| Roxanne, turn off the red light all you want, as long as you don’t jump it on your bicycle. With a new on-the-spot fining system, the Minister for Transport has made cycling a water-cooler issue like never before. In some cases, it’s felt more dangerous on the roads than ever, as your paranoid self imagines that the driver parked in the bike lane is paused there commenting on an Irish Times think piece about how much they hate people on two wheels. We accept that rules apply for cycling. One of us is a very lawful, careful cyclist. However, sometimes you cross the ‘stop’ line because you don’t feel safe, and the lack of feeling safe because of driver behaviour has been overshadowed by these rules that’ll teach cyclists a lesson. Cars parked in bike lanes, and motorists veering into them in a threatening manner continue to flout the law, and avoid punishment, yet everyone’s got an opinion on how woeful cyclists are. According to comments on this piece, they cause pollution, should pay road tax, and that cyclists should make hand signals when swerving potholes and drains. Cool. Well, now that the Gardaí can fine you for ‘driving a pedal cycle without reasonable consideration’, there’s sure to be a rake of cranky applicants to Templemore in the coming year. Wno’s still impressed by wheelies, Kate or Michael? | 
