WHILE I don't pretend to understand quite what David Reynolds means when he states that he was nearly "cleaned up" by two cyclists last week (Letters, May 3), I assume York's two wheeled travellers have not started brushing food crumbs off passing city visitors.

What is clear is Mr Reynold's almost farcical lack of a grip on reality.

Passing over the fact that my brushes with death, thanks to pathologically aggressive taxi drivers, pedestrians who do not look and drivers who stop in the green cyclists' area at traffic lights, are running at many times more than two a day, his argument is laughable.

No, Mr Reynolds, cyclists don't pay road fund licence.

That is because they don't pollute the atmosphere and are saving the NHS millions by keeping themselves fit and healthy and, in general, don't deliberately endanger other road users.

Prove to me that you do all of the above, Mr Reynolds, and I'll pay your "road tax" myself.

Alex Ball,

Fossgate,

York.

Updated: 10:11 Thursday, May 06, 2004