Sir, – Your recent letter writers bemoaning the travails of having to step off pavements onto cycle lanes or avoiding oncoming groups on footpaths, while deserving of some sympathy, brought out a feeling of jealousy in me (Letters, February 12th).
Oh, to have the luxury of a footpath. Those of us in many rural areas must run (or walk) the gauntlet of pavement-less roads where large trucks speed by at 80km/h with inches to spare. Being restricted to five kilometres from home we have no alternative but to don the hi-vis jacket and take to our narrow roads with a vain hope that lorry drivers will extend a modicum of respect for our vulnerable position by slowing and giving us some space.
Perhaps transport companies might advise their drivers, when using narrow rural roads as shortcuts, to give some consideration to the nature of the road and the fact that many must now use these roads for our daily exercise. – Yours, etc,
PAT MULLEN,
Kilkerley,
Co Louth.