yep. a little common sense goes a long way.

the absolutists against sidewalk riding often don't seem capable of nuanced thinking. not all sidewalks are the same. not even close.

would i ride my bike down a downtown chicago sidewalk screaming "ON YOUR LEFT!!!" every other second at the throngs of people walking to and fro? of course not. i'm not an idiot.

but a short stretch of very rarely used sidewalk that goes past a sewage plant tucked away on northside side-street that allows me to get to the trailhead of a MUP? hell yeah i'm gonna ride that.

and the once a month or so that i actually do encountere a pedestrian on that short stretch of sidewalk, i use common sense and slow way down and give a wide berth to the pedestrian.

i don't want to injure a pedestrian with my bike any more than i want to be injured by a motorist. what's the cost of spending a handful of seconds on safety?