So tonight I cycled in to yoga. It was wet, cold, dark. I didn't mind the ride. As fore-mentioned, I quite enjoy it. Tonight something spoiled it - a not uncommon incident.
I confront a busy main road at rush-hour. To my left is a convenient pelican crossing which I use to cross the road safely. Having crossed, my destination lies approx 100 metres ahead located off a side street to the right. I can't cycle on the road now - I'm on the wrong side . However, there is a wide pavement, easily able to accommodate the sparse pedestrian population and a bike. Particularly when a cyclist as careful as I am is using it. So I ride slowly, and mindfully past an oldish lady, dressed head to toe in fur (extraordinary, but that for another day).
"Cyclists should be on the road" she spits at me full of ire. So much so, it takes all I have not to be really rude back. The point is, I know strictly speaking, the law is on her side. However, there are times when it would be so easy for pedestrians and cyclists to share the byways. Particularly when they would generally accommodate a double decker bus.
In many cases now councils have made this legal by the painting of one half of the pavement red denoting a cycle area. I often encounter pedestrians on my side - am I rude to them - no I'm not, I simply cycle round them carefully.
This is worthy of note because I come across the attitude a lot and I don't understand it, particularly yelled out of car windows, as happened just before Christmas. There's a lot of anger directed at cyclists by pedestrians and car users alike.
Most of us are harmless, just wending our way in as green and as non-aggressive a fashion as one can imagine. We really don't deserve it!
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