South Bristol Parking on Pavements

Ever felt your heart rate increasing whilst you have walked along the side streets of South Bristol? If you have perhaps you have been pushing a pram.

Manoeuvring a pram around the back streets of Bedminster and Southville is at best tricky. British Road and those that lead off of it are fine examples of the reason why. The world of the parent can only truly be understood once you have completed your first day pushing a pram. It doesn’t have to be a huge, off roading three-wheeler that would get you up Mount Everest. Just a humble buggy can suddenly become an obese monster.

Little things that B.C (Before Child) didn’t matter when you lived your easy-going, childfree existence suddenly take on great importance. A new sense of militant purpose surfaces from deep within to help you overcome the new awkward situations you now face. There was certainly nothing in the Bounty book to tell you how to deal with parent rage.

Question: You need to turn left at the top of the hill to get to the Doctor’s surgery. You cannot use the left hand pavement because there is a lorry parked over it. You cannot use the crossing because it is out of action. You cannot use the pavement across the road because workmen are digging it up. There is fast on coming traffic in both directions. What do you do?

Does this sound familiar? Or perhaps it is British Road, where there are cars parked along the pavement. The only way along is in the middle of the road. You then turn onto the next street to find the council has put a road sign slap bang in the middle of the pavement.

It is a difficult society we now live in. Heavily built up. More cars. Less room. If cars don’t park on the pavement then there is no room to drive and more seriously no access when needed by emergency vehicles. If they do park on the pavement they then cause a serious bout of parent rage as it leaves pedestrians facing dangerous situations.

Using the streets these days is an intelligence test for everyone. The only way around it is to think of others, the council included, and try to extend the common sense and courtesy we would like to see returned to us.