So another complaint about cyclists in a letter to The Mercury today struck me as particularly bizarre.  Not sure who is lacking common sense in this scenario.  So, read the letter:

The thing is, do you know Bowen Bridge?  Here’s a lovely photo of Bowen Bridge with what is a typical amount of traffic on it:

Bowen Bridge – photo by Wiki_Ian (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Bowen Bridge is a wide, straight bridge with great visibility, four lanes, virtually no traffic, and frequently strong cross winds.  There is absolutely no difficulty with changing lanes to pass a cyclist or two on this bridge, and certainly no danger in doing so!  And conversely, there is not enough room to pass safely without changing lanes: attempting to do this is both stupid and dangerous.  It’s not about proving a point, A. Garvey!

There really is no viable alternative for cyclists crossing the river at this point — the single side path on the bridge is rubbish filled and is difficult to access.

Now, there are plenty of roads that the letter writer could have picked on where riding double-file can be an issue, for instance, East Derwent Highway between this very bridge and Risdon Vale. I really am at a loss to understand why the letter writer picked this example!