The perceived sins of cyclists have long been a bone of contention on our Letters Pages.
The latest flurry of correspondence was sparked by Catriona Stewart’s recent column on ebike delivery riders.
On Monday, we saw a defence of the breed.
Yesterday, two of our readers debated how our shared road and pavement spaces can be made safer.
Today, however, a cyclist owns up to breaking the rules – and tells why he does it.
John Jamieson of Ayr writes:
"In response to Stuart Brennan and JB Drummond (Letters, November 7), I feel obliged to own up to my sins: I cycle through red lights and sometimes on the pavement, mea culpa.
"I am one of those demon cyclists who puts my own life ahead of the irritation of motorists and occasionally pedestrians, but in my own defence I hereby plead mitigation.
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"Sometimes I will be at the head of a queue at a crossroads, with all lights at red, and the green man illuminated, which gives me a chance to cross without hindering either pedestrians, if there are none crossing, or frustrating the motorists behind who will always be irritated by my slow start.
"Another occasion is a pedestrian bridge nearby with a sign ordering cyclists to dismount; if there is no one on the bridge do I dismount? Nope. Sometimes too I will be faced with a busy and (in my opinion dangerous) road, do I take to the pavement if it is wide enough and without pedestrians? Yup. Mea culpa, mea culpa, as they used to say.”
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