Most of you put on a lot of miles servicing routes, commuting, going to the cottage. Unless as a technician you are lucky enough to have one huge building and an elevator as your vehicle.
And each of you driving probably have a daily occurrence where you give a bike rider the one-finger salute.
You hate it when you pass that sucker, I mean bike, the first time. Squeezing into the next lane to go around him while the driver next to you is on their phone and not paying attention. And it’s always a him biker that’s a trouble maker. Never a her.
Sure enough when you get to a light 3 cars back, doesn’t that bipedal bully pass everyone on the right hand side again to go to the front of the line.
And it starts all over. You pass him, avoid a wreck, he passes you. Just like a James Bond chase scene in Bombay. But slower.
Or making a right turn and a bike courier zooms up the right side of your truck….its either slamming the brakes or slamming bodies. There’s not enough room to have bikes and cars sharing the same turf. That’s the easy answer. Choose! What would we do if there were horses and wagons pulling beer carts!!!! Besides follow them I mean.
The accident rate in TO for bikes and pedestrians is way too high for any major city. Daily. It’s an unsafe city, don’t let the politicians tell you otherwise.
And think about it, you can’t pit a 200 pound bike rider at 20kmh versus 2500 pounds of steel. There’s always going to be the same loser. Who’s fault? My opinion: City Planners. Lack of foresight! Who thought 120 years ago we would need 2 sidewalks, 2 bike lanes, 2 parking lanes and 4 driving lanes. And don’t forget the horses.
BUT here’s the kicker.
I bought a bike. Robert, Robert, Robert…tsk tsk tsk. Why was I so stupid? Well I need the exercise…drastically. My heart is iffy, my bones aching and rattling. So let’s try a bike for some workout, not too much – no motocross – just a good bit of movement and fresh air. Groovy gravy.
So now my previous hatred has done a slight 180 degrees. Maybe 170.
And I’ll tell you why…
the next time! Lunch is ready.