Miao...

The cat chilling in front of the fire. Actually, that doesn't sound right does it. Chilling in front of the fire. Not much happened today - enjoyed the ride into work, worked, enjoyed the ride home from work, made dinner, enjoyed eating dinner. That's three enjoys for the day. Which 'aint bad going.

Oh, also broke one of my golden rules and got drawn into commenting on the Evening News website on a cycling story. I always manage to scare away the most rabid posters using a variety of techniques. Although I find logic and reasoning and intelligence work quite well. That, and as soon as you request someone removes the anonymity of a computer screen to say hello in person (I've offered so many times to meet someone at a cyclist blackspot in order to compare the misdemeanours of all road traffic.

I lay out my credentials. The cycling website; a picture of me to remove my own anonymity; some examples of writing in the 'real' media. Today one road which every Sunday saw 'hundreds' of cyclists stringing out across the road blocking traffic dropped to dozens dropped to around 30 when challenged. '100s', you see, if we're being pedantic about language, means a minimum of 200.

And then there was the usual road tax argument (which is one of the easiest to counter, but one of the most difficult to kill off). In truth it's fun watching the most vitriolic drop off one by one as you add your comments. It's been a while since I blitzed a comments section like that, and it was good to know I can still do it.

AND I can always get at least one talking rationally, which happened again today, and finally I have someone who wants to meet up, to show me an underpass where (I assume) cycling is prohibited, but cyclists use it as a rat run.

I'm prepared, of course. While it may be wrong in principle there is a quirk to the Scottish laws on pavement cycling whereby a 'footpath' is defined as being a path for pedestrians adjoining a road. In theory any paths not alongside a road are cyclable. Which is why this was a news story a year or so back with regard to the Meadows, and the 'No Cycling' painted on the pavements which might not (without a specific bylaw) be enforceable.

Not that it'll get me riding there. To be honest i feel more comfortable and in control of my own destiny mixing with the traffic than on the pavement with pedestrians their children and their dogs.

This was the story...