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April 11

Why do cyclists think they have the exclusive right to roads, lanes and pavements?

The government changed the law about how we drivers have to give cyclists plenty of room when overtaking, but they seem to do exactly what they want. If you’re sitting in your car at a traffic light, they’ll come up either side of you and hang on to your car – that is, if they don’t ignore the light and just keep going.

They will stop anywhere and relieve themselves in plain sight, not thinking that there might be children in the car. They throw their water bottles on the side of the road. None of them respect the rule of no more than two cyclists riding side by side. Even if you walk on the pavement and there is a cycle lane, you are usually abused. In the Marina Alta we are absolutely inundated with them and especially in the Jalón Valley you really can’t move for them, especially on a Saturday when the market is in Jalón and they are all over the place.

The other day I saw a large group completely ignoring a stop sign at one of the roundabouts and almost causing a serious accident and then they continued to ride on both sides of the cars in front of them. It was so dangerous that I actually wound down my window and said don’t they realise how dangerous what they’re doing is, to which the cyclist just turned around, looked at me and shrugged his shoulders in a ‘I don’t really care’ kind of way.

In the smaller villages they go very fast, too fast when there are children and elderly people on the roads, I have seen some very close calls.

It is extremely frustrating that they seem to do exactly what they want and cause so much stress to others who are driving or even just walking along.

I’m sure there are some good cyclists out there, but unfortunately everyone I know seems to tar them all with the same brush.

Name withheld