Sir — I am sorry if Richard Wilson (Letters, August 7) feels tormented by the less civilised of my motorcycling brothers and sisters.
He describes the behaviour of Oxford cyclists, but not, in my opinion, motorcyclists. I had to pass a second test including theory to be able to ride, and the message that is hammered into learner motorcyclists is that everyone is out to get you and probably hasn’t noticed you anyway.
The behaviour he describes is unacceptable, but is hardly unique to motorcyclists, most of whom are well aware of their vulnerability.
I sympathise too with noise concerns, but again, this is not uniquely a motorcycle problem. I have two neighbours who are four-wheeled noise-polluters, one with a sports exhaust and one with a sound system that must be causing him brain damage. The handful of local bikers and scooterists are completely inoffensive.
Sorry, but I have not gone electric. Firstly, I would be embarrassed to feel that someone miles away was having to put up with pollution caused by me. Secondly, electric vehicles and particularly motorbikes are still experimental. There is simply no equivalent available of what I ride/drive, and even if there were, the carbon sums still do not justify the change, and nor do the financial ones.
And Harpies are female...
Philip Cresswell, Oxford
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