Sir – We hear a good deal about the sins committed by cyclists but rather less about the small crimes committed against cyclists on a daily basis.
A good example is the habit drivers have of using the meagre spaces allocated specifically to cyclists as handy parking bays. Oakthorpe Road, in Summertown, has a very useful cycle lane in a contra-flow direction leading away from the shops.
On successive Saturdays I have found this blocked by: a mail van; three taxis (at once); a driving instructor’s vehicle; a Land Rover; and a car belonging to a couple who sauntered over to the coffee shop on the other side of the road.
When blocked like this the cyclist is forced out into oncoming traffic, often without being able to see what is coming. Many motorists, incidentally, do not seem to realise that a cycle has no reverse gear.
Margaret Pelling, Oxford
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