I HOPE Patrick Crozier doesn't drive a car or otherwise pollute and clog up York, so mightily he sits on his highhorse of anti-cycling opinion (Letters, February 4).

While there is, of course, a minority of cyclists who cause danger, there are two clear points that need to be made in response to his letter.

Firstly, I would much rather the police were out catching crack dealers and muggers than hassling cyclists.

Secondly, more often than not, car drivers and taxi drivers in particular make it highly dangerous to even venture on to the road on a bike for fear of death.

While I do not condone cycling on the pavement, I can understand both why it is done and why the police rightly do not engage with this so called "peril and nuisance".

Alex Ball,

Fossgate,

York.

Updated: 10:17 Wednesday, February 11, 2004