>>>>In the village where my perents live, there was the time when newly appointed Police chief decided to stop people from driving bicycles on the sidewalks. (Since there is no separate track for bicycles everybody was driving them on sidewalks for years)
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>>>OK, neighbor, we need to clarify one thing for the benefit of our American readers. The sidewalks.
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>>In the UK, the sidewalk is called the pavement (which you call the part where the cars go) - could be confusing if you came here and a copper, say, told you to walk on the pavement.
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>>>The distances are much smaller than here - and walking often makes a lot of sense, so much that often you don't even think about any other means of transportation. Now if you're out to buy something, or maybe go a few places, then the bicycle is the next choice - specially with a tote hanging on the handlebar... and in it, of course, a loaf of still warm bread that you pinch on the way home :).
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>>I live about a mile from the city centre, there's a bus stop 50 yds from my door, but I prefer to walk it. Many many people walk in the UK. I read somewhere recently that of the only two groups of people you can see walking in a certain US city, one is the Brits.
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>Terry;
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>Lots of people walk in my home town - San Francisco. That is because we have something worth walking to. Can't say that for many cities though. If you want to get your heart, lungs and legs in great shape just try any of our 32 hills on for size! :)
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>Tom

Yes, Brighton is built on hills too. I live up one with a comms mast at the top (climbed it with my kids just this w/e). In fact my house is 3 storeys high at the front, but 4 at the back - such is the slope, with the basement embedded into the chalk. I remember the opening credits and film of "The Streets of San Francisco"; there was always this cop using the grab handle at the back of a street car to help drag him up hill :-)