A CYCLIST has warned it is only a matter of time before somebody is seriously injured on a cycle path plauged by an overgrown hedgerow on a blind bend.

Dennis Collins, 61, cycles twice-a-week along Colne Bank Avenue, where there is a dedicated cycle path, towards Colchester North Station.

Despite being familiar with the route, he now fears an overgrown hedgerow on a blind bend at Colne Bank Roundabout is seeing him – and pedestrians – regularly dice with death.

Mr Collins, of Park Avenue, Colchester, says the problem has been exacerbated by the fact that logging the fault with Essex Highways involves using an unwieldy webpage.

Filing a complaint using an emergency number provided by County Hall has proved equally difficult, according to the keen biker.

He said: “I’ve tried to report this with ECC using their website for reporting highway faults, but the website is useless – it’s so, so clunky and difficult to use, but even then I managed to put a report through.

“The website advice is that if it is a matter of safety, which it is, then you have to phone their emergency line – well, good luck with that.

“I tried twice for 20 minutes and nobody answered; this is a significant hazard and they are doing nothing about it.

“It’s on a blind bend, so you’ve got pedestrians who have to step into the cycle lane and risk being hit by a cyclist coming the other way.”

Mr Collins added it may well be more than a year since the hedgerow was last maintained.

“Nearer towards North Station, there’s evidence there has been some fairly regular attempts to cut back the hedgerow and clear the footpath, but on that corner, it’s been a year or more," he said.

The blind bend reportedly almost caused an accident earlier this year, when Mr Collins was cycling at 6.30am, but even with lights, he said it would be impossible for the pedestrian to see him.

“She couldn’t have seen me, because that hedgerow would have totally obscured her view,” he said.

Essex County Council has been contacted for comment.

https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/23828364.colchester-cyclist-says-dangerous-hedgerow-will-cause-injury/

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> A CYCLIST has warned it is only a matter of time before somebody is
> seriously injured on a cycle path plauged by an overgrown hedgerow on a blind bend.

> https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/23828364.colchester-cyclist-says-dangerous-hedgerow-will-cause-injury/

DIY.

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Spike

I agree, I walk to the station about 3 or 4 times a month and am always concerned with this corner as I have to walk out to the cycle side of the path but am unable to see round the corner. They have cleared further up but not on the corner WHY.
Ian Foster

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> I agree, I walk to the station about 3 or 4 times a month and am always
> concerned with this corner as I have to walk out to the cycle side of the
> path but am unable to see round the corner. They have cleared further up
> but not on the corner WHY.
> Ian Foster

Borrow a battery hedge-trimmer. YKIMS.

--
Spike

User ID: 832914
What about the shared path by the yellow storage place near Mile End Rd? Sharp curve on a narrow path with a so called safety Barrier, an accident waiting to happen. The narrow shared path beside the cycleway under the railway bridge? The narrow shared path on Bergholt road where it curves from the Railway Stn? Perhaps pedestrians should spend more time watching where they are walking not staring at their 'phone.

INDEED.

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> User ID: 832914
> What about the shared path by the yellow storage place near Mile End Rd?
> Sharp curve on a narrow path with a so called safety Barrier, an accident
> waiting to happen. The narrow shared path beside the cycleway under the
> railway bridge? The narrow shared path on Bergholt road where it curves
> from the Railway Stn? Perhaps pedestrians should spend more time watching
> where they are walking not staring at their 'phone.
>
> INDEED.

Victim blaming again…

--
Spike

another uninformed nobody 3rd October 10:39 am
User ID: 2046212
Have you seen it? You need more than a pair of hedge trimmers! As you reckon that 'anybody' can do it I assume you'll have it done today then, thanks v much.

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> another uninformed nobody 3rd October 10:39 am
> User ID: 2046212

> Have you seen it? You need more than a pair of hedge trimmers! As you
> reckon that 'anybody' can do it I assume you'll have it done today then, thanks v much.

Excuses, excuses.

The mere hint to a cyclist that they should do something for themselves
sends them, appropriately enough in this case, round the bend.

--
Spike

On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 2:45:36 PM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> another uninformed nobody 3rd October 10:39 am
> User ID: 2046212
> Have you seen it? You need more than a pair of hedge trimmers! As you reckon that 'anybody' can do it I assume you'll have it done today then, thanks v much.

Des lynam 3rd October 7:59 pm
User ID: 4073314
You obviously have no idea just how overgrown that stretch of path is? In addition it is about 500 metres from the nearest parking place and across a dual carriageway from housing. As for a hedge trimmer, well a powerful petrol one might cope in between pedestrians and cyclists.

On 03/10/2023 04:07 pm, Spike wrote:

> Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
>> A CYCLIST has warned it is only a matter of time before somebody is
>> seriously injured on a cycle path plauged by an overgrown hedgerow on a blind bend.
>
>> https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/23828364.colchester-cyclist-says-dangerous-hedgerow-will-cause-injury/
>
> DIY.

I don't know about hedgerows (there's one of those on my property, BTW,
marking the boundary and totally within my curtilage), but there's a
house near here with a *hedge* (not the same thing at all, though I can
quite see that some fairy-cyclists like using longer words they don't
understand) which almost completely blocks the footway.

That must be very inconvenient for those on chav-bikes.

On 03/10/2023 04:32 pm, Simon Mason wrote:

> I agree, I walk to the station about 3 or 4 times a month and am always concerned with this corner as I have to walk out to the cycle side of the path but am unable to see round the corner. They have cleared further up but not on the corner WHY.
> Ian Foster

To keep chav-cyclists like you OFF the footway?

On 04/10/2023 06:05 pm, Simon Mason wrote:

> On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 2:45:36 PM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:

>> another uninformed nobody 3rd October 10:39 am
>> User ID: 2046212
>> Have you seen it? You need more than a pair of hedge trimmers! As you reckon that 'anybody' can do it I assume you'll have it done today then, thanks v much.
>
> Des lynam 3rd October 7:59 pm
> User ID: 4073314
> You obviously have no idea just how overgrown that stretch of path is? In addition it is about 500 metres from the nearest parking place and across a dual carriageway from housing. As for a hedge trimmer, well a powerful petrol one might cope in between pedestrians and cyclists.

You can hire it.

Of course, that won't be free, which may be a problem for skinflint
chav-cyclists like you.

Tom Hawk 3rd October 1:54 pm
User ID: 4375154
This story involves Essex CC. And that’s the real problem. Since they introduced a phone call centre to fob off the public, it is no longer possible to actually talk to anyone who does any work. They seem to think we serve them not the other way round. A plague on the lot of them.

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 2:45:36 PM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
>> another uninformed nobody 3rd October 10:39 am
>> User ID: 2046212
>> Have you seen it? You need more than a pair of hedge trimmers! As you
>> reckon that 'anybody' can do it I assume you'll have it done today then, thanks v much.
>
> Des lynam 3rd October 7:59 pm
> User ID: 4073314
> You obviously have no idea just how overgrown that stretch of path is? In
> addition it is about 500 metres from the nearest parking place and across
> a dual carriageway from housing. As for a hedge trimmer, well a powerful
> petrol one might cope in between pedestrians and cyclists.

Loppers don’t require petrol, neither do saws.

It’s just excuses, excuses, all the way, from cyclists.

Lift a finger to help themselves? Ha!

--
Spike

hedratha 10 hrs ago
User ID: 4304230
Do something about it then instead of whining and whinging like helpless wimps.
Looks like less than a half hour job with secateurs and loppers. If I used that route it would have been done by now.

YEAH RIGHT.

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> hedratha 10 hrs ago
> User ID: 4304230
> Do something about it then instead of whining and whinging like helpless wimps.
> Looks like less than a half hour job with secateurs and loppers. If I
> used that route it would have been done by now.
>
> YEAH RIGHT.

YOU’RE WRONG.

--
Spike

QUOTE: Despite being familiar with the route, he now fears an overgrown hedgerow on a blind bend at Colne Bank Roundabout is seeing him – and pedestrians – regularly dice with death. ENDS

Why doesn't one of the pedestrians cut it back - they're already on foot?

On 05/10/2023 07:21 am, Simon Mason wrote:
> QUOTE: Despite being familiar with the route, he now fears an overgrown hedgerow on a blind bend at Colne Bank Roundabout is seeing him – and pedestrians – regularly dice with death. ENDS
>
> Why doesn't one of the pedestrians cut it back - they're already on foot?

The pedestrians aren't the ones trying to abuse the footway.

That's the chav-cyclists.
>

On Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 7:21:40 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> QUOTE: Despite being familiar with the route, he now fears an overgrown hedgerow on a blind bend at Colne Bank Roundabout is seeing him – and pedestrians – regularly dice with death. ENDS
>
> Why doesn't one of the pedestrians cut it back - they're already on foot?

They could do it with nail scissors.

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 7:21:40 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
>> QUOTE: Despite being familiar with the route, he now fears an overgrown
>> hedgerow on a blind bend at Colne Bank Roundabout is seeing him – and
>> pedestrians – regularly dice with death. ENDS

>> Why doesn't one of the pedestrians cut it back - they're already on foot?

> They could do it with nail scissors.

So could you, but you seem to be all p*ss and wind.

--
Spike

QUOTE: nikkik 3rd October 5:31 pm
User ID: 1941532
Much like the roads in Tendring, where does our council tax money go I ask?? ENDS

Cleaning up after fly-tippers for a start.

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> QUOTE: nikkik 3rd October 5:31 pm
> User ID: 1941532
> Much like the roads in Tendring, where does our council tax money go I ask?? ENDS

> Cleaning up after fly-tippers for a start.

I thought it went on cycling infra, whether the data supports it or not as
being useful or effective.

--
Spike

Ian Foster 3rd October 8:08 am
User ID: 1834404
I agree, I walk to the station about 3 or 4 times a month and am always concerned with this corner as I have to walk out to the cycle side of the path but am unable to see round the corner. They have cleared further up but not on the corner WHY.

Shep Mcdougal 3rd October 7:58 am
User ID: 4783253
Why would you not use a spellcheck before publishing an article? Plauged?
Is it just all a bit of a laugh?

On 06/10/2023 07:09 am, Simon Mason wrote:

> Ian Foster 3rd October 8:08 am
> User ID: 1834404
> I agree, I walk to the station about 3 or 4 times a month and am always concerned with this corner as I have to walk out to the cycle side of the path but am unable to see round the corner. They have cleared further up but not on the corner WHY.

When your sightline is disrupted, do what I do:

STOP...

....then proceed v e r y s l o w l y.

If you can't see what's round the bend, you have no right to go around
it at such a speed that you could not stop in time if presented with an
obstacle.

You know it makes sense.

All chavs on chav-bikes know it.

But you and the rest of them would never admit it.