The Daily Hazard: Walking a dog through Bridgwater now means listening out for a sudden electric whine followed by a rush of air as modified e-bikes and e-scooters clip past your elbow on paths barely wide enough for two people.
A Close Call This Morning: Flash and I experienced it firsthand today on a narrow stretch, forced to scramble against a brick wall as someone gunned their way full throttle straight down the pavement with zero warning.
This is often where e-scooters come whizzing past. Flash doesn’t look impressed.
Whose Pavements Are They? For elderly residents, parents pushing buggies, and dog walkers, footpaths have become an unregulated overflow lane where pedestrians no longer have the right-of-way.
The Cost of Complacency: Ignoring these "low-level nuisances" feeds a wider culture of town centre decline—if people don't feel safe walking from shop to shop, they simply stop coming into town.
Take Action Now: We can't wait for a serious accident to happen; report every near-miss directly via the Avon and Somerset Police reporting portal so the scale of the problem finally registers on official radar. The question is will the police do anything about it?
This is another pinch point where they ride past on Mount Street on the pavement! Adults as well!
