Every Tuesday a small group of ladies of a certain age, including myself, walk in the mornings. It's great exercise as well as social time.

We walk in various places, sometimes from Owens Place along Matapihi Rd, over the railway bridge, or beside the duck ponds at Papamoa. These places are shared pathways with cyclists.

It concerns me that cyclists don't have bells on their bicycles any more, and those that do don't use them to alert walkers when coming up from behind.

Do cyclists realise that modern cycles travel faster than years ago? It seems that way to me, a person of a certain age, and they are almost silent, giving us pedestrians a fright when waiting until almost upon us to call out?

Please cyclists, spend a few dollars and buy a bell, teach your children to use it. Use it when approaching pedestrians when you first come within hearing distance, we don't mind, really we don't.

I'd rather be hooted at than run over, knocked off my feet, or scared half to death.
I'll even wish you ‘Good Morning or God Speed' as you whizz by.

Noeline Griffiths, Te Puke.