Respect on the roads

Re: Cyclists flouting rules of the road, July 3. I couldn’t agree more with letter writer Joe Legari. Equally I would go out on a limb and suggest that cyclists who intend to ride on the same roads as motor vehicles undergo rider training and perhaps even licensing to use the roadways. Motor vehicle drivers should equally have driver training on how to safely share the road with non-motorized vehicles.

Recently I was driving on Anderson Road approaching a steep ascent. In my lane ahead of me were three cyclists riding side by side. I gave a polite honk to alert the riders of my approach, which I assumed would see the trio fall into single file to allow faster traffic to pass. They did nothing. I repeated my horn, did so twice and still, they did not budge. I was at the base of the ascent, could not climb and had to pass them on a solid line on a blind hill to get around them, risking my safety as well as my passengers. What did the cyclists do? Gave me the finger and told me off!

Tell us just how do I explain rider safety to my two young children in the back seat? Respect is a two-way street. Erin Sheehan-Powell, Ottawa