Originally Posted by
PatrickGSR94
I condemn cycling on sidewalks or shoulders, or anywhere near the edge or past the edge of the roadway, without knowledge of potential hazards. A person has to take care of him/herself and is responsible for his/her own safety. I cannot just mindlessly ride along and expect everyone else to always see me and yield to me. That's downright naive and silly, and honestly it's a pretty selfish way of thinking.
If you understand the risks of sidewalk and shoulder use, then sure, go ahead. I do it myself sometimes (on seldom occasions). But IMHO it's not fair to automatically blame someone else for not seeing you when you're in a less visible location to begin with.
All I can say is that it fly's in the face of my personal experiences, and what I observe virtually all other cyclists doing, therefore I must conclude such aberrations are addressing internal emotional needs rather than rational safety considerations applicable to most people in most conditions.
As a trained professional, I believe such rabid and uncompromising VC ideologies are dangerous and irresponsible.