Exactly one week ago, on Saturday, June 4 at 12:45pm, while cycling north on Windsor Street, I heard the driver of a white SUV parked in the cycling lane south of Windcrest diagonally from Sobey’s shout obscenities at two cyclists when they had to pull out quickly to go around him and told him he was illegally parked. I turned around and tried to speak to him about how he just endangered two young peoples’ lives but after “Do you realize…?” he rolled up his window. I got his license plate and called the police, but I need the cyclists’ names who he could have killed. If they read this, please contact me. This hostility to the rights of cyclists exhibited by this person needs to stop. —DisgustedCyclist
This article appears in Jun 2-8, 2016.
Okayyyyy. Call me bat-shit crazy but… If he was PARKED there (even illegally) I think it would be they cyclists fault for killing themselves. Look where your going. Not to mention you’d have to hit the back of his SUV doing 60+KM/hr to kill yourself. And if you were going that fast you would have been braking the speed limit of 50 km/hr. Also look before you pull out into traffic if someone happens to be in the bike lane, instead of doing it blindly and getting hit.
Now I’m not saying it was right for him to be parked there. Not saying that at all!
But you are blowing it WAY out of proportion if your accusing him of almost killing someone because that someone didn’t look where they where going. People park all over the place. Its a hazard of the road. Its unavoidable. Its something as a cyclist you have to look out for.The bike lane is a fucking white line. Welcome to the city. A lot of people don’t play by the rules. Especially rules that where only made a year or two ago.
PS- I’ve been cycling around this city for 10 years. Driving for 15.
And sorry I have to add this. He wasn’t being hostile if he never said anything and rolled up his window when you came up to him. You would actually be the hostile party in that scenario.
No, blaming the cyclists isn’t the answer. Both parties need to look out. Illegally parked? Red flag for me! Avoid or use caution.
And OB, YOU cannot make any complaint on behalf of the cyclists…
Will people please stop with the extremist “…almost killed someone” bullshit. You think it helps your case, but it doesn’t. It actually hurts your case because it makes it look desperate to legitimize your emotional response. No one got hurt and the worst that would have happened to the driver is getting a parking ticket, and possibly a tow if the tow company got there in time to tow his car before the driver showed up and drove away.
You’re just mad because someone didn’t listen to your yammering and whining, plain and simple. Nothing more than your ego getting stomped on by you being ignored. Lol, now fuck off!
OB, you claim the driver of the SUV was hostile..yet it was you approaching him to confront him. YOU were showing hostility in doing so. instead of just calling the cops you had to put your opinion on him(despite being right about your opinion) it doesn’t give you the right to just approach someone about it and mouth off. If you are approaching someone to give them shit, you are WANTING a confrontation and you are raising the tension. Just call the police, report the license and what you saw and get the hell out of there. from a safety standpoint that’s your best bet. other than that, you are looking to be a victim after someone gives it to you for your opinion…you are lucky he didn’t and I am glad for that. take care.