We often get calls in the Ranger's Office from dog walkers complaining about cyclists cycling too fast, where they shouldn't be or not showing any consideration for walkers.
We also get calls, albeit not so often, from cyclists complaining that dog walkers are not showing them any consideration and letting their dogs run around the cyclist or even, on occasions, attack the cyclists.
The Common is for everyone and the Conservators have to balance the very diverse needs of all the Commons users. No one group is favoured and we try to do the best we can for everyone but that does take a little co-operation and understanding from all the groups of people using the Commons.
So, cyclists, please stick to the cycle paths and show consideration for other Commons users.
And dog walkers...you are lucky in that you can walk pretty much where you like on the Common but that means you will cross paths with all the other Commons users and you will have to show a greater degree of consideration to them. A few rules of thumb for dog walkers:
Be aware that other users of the Commons may not appreciate your dog bounding up to them, barking and jumping all over them, especially young children, the elderly and cyclists. If your dog is excitable and exuberant, please keep him/her in your sight and under control at all times. And just because a cyclist may not be where they should be doesn't mean that you can completely ignore them and let your dog bother them.
If your dog is pestering other Commons users, call your dog back to you immediately.
If you drive to the Commons and park in one of the car parks, please try to clear up after your dogs and dispose of the waste in the dog-waste bins around the car park areas. The areas around the car parks are particularly prone to being minefields and don't smell very pleasant in the summer!
If you walk your dogs at the Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields....remember that children play rugby and football here so clear up your dogs' waste and take it home with you.
Don’t let your dog yap/bark for long periods – it really can spoil other people’s enjoyment of the Commons.
Join a dog training class if you have a young, "difficult" or maybe a rescue dog. You will enjoy your dog’s company more if you are confident that it he or she is obedient.
Please help us to keep the Commons a pleasant place for all of those that choose to use it.
6 comments:
My dog is not very good with cyclists, so we always try to walk him in areas where there should be no bikes. I was under the impression that cyclists were only allowed on paths that are specifically labled as cycle tracks, but as the the nights have got longer of late there seem to have been many, many more cyclists hurtling around off-road in the woods below the windmill and around Queen's Mere.
Are they supposed to be there or not? There are no signs saying they should be, but no signs saying they shouldn't be either! If they are allowed in such areas, I will find somewhere else to walk the dog.
Cyclists should only cycle on paths marked as "cycling allowed" but it is impossible for the Keepers to be everywhere at once to stop those cyclists and put them on the right path. Some cyclists do tend to take the view that if it doesn't say "no cycling" then they can cycle there, which isn't the case. As the Common is to be kept as natural as possible, neither do we want to put signs up everywhere to spoil the natural aspect.
If you are seeing the same cyclists in that area a lot, please do call the Ranger's Office and we can arrange for a Keeper to be there to explain the situation to them.
Interesting point about cyclists deviating from the marked paths. What do people expect? Only an idiot would believe that cyclists are going to stay on the marked paths and not explore the many other "non-cycling" paths on the commons. It happened at Wimbledon Common and despite this, it has now been allowed to happen on Putney Common.
Prior to the new cycle path/track being opened there were few cyclists on the common, now there are many more and only a fraction of them stick to the official path. Needless to say there will soon be wide mud tracks crossing the common in Putney as there are in Wimbledon.
I notice the official cycling tracks do not include all of the bridleways.
Surely this is wrong as cyclist have a right to cycle on bridleways !
I would like to come to Wimbledon to cycle round the common as I have heard good things but is it going to be feasable? and how is it for terrain, uphill, flat downhill?
I tend to access the common from Beverly Meads end and I have only found one path that has cycling permitted with priority to pedestrians and or horses. It would be helpful if there were maps available showing the cycle paths, horse rides and pedestrian routes. In 25 years I have seen 2 rangers in this section but from the ruts in the paths it is frequented by numerous cyclists.
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