I am a regular bicycle user. I gently notify others if I am approaching from behind. I ride at a moderate pace, slower than usual given the nature of the trail and fellow users.

I have read many, many complaints in this paper about bicycle users and I would like to present a different perspective.

This is a shared use trail. Please recognize that sharing equals walking on one side and leaving room for others to pass, it equals having your pets under voice control if not on a leash.

Please do not get angry with me if you are startled by my bike if you didn’t hear me call out because your headphones are cranked up too loud.

Please do not get angry with me if your group is blocking the entire path and I call out and attempt to pass and you jump right in front of me because you don’t know your left from your right, causing me to dismount quickly. And sir, don’t proceed to yell at me for passing on the ‘wrong’ side when your butt was blocking the ‘right’ side.

I’m a hiker, a mountain biker and a volunteer trail builder. It always amazes me that those who feel ‘entitled’ to use the shared use trail; and ‘entitled’ to yell and curse at me as I use the same trail; are not among those I see out on volunteer trail building days.

Guess what? I pay my parks levies/taxes too, but I don’t assume a sense of entitlement.

Google the words “shared” and “community” and “relax.”

Meagan Higgins, Kirkland