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and unscathed long enough to get home again.

To my mind, the common enemy is an overcrowded road system, combined with very little incentive to go by train and, despite the technology, very little effort being put into letting more people work from home.

Throw in the total abrogation of Traffic Police responsibilities, supposedly compensated for by speed cameras and it's not a good picture.

I've never heard of anyone being pulled over for using a hand-held mobile yet.

They're now talking about fining cyclists who don't use a suitable cycle path in preference to the road next to it (Anyway, define "suitable") Just what we want; another law that no-one's going to enforce. Anyway, how do they intend doing this with no-one on patrol? Taking a picture of my license plates won't work that's for sure since I don't have any. Likewise, define "cycle path". In my home London Borough of Hounslow, it seems to be an uneasy co-existence between tree roots and the potholes caused by rotted ones, actual living trees, lighting poles, weekly deposits of trash bags, all put out too early so the glass is now broken across the path, bus stop queues and the piece de resistance, pedestrians with their backs to you.

Fortunately, any rewording of the Highway Code has now been moderated, with input from the CTC. For example, it is necessary to leave a curbside bike lane to position oneself correctly for a right (your left in US) turn, so no-one's going to get fined for coming out of the bike lane.

CALLING A TRUCE

CYCLISTS Not everyone can get out of their car and onto a bike; they might have stuff to carry beyond a saddlebag's worth; hell they might not even be able to balance, so stop treating it like a crusade. Live with it. You're not perfect yourselves. Never enter traffic without looking behind. Never go up the left-hand (or right hand in US) side of a long vehicle that may or may not be signaling. One day it'll kill you. You've got a better view of the road than just about anyone else; use it, it's your only trump card. Please don't play your damned iPod going along. Unless you're prepared to turn your head every 2 seconds, how the hell do you know what's behind you with a rock band going on in your head? Oh yes, and if you haven't already done so, for crying out loud buy some LIGHTS! Even cycling home from school just before 4 pm in winter requires at the very least a tail light.

MOTORISTS Cyclists are just road users who go slower than you most of the time. You'd be even more annoyed

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