Dear Editor: I am a resident who lives on Fader Street. On Saturday, we paid to blockade the street for our block party.
The gathering of the residents from Fader, Kelly and Garrett was a wonderful time with kids' games, a cardboard castle, face painting, street hockey, barbecue, snacks, firefighters and live music by the Great Canadian Rock Band. I had a great time.
The one thing that put a damper on the festivities for me was the cyclists.
At least six pairs of cyclists rode their bicycles through our block party with no consideration to the children, adults and seniors playing, walking, running, sitting, eating and mingling on the street.
What is it about these individuals that they would think that a barricaded roadway does not apply to them. Why do they have to cycle through a crowd of people? Sure, they went slowly, but, come on, they could just as easily have dismounted and walked.
Yes, cycling is green. But let us not forget that cyclists do not pay for the infrastructure they use or the maintenance of the roadways and services they receive with licensing, gas taxes, vehicle inspections or mandatory insurance. I regularly see these miscreants fail to stop at controlled intersections, take up entire lanes of the road and then give me attitude if I point this out. "Share the road" does not seem to apply to some of these cyclists, and certainly none of the cyclists that I have encountered lately.
I have a Class 5 licence, and I understand the issues that face motorcyclists. I share the road. I would never ride my motorcycle through barricade and through a crowded street party. And if I did, I would very likely receive a citation for my stupidity.
David R. Bleakney
New Westminster
