Amazing that Mr. Gilliam is riding his bicycle on city roads (Western News, July 17, Stealth bicycle riders on the sidewalks).
Main Street, Atkinson, Duncan, Fairview and other thoroughfares are death traps, and sooner or later he will get run over.
Automobiles approach just as stealthily as bikes upon pedestrians, but unfortunately with much more tragic results than a 20-pound bicycle—which is not to say that even a cyclist cannot inflict injury upon a person.
So, where are the poor cyclists to ride then? Quieter side roads, yes, and, sorry—on sidewalks too. Except downtown. Very few people walk elsewhere in Penticton, hence the sidewalks there are mostly empty, and with courtesy both parties can be accommodated.
Rowdies should not be tolerated. Unfortunately, it is still against the law to ride on sidewalks, but what are the alternatives? Until the city provides dedicated cycling lanes, bike riders and pedestrians must somehow co-exist.
Guenter Hoernig
Penticton