Now I'm scared stiff of cyclists

Of other people on two wheels, now that I am on four.

Perhaps yesterday proves my point – two near misses and three scares.

The first near miss was a lass whizzing out of a twitten at the junction of Kingsham Road/Avenue, just as I was about to turn into said twitten (not whizzing, at best my buggy does all of 6mph).

She did stop in time, she did apologise, but I got a fright.

The second was more unpleasant, on the Bognor roundabout bridge over the A27, on the north slope, I going up in my buggy, a young man cycling down at some speed, just where there is a small bend, and he really was invisible till the last minute, and, honest and true, it was a fairly near thing.

He was not heard to apologise.

Slight scares are when people come up from behind without any warning.

They clearly cannot afford to buy a bicycle bell, and are too polite to interrupt your thoughts by calling out to say they are approaching (the day before one lady did, bless her heart).

The worst of these scares was again yesterday when on the north pavement of Quarry Lane and approaching Whyke Road, two cyclists overtook me on my nearside, one after the other, no warning at all, not a word. They continued around the corner into Whyke Road on the pavement, not appearing to slow down.

This happens frequently on the footpath of the bypass and on the canal towpath, and yes, it is quite scary.

Though not a complete answer, I have promised to instal a rear-view mirror; but is it nonetheless not unreasonable to ask cyclists, who have been heard to voice their own fears about the danger from four-wheeled vehicles, to consider a little,
if they don’t already, and to ‘do as they would be done
by?’

Mrs Marion Somerville

Whyke Road

Chichester