CYCLING into Bolton last Thursday, I watched a novice cyclist, (ruck-sack on her back and shopping-basket bike), ahead of me, nervously descend through Breightmet.

As she approached the red lights with half-a-dozen cars blocking two lanes — one to Bolton and one for traffic turning right, up Crompton Way — she mounted the pavement, and without stopping, made a right turn across the front of the stationary traffic, (without looking), and up Crompton Way.

Not so much that it was dangerous, but that every driver seeing the manoeuvre would have the excuse to say cyclists jump red lights.

It's a comment I've been subjected to, and read and heard, (on radio), a thousand times, and has fuelled such editorials/articles as: "The only good cyclist is a dead one", and “A festive custom we could do worse than foster would be stringing piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists."

Thinking that the novice might benefit with a bit of advice from an experienced cyclist, I followed her up Crompton Way, where she made a left turn, and then another dangerous move — she cut across a give-way junction, from kerb to kerb, without looking, and was totally unaware of my presence on her right shoulder.

She had ear phones in. She was startled when she realised I was there. Had I been an impatient driver — who knows?

I asked her name — Marta. She was Polish and a student at Holy Cross in Bury. I was shocked.

"You've cycled all the way from Holy Cross?" I asked.

This is how millions of students and poor people must travel around the world — they can't afford a car or bus fare, or public transport doesn't serve their purpose, or simply takes forever.

Calmly and politely, I basically told her I'd been a cyclist for more than 60 years and had some terrible experiences, and I feared for her life.

No amount of cycle training can make children and students aware of the dangers on the road.

Our innocent young student did what she did, (maybe every day), because she is frightened of negotiating the junction, as one is supposed to.

How is a cyclist supposed to negotiate busy junctions with an advanced box, (usually with an impatient/no thought for cyclists, type driver occupying it), when there are no cycle lanes that lead you safely to it?

Allan Ramsay

Radcliffe Moor Road

Radcliffe