I am a bit of a stickler for rules to the point …
I think you need to do something about that. Fundamentally you have issues about authority that you need to address before you go riding. The good news is that you’re in the right place, 90% of STW users are experienced philosophers or therapists and will be able to help you with this.
As far as footpaths go:
1. The law is an ass as far as access goes. Current rules are based on weird historical anachronisms and quirks rather than any level of suitability for use.
2. 99.9% of walkers either don’t know or don’t care about the legalities of where you ride. If you’re friendly and considerate, even the 0.1% aren’t that bothered. Walkers are like cattle. If you give them a wide berth and don’t pull on their udders or run over their offspring or otherwise frighten them, they don’t care.
3. Someone needs to draw up a ‘Footpath Code’ for walker encounters – slow down, smile, stop if necessary, say hello, feed them chocolate. Try it, it works. Remember, their idea of what’s fast and close is not the same as yours, which is why they hurl themselves off the edge of a 10m-wide track at the vaguest sign of a bike.
4. It’s ok to ride footpaths at weekends. If we’re not seen to be riding them, walkers will never get used to the idea (see 3 above).
5. The current rights of way legislation is arse, but has one crucial plus point. It prevents magazine and guidebook writers from including your favourite local trails in route guides leading to instant trashing by lots of fat middle-aged blokes from somewhere in the Midlands.
6. Folk who work for British Cycling should, of course, set a good example and stay legal at all times 😉
But first, you need to sort out this thing about being ‘a stickler for rules’… 😐