Leader: Cycle of life is a bit of give-and-take
Newsdesk • Published 22 Jul 2010 20:00
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CYCLING is a commendable pastime, especially when those in the saddle have chosen pedal-power as an alternative to gas guzzling cars (although the unfortunate person who has to sit next to a sweaty, Lycra-clad work colleague might not agree).
Complaints about cyclists are commonplace among motorists and the feeling is undoubtedly mutual. A popular moan among drivers is that cyclists appear to act as if the rules of the road don't apply to them - cutting through red lights, or mounting pavements to bypass traffic jams, being prime examples.
Some even go as far as to question why any sane person would even contemplate trying to navigate their way through traffic hell holes like the IDR or Cemetery Junction on a flimsy frame, two-wheels and nothing more than a lightweight helmet for protection.
Even the bravest of cyclists must also have pondered this, which may be why so many look for alternative routes, away from all the horn-honking road rage, where they can rip off their smog masks safe in the knowledge that they are the big boys and anyone who gets in their way does so at their own peril.
On the surface, this appears to be the case on the towpath between Caversham and Reading bridges, which has become a battleground between cyclists and pedestrians with both sides claiming casualties this week and pointing the finger at each other.
But to lay the blame solely on cyclists, as motorists do every single day, would be wrong. It does not help solve the problem or stop people getting hurt.
Instead people must accept that whether it's a busy road in the town centre or a quiet footpath by the River Thames, there is enough room for everyone to pass safely as long as we afford each other mutual respect and understanding.
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