Zelda looks lonely

[venta]

Today's question: Would you, as a pedestrian, expect a cyclist to stop at a zebra crossing?

(Yes, I know a cyclist on a road should behave like traffic and is therefore legally obliged to stop for a zebra[*]. I'm asking about what you expect, in the real world, to actually happen. And what your reaction would be if they were to stop.)

My experiences of the only zebra I interact with on my work commute with have been quite strange. The crossing is on a reasonably quiet road mostly, though not exclusively, used by buses, vans, small lorries and bikes. It happens reasonably regularly that someone approaches the crossing and I am the only item of traffic. Being well-behaved, I stop.

The crosser often looks confused or surprised. Which is fair enough, as I imagine that bikes don't always stop.

The crosser frequently steps back from the crossing, and tries to wave me across in front of them. This seems plain weird to me. It often leads to a lot of dithering as we try to decide who's going to go first.

Very occasionally, the crosser shouts vague abuse at me as they cross (along the "Why on earth are you stopping?", "What did you do that for?" lines). They do seem genuinely put out rather than pleased. This is also quite weird.

This morning, I stopped at the crossing so that someone could ride their bike over it and along the pavement. I then continued on my way and turned right to join him on the Oracle Riverside cyclepath. Ah, well.

[*] Checking this morning, I was briefly very confused by the following line in the Highway Code:

Do not ride across a pelican, puffin or zebra crossing. Dismount and wheel your cycle across.

I guess they mean that I must not ride across a zebra in a direction orthogonal to the stripes :)

Comments

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

I damn well do expect them to stop and occasionally risk life and limb stepping out in front of them!

I do sometimes wave to exceptionally considerate cyclists, bikers or drivers.

Some pedestrians are clearly astonished to see a motorcycle stop too :)

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Yep. Nearly got flattened by some grim-faced cow in Bristol, therefore.

In the recent past, I've pulled up at a zebra crossing, to the surprise of the foot-pilot and gone "No, after you..." which makes a pleasant change from going "Oh for fuck's sake..." when another pushbiker has done something life-threatening and agin the Highway Code.

Useless bastards. Still, I guess no more useless than the idiot bloody scooterists and f-ing taxi drivers.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

If farm animals will go on bicycles, one ought to give them a little bit of leeway about the rules, considering ungulates can't read. Under such circumstances any animal would look a bit grim.

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. It was driving a tandem, which gave me pause.

[octalbunny.livejournal.com]

I often step back from a crossing, because I'm wandering around in two minds about where to go next, and didn't make the decision until approaching the crossing. I always step back far enough that there's no dithering though.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

Yes, absolutely, and I tend to shout at cyclists who don't stop.

(Oh, and Zebra, by the Magnetic Fields. Points please!)

[venta.livejournal.com]

I don't give out points, but you may have a shiny new kudo to add to your pile.

[zenithed.livejournal.com]

If it was just a single pedestrian and a single cyclist then I'd expect the cyclist to go around them. I stop myself, and yes, it often confuses people.

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

I might be more likely to swerve round someone than I would in my car, but yes I'd stop to allow a pedestrian to cross

[lnr]

I as a cyclist would expect to stop for pedestrians at a zebra crossing.

As a pedestrian I would expect cyclists to stop in that they *ought* to, but not actually expect them all to do so in practice, because bad cycling is everywhere, and this is one of the things that many cyclists seem to find it acceptable to ignore.

Edit: Having read further I *don't* always stop to allow other cyclists to abuse the crossing, though perhaps it would be polite of me to do so. I am generally too cross at them. Mostly pedestrians seem pleased that I've stopped, occasionally surprised, but I've never had the rude reactions you do, and only rarely the polite "no you first" thing.

I always feel mildly uncomfortable when people thank me for stopping though, as I don't feel you need to be thanked for following the rules!

[venta.livejournal.com]

I don't feel you need to be thanked for following the rules!

I kind of agree in theory, but in practice I often wave my thanks to Reading buses, who seem to be very good at according cyclists their space/right of way/etc on the roads.

[ghoti.livejournal.com]

I was quite surprised on moving to Cambridge to discover that road users stopped for pedestrians at zebra crossings. Outside Cambridge, I don't expect anyone to stop, inside I try to assess individuals. I don't have different expectatiobs of cyclists or car drivers, I think motorbikers usually stop.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised. I do, in general, expect motorists to stop for people waiting at zebras (there are always a few wankers, of course, but in general in the UK I expect the drift to be people stopping).

[mrlloyd.livejournal.com]

In the UK I'd expect them to stop, or if it's quiet slow down and negotiate around in front of or behind the pedestrian.

In Holland I'd expect them to do whatever the hell they felt like because they own the roads...

[satyrica.livejournal.com]

i do find it incredibly irritating, as a cyclist or pedestrian, when you stop in observance of the rules and people try to wave you in front of them rather than just get on with it and get out of the way

[venta.livejournal.com]

What actually bugs me is cars who will stop on a main road, and wave me out of a sideroad - invariably when I'm turning right, and invariably when there is a steady stream of traffic on the other side of the road. I mean, it's nice of them and all but haven't they noticed that there's not a corresponding gap on the other side for me to turn into?

Some drivers get very insistent and wave repeatedly when I elect not to plough into the oncoming cars...

[exspelunca.livejournal.com]

Problem doesn't arise in Darlo where every crossing is light controlled. If the lights are red, cyclists just mount the pavement, if they're not already on it, and ride behind those stepping on to the crossing. Cars just go through the red lights and none of them acknowledges that amber means STOP.

[cardinalsin.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I think one can guage one's expectations by one's behaviour:

- car or bike coming, but will definitely see me if I step out and have time to stop: I step out, possibly eyeballing the said road user

- car or bike coming, but very close to the crossing, may well not have time to stop even if they see me: I wait

- car or bike coming, close to the crossing, could probably stop provided they're paying attention and preparing to stop if needed (i.e. indicating they intend to stop): I'd be nervous of stepping out and wait to see if they stop first

Note, it makes no difference here whether we're talking cyclist or driver, I don't really trust them to be paying full attention to the road.

I cycle to the station every day (2.5 miles) and stop at zebra crossings where appropriate. I do occasionally get a surprised reaction, but only mildly so, and it's more of a "thankyou" type reaction than a "WTF" type reaction.

I have never stopped at a crossing for another cyclist but I do tend to treat other cyclists with particular care when on my bike - they're all crazy law-breakers, you know.

[battyblingtrash.livejournal.com]

I expect cyclists to , but they dont.

Many cyclists and motorbike riders just seem to follow their own code :/

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

I would like them to stop. Whether they do or not seems to vary depending on how close to London I am. Then again, that's also true of red traffic lights.

(That said, I will sometimes wave a cyclist past if they're really hammering it, so they don't do the tarmac headstand.)

Then again, I would also like motorists to stop when I'm on a zebra crossing as well ... and equally, results may vary. I remember when a straight crossing, whether or not there was a little kerb bit with bollards in the middle, counted as a single crossing. These days it sometimes seems that, if you're not directly in front of the bumper, you don't count as being on the crossing ...

[thefon.livejournal.com]

Given my level of fitness, I welcome the chance to stop at a zebra crossing.

I would like, but don't expect, cyclists to stop for me. I've had some very close calls when they haven't stopped, especially on the new "cycle superhighways" where they could be coming from either direction.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Ahaaa. You were on the hunt for effectual bento boxes, right? My mate Sam is doing bento as well and hers looks all sealable and stuff: http://lavendersparkle.livejournal.com/178448.html?mode=reply&style=mine#add_comment

[venta.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thank you for thinking of me... that does look like a funky box, but sadly doesn't meet my other requirement (possibly not very explicitly stated) of being narrow so it will fit in my bag without having to be tipped sideways.

I bought one from a real shop today, which isn't really an optimal box but was reasonably inexpensive, so I'll see how that one goes.

I might nose over and peer at lavendersparkle's continuing bento efforts if you think she won't mind.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

I can't see her objecting to somebody else interested in neatly presented food!

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

That line excerpted from the Highway Code also works if you remove the word 'crossing'.

In Ips we have a load of toucan crossings, and I think these have led cyclists (including me sometimes) to treat pelicans as the same.

But in answer to your main question, Not usually, but if not I will happily step out in front of them, make them swerve, and shout at them. I am turning grumpier and grumpier.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Er... I'm not convinced that dismounting and wheeling one's cycle across a zebra is really recommended (or a pelican - they're quite big!)

My work commute is along a wide shared use pavement/cycle path beside the A33. Most of the crossings are toucans, but some are pelicans. I must admit I ride across the pelicans too, because it makes absolutely no sense otherwise.

If I ever meet a pedestrian on such a crossing, I promise to dismount!