Campaign To Reclaim Our Pavements Sparks Local Debate

Scooters, cyclists, children and yummy mummies added to list of 'irritants'

Ala Osmond's suggestion for campaign to 'reclaim' the stretch of the High Road between Sainsbury's and M&S for pedestrians has sparked a debate.

Initial comments received agreed for the need to 'reclaim' the pavements although it is who to reclaim them from that has prompted further response.

Comments for include:

"I agree with Ala. I cross over to the police station side of Chiswick High Road now as soon as I can. The alternative is to run the gauntlet of at least three sets of people who obstruct you - ever so nicely but it is still obstruction - if I want to get home to Duke Road. It's too much."

"While we're at it, I'd like to ask parents of children with scooters not to let them ride them on the pavements and especially not to let them ride within shops."

"I, too, actively walk on the opposite side of the road starting from the HSBC bank, opposite Acton Lane, in order to avoid the beggars, charity 'chuggers', the man who asks about my hair and the highly aggressive but 'not very yummy mummies' who allow their kids to dart all over the place and then scream abuse at them and anyone else."

"Can we also get rid of the nutter cyclists who believe that the pavement is just an extension of the road, specially set aside for them?"

"I just wanted to add my support to Ala on his campaign to rid the High Street of the "irritants". I am a regular visitor to the High Street and have now opted to walk on the other side of the road to avoid all of the hawkers. I am sure many of the shops are missing out on impulse trading from consumers because of the constant badgering."

"Can we add rubbish being left out on the High Road?"

"There are many parks in the Chiswick area and a even larger park, Ravenscourt Park, just on the border. The attitude that the world should stop to accommodate illegal cycling on the pavements is preposterous and incredibly selfish. What lessons are you teaching your children? The sidewalk does not 'have enough room to be able to play with their scooters and bikes and run around'. I fondly remember being a child, but also being taught boundaries and respect for other people, and a place and time for play. Perhaps leave the streets for the purpose of shoppers, diners at the pavement cafe’s and unselfishly take some time to take your children to the park where they may run around, skip, cycle without disturbing the elderly, mothers with prams and the shoppers."

Comments against include:

"I think everyone needs to calm down a little and think about what is really at stake here. If you want to send a clear signal that scooters and even the odd bike are not welcome on the High Road then that is your prerogative. Personally, I would think that this would be extremely risky, if not downright aggressive. Why not ban people who walk slowly, who certainly irritate me? Why not ban the elderly people who tut and offer unsolicited advice? Why not ban people from talking too loudly on their mobiles? Or people with unsightly tatoos? Whilst there are things that irritate us all, one of the great things about Chiswick is that we tend to let and let live. And this drives trade. Abandon that at your peril."

"Yeh same old cyclist bashing. There's a million and one cars and lorries thundering down the high road  but no what's really annoying people is  a teenager cycling his bike on the pavement. The very idea. Get some perspective."

"I am a Chiswick mother of three girls aged 6, 4 and 2. We should be proud of the fact that Chiswick is a great place for young children to grow up, a place where they feel safe and a place where they have enough room to be able to play with their scooters and bikes and run around. This is healthy, this is what children are supposed to do and many of the people leaving comments to rid the High Road of our children have obviously forgotten what it is like to be a child and how hard it is for children nowadays to be 'free'. These people need to learn that patience is a virtue. As a responsible mother I have always told them to go slow on the High Road and I refuse to let them ride around the shops on scooters. May I suggest that we rid the area of irresponsible au-pairs and not the children themselves."

"Yes the 'chuggers' are annoying but they are trying to do something good, the hairdressing guy stops me all the time, he too is annoying but it takes less than a second to walk past and politely say 'no thank you'. The gangs hanging around outside M&S at 3.40pm are just teenagers, this is what they do and as far as I know they are waiting for the bus home, whilst grabbing a McDonalds. Everyone needs to relax a bit."

"The children on scooters with their mothers and the teenagers hanging around all spend their money on the high road, Chiswick is no longer an area for those over 50."

If you would like to add your comments about this issue, please email editor@chiswickw4.com

September 18, 2009