Question for Rural dwellers.

Woolsery

Thumbs_Up said:

Another question if I may – if you have no safe footpaths like what the ramblers might use,  would you go out for a walk along grass verge with cars whizzing by, would you ride a push bike?

To go back to this question, yes, I sometimes walk along the B class road I live on and so do many others. People ride horses along it to reach bridleways as well. There are no verges along most of it and the hedgrows widen out considerably at this time of year, making the carriageway narrower.

While many drivers here go fast, I've no knowledge of any pedestrian or equine accidents locally and most road users slow down quickly and give plenty of clearance. Modern cars can stop a lot quicker than their 50 years ago counterparts and the increased traffic means most drivers expect to meet hazards on a fairly frequent basis. The time I'm most likely to witness out and out bad driving is a fairly brief period when the school run happens. Hell hath no fury like a late and inconvenienced parent in a Clio!

I don't have a push bike now, but when I did I'd ride the 12 miles on the main A road to school if I missed the bus. I suppose that's roughly equivalent to riding a B class road today. The main problem then was bribing someone to ride it back again for me at the end of school!  I seem to remember two shillings was the going rate; nearly a whole week's pocket money, but the school was near sea level and my town 450' above it.