BELLS ON BIKES

Here is my letter to which I have not had a reply:

Dear Mr Rutley M.P.,

Today I had a close shave in the Weston Estate park when I narrowly escaped serious injury in a collision with a cyclist. There was absolutely no warning and I can only put it down to intuition that caused me to turn in time. In turning I lost balance and fell to the ground. The cyclist, a youth perhaps in late teens shouted out an abusive comment and rode on. Luckily I fell on the grass verge of the football pitch. It took me a while to scrabble about putting my groceries back into my shopping bag and even longer to get upright. At eighty years of age it is not so easy to get up from a prone position without assistance which in this case there was none.

I recall when I was a young boy cycling home from school along the pavement and I was stopped by a policeman. Apparently I was guilty of a number of crimes: in not having a serviceable bell on my handlebars, a front lamp that wasn't working, no chain guard and seemingly most criminal of all - of riding on the pavement. After having had my name and address taken I was cautioned and let go on condition that I address the offences forthwith.

I now wonder why bells have disappeared from bicycles and why cycling is permitted in public parks. Another worrying factor is that I could well have received a much more serious upset such as a broken hip or even been the victim of a stroke.

I am writing to you to ask firstly, if you can do something about the hazards presented to the elderly by cyclists and latterly bring up the subject of a bicycle proficiency, appropriate insurance and a number plate for identification in the case of an accident such as I have described.

I do appreciate that in the light of ever expanding queues at food banks and the latest terrorist activities my complaint might appear as very trivial indeed but nothing is trivial to the OAP lying in hospital with pneumonia following hip surgery. Perhaps if you have no interest in this matter you would be kind enough to tell me to whom I should be writing.

I look forward to your reply

William J Watters
27 Somerton Road
Macclesfield SK11 8SG