| |
Pedestrians wander about cycle lanes like zombies
• AS a cyclist, I am sick of the hypocrisy of non-cyclists.
Regarding John Sutherland’s letter ( As a pedestrian, I am sick of arrogant cyclists, October 29,) I would like to point out that in 10 years of cycling in London I have had three accidents involving pedestrians and each of those took place on a cycle lane or in the road.
Every day I travel five miles to work and have to brake for, or otherwise avoid, an average of a dozen pedestrians (and sometimes double that number) who walk into the road without looking or wander around on cycle paths that are clearly marked as such.
Pedestrians are constantly wandering around the roads and cycle lanes like zombies.
Or perhaps they are all wearing horses’ blinkers so that they don’t notice that they’re no longer on a footpath.
The letter from John Sutherland reeks of bigotry .
The statement that the police do nothing is absolutely not true, although they do seem mainly to pick on soft targets such as mothers going very slowly with small children on board.
As for the question of “when has anyone ever see [a cyclist] wait for the light to turn green”, well, he obviously hasn’t seen me cycling around Camden or the many others who do cycle with due consideration.
Murray Abisch
Eyre Street Hill, EC1
Second best
• I’M not sure what sort of one-eyed world John Sutherland inhabits but he really shouldn’t tar everyone with the same brush (Letters October 29).
Not all cyclists act as Mr Sutherland describes.
In the same way, not all car drivers break the speed limit, jump red lights, use their mobile phones while driving or park on the pavements – but some do.
Not all pedestrians step off the pavement into the road without looking, cross at pedestrian lights when they are on red or push cyclists using the towpaths into the canal – but some do. Not all lorry drivers turn left without looking in their mirrors or drive far too fast and dangerously in narrow streets – but some do.
Just to put him straight, cyclists are the most vulnerable road users as they will inevitably come off second best in an collision with a motorised vehicle, so they actually tend to take more care.
Pedestrians are vulnerable for the same reason and, usually, are careful too. I do not condone law breaking by any member of the highway user community. But please Mr Sutherland, get a sense of perspective and look around the real world which most of us inhabit.
John A Hartley
Crestfield Street, WC1
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
| |
