What is it about cyclists’ mentality that makes them consider themselves, not only above the law but, so ignorantly righteous when causing havoc to other road & pavement users?
As I recently succumbed to foot damage and am temporarily reliant on crutches, I have spent time utilising my free bus pass and walking the streets of Oxford in between stops.
I hadn't realised just how vast the problem had become.
Law-breaking cyclists are no longer a small minority. They have little or no respect for pedestrians – even for those of visibly restricted capacity like me.
At least most motorists are kind enough to stop & let me cross the road. Most cyclists don’t – even at zebra crossings.
Cyclists pass on the pavement at excessive speed and when this is from the rear, the risk of an accident, should I move across the pavement, is high.
When I stopped a Japanese couple in Old Marston and asked why they were cycling on the pavement, they thought it was a shared environment, as they had seen so many local cyclists do this.
At least they were apologetic and careful, unlike our homegrown, frequently foul-mouthed ignorant variety.
On a short stretch of 5ft-wide pavement adjacent to the BMW Mini plant in Cowley I was told by a speeding cyclist that “'it’s for cyclists too'”.
The fact that I need a little extra width for my crutches had passed him by – as he passed me by.
Mick Heavey Oxford Road Old Marston Oxford
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