OMG The shame of it...

[kwackers]

.... as a cyclist, no helmet, dark/black clothing, no lights, appeared out of the gloom

Oh {FFE - family-friendly edit }, what's 'clothing' got to do with it?!? Lights, yes, road positioning and speed, yes: everything else, no!

No helmet...

To paraphrase DM readers:
"he had no helmet, if he can't be bothered keeping himself safe why should I try".

[mrjemm]

Hehehe,

Made the biannual visit to my parents last week, and as ever it was quite painful at times, especially when the subject of cycling and thus cyclists inevitably came up. Outraged that people would ride without helmets and of course 'they' always ride on pavements... Urgh. I don't think I've seen either of them ride in 40 odd years, so doubt a helmet ever went on their heads, and they never got me to wear one as a kid, but now golden knackers (grandson #1, my nephew) has got a bike... And they live in the bloomin sticks, rarely going into town, so I think all the pavement riding they'll see is village kiddies or vicariously through a certain other daily of certain tendencies.

Family. Gotta love'em...