Wendy Leighton is correct, (guest column, April 21) that on a rural route, bicycles should not have the right of way.

Recently, I was traveling on Old Greene Road. I could see a bicycle at the top of a long hill with a car behind the bike, ready to pass it. As the car started to pass, the bike was gaining speed alongside the car.

I saw them coming from the distance and realized an accident was in the making, so, I pulled over onto the shoulder and stopped.

The bicyclist was three feet on the pavement and the car was half into the passing lane. When the car’s driver saw me, he stepped on the gas to pass the bicyclist.

When the bicyclist realized the car was passing, he should have slowed to allow the car to pass quickly, or the car should have slowed to pull back behind the bike.

Thank God I saw what was happening. If I hadn’t given them the road, the car would have possibly crowded the bicyclist into the ditch.

The car’s driver probably didn’t expect the bicyclist to keep up with him and you can’t blame him because the road was clear when he started to pass.

I say the bicyclist should not have tried to keep up with the car. He must have seen the situation that was developing, but he didn’t care — he had the right of way.

I agree with Leighton — the law is to blame for creating bad situations.

Normand Boulay Sr., Lewiston

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