We at PEDALS, who strive to provide facilities for cyclists – with great difficulty, given the culture in Lincolnshire that usually favours the motor car user – do not condone any illegal or inconsiderate cycling. However, the headline provided by The Voice is more helpful than the sentence at the start of the antepenultimate paragraph of Mr Bingham’s letter. Indeed, ‘unruly’ cyclists are a menace, but so are unruly motorists.
The implication of Mr Bingham’s letter is that all cyclists should be ‘tarred with the same brush’; however, not all cyclists misbehave on the road, and some are particularly considerate. And I would not describe all motorists as perfect.
It is just after 11.15am as I write, but I have seen four motorists already today passing traffic lights at red; the difference is that we would see that as the action of four individual motorists and not the entire motoring community.
Cycling and motoring would be safer and more pleasant if everyone could be patient and considerate, and I would encourage everyone to express thanks to other road users who are helpful.
Let us try to be positive – giving a bad road user ‘a mouthful’ may make us feel better, but has it ever produced a positive result on the recipient?
Chairman, PEDALS
