Don't be afraid!

I was - but seriously, falling is not all that bad. Besides, any by-standers that laugh are just proving that they don't know what it takes to get used to having your feet glued to the pedals.

Just get back up! And don't be afraid to try again.

One thing I found that works very well is about 30 feet before I know I'm going to stop, I click my left pedal out and make sure my right leg is (still clipped in) straight (so I can put my weight on it and get gracefully out of the saddle). I'm left footed, so this feels bizarre, but it helps me avoid getting a cat-5 mark. (Horrors!)

Yeah! We are cool!