Merry_Wanderer wrote:Around Hinckley and parts of Coventry where I cycle to work it can seem very confusing about what is a pavement and what is a cycle path on the pavement. With the lack or in some cases, complete absence of signs and only a blue or white line on the pavement, I wouldn't be surprised if some people can't tell the difference
Funny you should mention Hinckley - I visit there quite regularly (my 'kids' live there), and I've always found the concept of shared-use around that town to be one of the most extreme forms of optimism; they seem to have just slapped white paint down all along the A5 and Coventry Road, or where the path is too narrow to even squeeze in a pushchair they've just left a gap in the paint. All it says is 'cyclists belong on the path', it has to be one of the laziest farcilities I've ever seen.
I recently took a bike down to my son and had to ride to the centre of Hinckley from Nuneaton station; like a good boy I tried to use the facilities, but gave up in the end after I waited for a couple walking a dog through a narrow stretch, then rang my bell to come past as the path widened. They were very nice about it, no problem there, but no sooner had I passed them than without warning I was dumped back onto the road; apparently I was supposed to then cross at the Pelican (could have been a Toucan, can't remember) and continue on the opposite path. It would be funny if it weren't so tragic.
