It could be a cultural thing, in some cultures bicycles are associated with being being too poor to afford a car.

Yes, I spend £3k a year on bike stuff cos I can’t afford to drive.

Wait a moment… with £3k I could buy, tax, insure & run a car for a year!

D’oh!

But there’s absolutely no reason at all to spend 3K a year on running a bike. Nor a car.

I suggest it is probably a cultural thing, most people assume you’ll take a car unless you can’t afford it.

Interestingly I assumed the OPs post was to suggest the risk assessor thought that the people couldn’t afford a car, so had to cycle everywhere, not that she thought it was too dangerous to let your kids cycle on the road.

I think you’re right, but then whenever the whole kids-on-bikes/in trailers-on-roads thing crops up it all gets a bit helmet-debatey.

Quite odd though, you’d of thought the risk assessor would’ve focussed more on the perceived danger side of things rather than just making assumptions about the OPs income. Mind you, if anyone should know about the danger (or lack of) on the roads to cyclists it should be a risk assessor, so maybe she just viewed it the same as any other form of road transport? Bit surprised if it was this, but maybe I’m just being unfair on her…

most people assume you’ll take a car unless you can’t afford it

That confirms my theory that most people are stupid.

(But yes, if I were to be serious for a brief nano-second, it’s a cultural thing).

randomjeremy – Member
At the risk of playing devil’s advocate, why do people ride on the road (with their kids)?

Because we’re allowed to. If cyclists grovel and allow motorised vehicles to think they have primacy on the roads, then cycling might as well die.
I was pleased when my son’s school class were offered the opportunity of an after school bike ride by their bikeability instructor, was funny to pick him up afterwards as he stood in the small gang of kids, camelbak on, like any of us would do just talking and having a laugh after a ride they’d enjoyed.