March 24, 2014

Dear Sir,

“Fed up of Paget” seems to me to be one of those people that are never happy and always miserable. I’m certainly glad he is not my uncle. Of course it is natural to hold out a hand when letting someone across your lane and into traffic going the other way. This is not done because other motorists are reckless, but because the manoeuvre itself is dangerous. Generous and charming? Yes, but definitely dangerous. Bermuda is the only country where motorists routinely do this.

But the letter writer wants the book thrown at motorcyclists mostly because they seem incompatible with cars. Well, once you factor in the number of young males, inebriates and tourists, I’d wager that motorcyclists tend to be more careful than car drivers. I certainly am, and I’ve driven both in several different countries. Car drivers tend to be less alert as they chat with their passengers, twiddle with the stereo or apply lipstick while driving. Gaps in traffic are always caused by car drivers as are 100 percent of the traffic jams. Not only that, but a motorcyclist has a far higher chance of dying from a collision with a car than with another motorcyclist. You can certainly make a better case for banning cars than motorcycles, and we’d have the added bonus of reduced wear and tear on our roads, reduced oil imports and a cleaner environment. So let’s just lighten up and stop demonising other people.

HAPPY MOTORCYCLIST FROM PAGET