An Amusement & Diversion for The Genteel Cyclist. Daily.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Canadian crackdown

Up in Toronto, authorities have wrapped up their week-long "bike blitz," a dragnet operation that resulted in 7,000 tickets being issued to car drivers and cyclists. It was an attempt to shore up the rules and slap a few wrists -- from nailing outlaw cyclists that run red lights and menace the sidewalks, to cars drivers who blithely park in bike lanes.



I'm glad that justice was, in this case, blind and meted out on a fairly equal basis between riders and cagers. While I think bikes can and should bend the rules to suit their needs, they shouldn't do it in ways that antagonize car drivers.

Were Toronto's efforts the naked face of fascism? Or an effective marketing campaign reminding one and all that bikes are an inevitable and growing part of the city landscape?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Go Toronto!
Until I get slapped with a fat ticket for running red lights, riding the wrong way on one-way streets, or hoping curbs to terrorise pedestrians, there will be no order.
Hail Canada!
Brompton Bike Pirate