Dear Editor:

I’m writing to thank the motorists of the Boothbay Region, from near and away, for their courtesy and patience in looking out for bicyclists like me on the narrow and clogged roads of the peninsula.

I’m relatively new to Southport and on July 4th, I resumed cycling for the first time in four years. I had never cycled in this area before and the roads of the region are not well-suited for cyclists. They are narrow and winding and have little or no shoulders and, of course, at this time of year, are filled with vehicles of all kinds and sizes, sometimes moving at speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour.

In the nearly four weeks since I resumed cycling, I have encountered nothing but patience and courtesy from all of the motorists with whom I have shared the road. I realize it must not be easy for motorists following a 74-year-old like me doing his best to climb what, to a motorized vehicle, seems a modest hill, but there you are, driving slowly behind me, waiting for a safe opportunity to pass, and giving me plenty of space when you do. I want you to know that I am grateful for the care you take with me and, I’m sure, the other cyclists you encounter.

Larry Dean

Southport