Peril on the pavements from inconsiderate oafs

iT was interesting to see the comment of the chief executive of Get Cycling, Jim McGurn (Yorkshire Post, October 24), who tells your readers that “it is very rare to see a cyclist on a pavement”.

Here in Doncaster it is rare to see a cyclist using the roads – there are dozens of selfish and dangerous oafs on wheels who believe they have precedence over pedestrians and a right to ride wherever and whenever they wish. They show no concern for anyone on foot emerging from garden gates or shop doorways and totally ignore one-way systems. I live on a street where road traffic is supposed to flow in a single direction and it has a particularly nasty blind turn in it.

How one of the many cyclists going “against the flow” has so far escaped serious injury on that bend is nothing short of a miracle. Only a few days ago a cyclist on the pavement rang his bell as he tried to overtake me and a companion – we were supposed to jump out of the way.

These inconsiderate, anti-social pedalling pests can be male or female and of any age – one smartly-dressed middle-aged lady who I see nearly every day on her bike clearly believes that the pavements are her rightful domain.

I support entirely any cyclist who wants to pedal along to get to work, for pleasure or for exercise, but they have to do it on the road or in designated lanes.

Fines for riding on pavements should be quadrupled, cyclists should pay yearly for insurance against accidents, and should be compelled, when the time of day is appropriate, to have lights front and rear.

And don’t get me going about cyclists completely ignoring traffic lights!