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Drop Your Pace (copyright Simon MacMichael)Slow down plea after hit and run cyclist kills kitten on London commuter route towpath
A woman whose kitten was killed after being hit by a man cycling along a canal towpath has urged cyclists who use the route to slow down. Katie Jackson's pet cat Don was killed by a cyclist on the towpath of the Hertford Union Canal beside Victoria Park in east London.
Jackson told the London Evening Standard how she heard a loud screeching of brakes which alerted her to the incident. She then saw the cyclist pedal away, looking back over his shoulder, before finding Don in the boat where he died a few minutes later.
On the London Boaters Facebook page, Jackson wrote:
“I know it was an accident but to hit something at such a speed to kill it almost instantly is irresponsible cycling. Imagine if it had been a child that had been on the towpath.
“I know a lot of boaters have issues with cyclists on the towpath but I also know a lot of you are cyclists yourselves so I urge everyone to set the right example: take your time, don't rush, don't hassle anyone to get past and look where you're going. Cycling fast should be reserved for the roads.”
Jackson says she has no desire to track down the cyclist and feels it was "a difficult situation" for him.
Road.cc contributor, T R McGowran, who is a towpath ranger for the Canal and River trust, explained that the section of towpath in question is extremely busy, particularly at commuter times.
“It’s an enticing prospect in that it’s car-free,” he said – pointing out that it is also very convenient for many people, offering a more direct route than by road.
Writing on the London Boaters Facebook page, Pete Gorman said that leisure cyclists were rarely a problem. He believes that those who cycle inconsiderately are more commonly commuters. “Monday to Friday from 6am to 9am and 4pm to 7pm, it’s utter chaos with the idiotic speeders who think it's their personal race track.”
McGowran agrees that those riding at busy times tend to show less etiquette. “People tend to ring their bell, not to let people know that they’re there, but to get them out of their way,” he said.
On its website, The Canal & River Trust points out that pedestrians have priority on towpaths. “If you’re in a hurry, consider using an alternative route for your journey,” is the suggestion.
In 2013, Sustrans told cyclists not to race on shared use paths, asking riders to slow down or even keep off them. The organisation also called for apps like Strava to highlight routes that were inappropriate for fast cycling.
CTC spokesman Roger Geffen agreed, pointing out that walkers can feel as intimated by fast cycling on shared-use paths as cyclists are by fast driving.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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40 comments
OK I will add to the debate It's reported that the cyclist looked over his shoulder then carried on, a lot of you are calling him callous etc etc.
Maybe just maybe he couldn't see where the cat disappeared to and assumed that since it wasn't lying in the middle of the path it might still be ok
OH and also just how fast do felines grow it was a kitten in the headline but a cat in the story
Some good points FATBEGGARONABIKE.
It was "reported" that the cyclist looked over his shoulder; the chances of a non-independent witness and the press both telling the truth are low.
As it's already been said on this thread, squealing brakes are no indication of speed.
Regardless of the above let's all be careful out there.
Would a cat give a shit if it knocked you over?
F**k 'em.
FFS
On the subject of incompetent owners, I witnessed an event today which would demonstrate that. I was walking on my way to the station to catch the train. About 10-15m in front of me this man kept stepping off the pavement into the traffic. He and his friend were approaching a pedestrian crossing and it was clear that he intended to cross the road, though why he could not wait to a) use the crossing, or b) cross the road safely was not apparent, but his signalling to cross was a perfect invitation for his accompanying dog to step out and try to cross the road. Unfortunately for the dog the road was not clear and he got a swipe to the head by a passing car.
I don't know what happened to the dog, it ran off with the owner giving chase. The driver did not stop. Only his accompanying friend hung around, and got into an argument with those pedestrians that chose to remonstrate such careless ownership.
The point is, that people are not quick to take responsibility for things they have hitherto not taken responsibility for, and will likely push it onto others.
This incident demonstrates that the cat owner was immature, incompetent and failed to accept the risks of an unconstrained (feral) Cat.
Only this week a domestic Cat suddenly cut across me downhill and I had to slam on my brakes to barely avoid hitting it; if I hadn't seen it in time, both I and the Cat would probably be injured!
I've had rare painfully accidents (including fractures) because wild and domestic animals crossed my path too close, despite my reasonable attempts to spot, warn and avoid them, so I will only ever care about my injuries or other damage, never about the animal or any incompetent owner!
If anyone is so incompetent as to allow any domestic animal to roam free outside their property, they should be required to pay damages when that animal causes an accident or property damage!
And if a child runs out in front of you? Just asking.
I'm just not sure. Is this excellent parody of motorists talking about unlicensed, uninsured cyclists? Or is this not ironic, meaning you are an utter wanker?
mrmo - its unbeleivable the extent people go to to avoid ownership of something like that, their car would be a right mess. But your right a lot of people just dont care anymore.
Just on a slightly different topic do you know that by law if you hit, say a pheasant, on a country lane you cant stop and put it in your boot for a nice tea but the car behind you can ?
Off the top of my head i cant recall if deer fall into that same category.
Just going by the quotes the cyclist has obviously been aware that they hit the cat by looking over his shoulder.
Sheer decency should have made the cyclist stop and make sure everything was ok and by not doing so shows a lack of care of everything around you.
Cats are generally very fleet of foot, unless your Garfield, and shift as soon as you go anywhere near them so either the cyclist was hammering it or the cat was distracted by something else. Regardless of this i would have still stopped.
People may think its a non story but its articles like this that get peoples backs up. A story of a cyclist getting knocked over on a busy road does not invoke the same responces unfortunately.
Over the years i have come across a number of cats hit by cars, in fact road kill in general, maybe some people stop....i guess most people simply don't care? I doubt you'd be unsure i you hit a fallow deer buck, which i have found as road kill in the middle of a country lane!
and a story of a cat or even a child being killed hy a car wouldn't even make the papers.
Not really the point. What if, instead of a kitten it was a child this cyclist hit and killed? Totally irresponsible.
I don't get your point. You could say 'what if, instead...' about almost anything, it doesn't really constitute an argument. ("What if, instead of posting on a website you blew up a city with a nuclear weapon")
It is true that cats are killed by cars every day, I've seen many of them lying dead in the kerb over the years (made me feel sad in a way that cats dying of old age or disease didn't, for some reason, I suppose because its not 'natural').
I doubt whether motorists stop very often for it - so are you saying all those drivers would also fail to stop for a child?
I'm not saying it wasn't a bad thing to hit the kitten (edit - and to fail to stop), I just don't get what you are trying to say here with that 'what if it were a child' bit - the implication of that is that motorists kill children and fail to stop just as much as they do with cats. Even I don't think they are _that_ bad.
Sorry. What I meant to say or highlight, was as the article showed this cyclist was on a shared path and obviously travelling at quite a pace. If he wasn't able to stop in time to avoid hitting a cat, it would be a fair assumption he wouldn't be able to avoid hitting a child who moved into his path unexpectedly.
And when I said it's not really the point, that was in response to someone comparing it with roadkill.
So to summerise, I think it's pretty damn stupid to speed down a shared path.
In the grande scheme of things this is not an horrendous incident and yet as usual its not long before the thread degenerates into cycling enthusiasts abusing each other on these comments sections.
Do cycling enthusiasts really hate each other? I see a lot of posters trying get one over on another and if theres any kind of law involved all the off duty coppers (or on duty for that matter) and hobby bobbies spout legislation ad-nauseum trying to out-do each other with their legal prowess.
Some of you guys need to lighten up.
What I find worst about the incident is the failure to stop. To leave an animal potentially suffering is unforgivable.
As for the incident itself, well, that should fit into the wider debate on shared behaviour facilities in general.
I have cycled quite a bit in Germany , where mandatory cycle paths alongside the footpath is common practice. Although these facilities are of higher standard than UK cycle paths, they are nowhere near the standard of Dutch facilities.
They are however quite well used by all types of cyclists, including road warriors, who reserve the right to bomb down them at whatever speed their legs can carry them. That's not a judgemental statement, just a highlight in the difference between German and British attitudes to facilities running alongside a footpath (just as a road does). Of course it makes a big difference that German pedestrians are conditioned to the cycle paths and stay out of them (unlike their British visitors).
It would be interesting to hear from any German readers as to what debates and attitudes between cyclists and others are ongoing in Germany.
If we assume that you would expect cars to drive according to the conditions, ie slow down on narrow or windy roads, then why would we not expect cyclists to do the same?
And the dismissive remarks about the cat demonstrate just how hag-ridden some Cyclists (with a capital c) are. It was someone's pet, and whatever you think of their emotional attachment to it, you only have to watch all those TV vet programmes to see that it is real. Think about the owner, if not the cat.
I didn't realise canal paths had cats eyes in them?
FFS its a cat not a mountain lion or a rhino now that would be a great anti cycling story.
Next weeks story "Bird dies after flying into cycle shed"
Least its one less to shit in my garden.
I have contacted strava loads of times about chesterfield canal tow path people keep putting segments up and I keep flaging them. 20mph for a 5 mile stretch with 4 narrow sections and 5 blind bends and a road crossing is just stupid. strava don't want to know
Seriously?
Most people don't enjoy squishing living things. But accidents happen.
It's a cat. Get over it.
Okay, so if had been a puppy, it'd be alright to get upset about?
Just because you apparently don't value cats as a form of life, doesn't mean the rest of us should be so callous.
Prick.
If it were a puppy it'd been kept under closer supervision. TBH I'd expect the same of a kitten - tho' how big was it *really* ? - unfortunately cats seems to be the reserve of 'owners' that want to take little responsibility for their pets outside feeding and their own company, to the detriment of a lot of wildlife.
(note: outside of wildcats - few in number, and of which there are now probably no pure examples)- cats are NOT natural to the uk, and are in effect an imported pest without a predator above them. Outside cars, and seemingly cyclists, that is..
True. Either a cat is your pet, in which case you take responsibility for it digging up your neighbours garden and crapping all over their flower borders and eating the wildlife, or it's just a semi domesticated wild animal and it's not your responsibility. You don't get to shrug and says well that's just what cats do unless I am able to treat it as a pest and take appropriate action. IMO.
Why do you need to be going fast for your brakes to squeal?
And you certainly wouldn't need to be going fast to kill a little kitten if you ran it over.
That said, some people ride like dicks.
Seconded. my brakes squeal if it's cold or wet. Nothing to do with speed; everything to do with toe-in.
This is an aside. I sometimes ride on a shared use path, and I find it difficult to know if I should ring my bell. When I do, walkers often jump out of their skins. When I don't, I sometimes get them criticising me, even though I go slowly and take great care going past them.
I don't know how anyone can know the intention behind the ringing of the bell, as the chap I've quoted seems to. Isn't the sound the same?
A lot of canal boat owners have pets, both cats and dogs. I cannot say that I really feel that the cat owners have the pets best interests at heart as it doesn't really give them a stable habitat in which they can explore.
But I am always wary of pets and indeed humans, jumping off the boats without looking. It doesn't really matter what speed you are doing if they do it at the wrong time.
There is so much traffic on canal at this time of year that I stay away. It's not good for anything but building up frustration. Roll on the rain and winter and it'll return to the human desert it usually is.
It's simple common decency. You stop, you make sure that if the animal is injured that you get it to a vet and if it has owners details then you contact the owner.
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