JamJar wrote to uk.transport.london on Sun, 31 Oct 2004:
Sorry, but someone I loved was knocked off her bicycle and killed - I
hate it that my husband continues to cycle, and I will not do so in
London again.
Someone you loved could equally have been killed just crossing the
road, I've cycled around for a living for the past 2 years and am
conspicuously not dead. It may have hurt, but your attitude doesn't
make sense, she could equally have been killed crossing the road ...
would you never do that again?
A heck of a lot less likely. When you are crossing the road, you make
absolutely sure - at least, I do - that no cars are coming at you from
any direction (the odd bike is occasionally missed!). But on a bicycle,
you can't stop at every side-street to look whether some pillock is
going to pull out into your path without noticing you. At least you
could, but I've never seen a cyclist do so - some of them even fail to
stop when they *don't* have the right of way, never mind when they do.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 31 October 2004