Sheffield's pavements are being 'taken over' by inconsiderate motorists - letter

While I agree with many points in The Star’s article on Saturday, July 18, regarding the merits of cycling I bring to your attention the plight of the humble pedestrian.

It seems in recent years that the pavements running along our highways and byways of Sheffield are being increasingly ‘taken over’ by inconsiderate motorists, van and lorry drivers who park partly on the roads and partly on pavements.

Indeed, some will park four square on the pavements themselves.

If you dare to challenge some of them, they either say there is nowhere else to park, or you just get a stream of verbal abuse.

Where I live in Millhouses we get a spring and summer contingent of builders plonking their skips, vans and lorries wherever they choose.

It seems just because they are mostly too lazy to park their vehicles more than a few steps away from their work.

Double yellow lines and time restrictions do not seem to apply to them either.

Then, of course, we have some cyclists who again, seem to think pavements are for their use only and woe betide any offending pedestrian getting in their way by having the presumption to actually walk on the pavement, instead of stepping into the gutter when these ‘special’ people go by.

I try to walk every day and in my immediate area I am constantly meeting cyclists running on the pavements – sometimes with young children, who they use as an excuse to pavement cycle themselves.

On three separate occasions in recent times, I have been verbally abused because I seem to have the temerity to walk on the pavement.

Just the other day, a young boy shot past me on his bike no more than three inches to my right.

If I had turned just before he got to me I would be writing this missive from a hospital bed.

You may not agree with what I say and maybe say that we should have more cycle lanes.

However, the reality of it is that there are always a minority of people who will flout the rules of common respect.

All I ask is that pedestrians should be respected, just as the current fashion is to demand that cyclists be respected, both in going about their daily lives without undue hindrance, or being subject to abuse.

Stephen Orgill

Sheffield