cyclists are not out to enjoy the countryside they just want to ride hell for leather through it

there's always idiots in every sphere.

 

[andyb]

Must say I'm with Ung here, surely it's the bike riders responsibility to avoid the walkers not for the walkers to get out of the way of the bike. Unless it was a dedicated cycle path only which it doesn't sound like it was.

 

[telectrix]

bit of both really. live and let live. worst cyclists i see are the club so called "professional" cyclists... racing bikes, full lycra, head colanders tightly strapped, 50 of the buggers, riding 3 abreast on narrow rural roads. OH, the times you want a gun.

 

[sparksburnout]

spoiling the peace and tranquility of the countryside with little consideration for those



Yes phones, iPods etc can be quite anti social devices but so can bikes ridden without respect and courtesy for others would you drive down the road using your horn to get other road users out of your way so why do you think you have a greater right of way when on your bike racing through the countryside putting people at risk of injury I can only assume you could pay a personal injury claim against you as I doubt you have any insurance cover

Now, UNG, you couldn't be further from the truth. For a kick-off I was trundling along at a very leisurely pace, being on the way to the aforementioned pub and not wanting to turn up dripping with sweat and so on, so no I was not tear-arsing along. I do have insurance cover as well, but as I am not one of the mindless minority cyclists (of which I agree with you, there are some), I have never needed to use it and don't intend to. What makes you think that I believe I have a right of way? If you had read the OP properly you would see I was actually stopped when "Tommy" nearly impaled himself on my front wheel. I bet your one of those motorists that delight in hooting at cyclists for even being on the road!

 

[telectrix]

have to agree that a lot of pedestrians are worse. around 1982, as i was driving past a double decker bus at a bus stop, ( approx. 20mph) a stupid woman getting off the bus let her 3 year old run out from in front of the bus, straight on front of me, about 20ft. i slammed on the brakes and although i stopped, i hit the child just as the car came to a halt. although i had several witnesses on the bus, all said it was her fault, my vehicle was impounded, gone over by a police vehicle inspector, i lost a day's work and wages, the irony was that the mother tried to sue me. on the bright side, although the child was injured and hospitalised for 2 days, he was OK.

 

[sparksburnout]

Must say I'm with Ung here, surely it's the bike riders responsibility to avoid the walkers not for the walkers to get out of the way of the bike. Unless it was a dedicated cycle path only which it doesn't sound like it was.

It is actually, a concessionary multi use path, for cyclists/walkers/horse-riders. I do agree that there are a few guys who are obviously using it to commute who seem to think its the M25, but like Tel says, there are always the selfish few. They do seem to get out of the way of the horses pretty swiftly...........