CiaraSep 14, 2025
This pedestrian crossing is on a hill. I’ve noticed that everyone who uses it does the same thing. Car coming? We step into the road so the driver must stop. Bike coming? We step back from the kerb, showing the cyclist that we’ll wait until they’ve passed. Like an instinctive social contract. Cars block public space, bikes share it. Cyclists are either whizzing down or puffing up that hill so it’s a tiny courtesy to let them pass. Often with a mutual smile or wave. Urban in-this-togetherness.
Show threadSerge DrozSep 14, 2025
@CiaraNi maybe we step back, because we know the bicycles won't stop i don't have a car and ride my bike every day, bit cyclists often are way ruder than cars
Show threadCiara
@sergedroz The city seems to make a difference, depending on the actual infrastructure and urban design. I don't know where you are. In our city, I see many cyclists and pedestrians waving each other through in shared spaces, no matter who has the official right of way. This seems to tie in with the development of shared-space streets where cars are '15 km guests' and street surfaces slow bikes down around pedestrians. Once cars don't dominate, people mostly work it out. (Yes #NotAllCyclists)
Sep 14, 2025 at 9:43amWeb
Show threadSerge DrozSep 14, 2025

@CiaraNi I'm in Switzerland. Don't get me wrong: I think there is little justification for personal cars in cities, and it's horrible what we sacrifice for cars in terms of space, pollution, noise etc. But I do have the feeling that a lot of cyclists have a similar mindset to car drivers that feel public space is their space. But public space is just that: Public, for every one.

I'm in Zurich, BTW

Show threadCiaraSep 14, 2025
@sergedroz One of the problems with cars, though, is that a person in a car demands personal use of more public space than everyone else. It's not equal public space, 'public, for every one'. One person in a car on a shared street takes up many square metres of public space. They force 10, 20, 30 pedestrians and cyclists in the surrounding space to get out of the way, to squeeze off to the side, to stop and let the car pass, just because of car size and might. It's not equal use of public space.
Show threadSerge DrozSep 14, 2025
@CiaraNi agreed