Calling All Toronto Cyclists

Mmmmm, u-lock smashery. So very tempting.

 Actually I've found that just unclipping the lock off the bike and holding it in my hand is usually enough to make a belligerent driver change his opinion on his driving skills fairly rapidly.

Thanks for the heads-up about the meeting, Paul! My bike has yet to see the yellow slip...

cyclists are dicks.

as a cyclists you may be treated as:

a) a pedestrian

b) a motorist

 you can not "hybrid" your status by weaving between cars; going up on the sidewalk and generally being a dick.

Additionally, If you try to pass a car on the right side and someone opens their door and hits you -- that's YOUR fault -- retard. (oh, and dinging your bell does not give you "super i can break the law powers")

While I don't necessarily agree with all of neil's stance, as a new biker in the city I do find amazing the sheer number of cyclists I see who aren't aware that a bike is a vehicle.  Is it really that much trouble to stop at a red light?  That said, there are a lot of bonehead drivers out there, who clearly have forgotten all they learned about bikes in driver's training.

Like everything else in this city, there needs to be a give and take (yes, that is a direct jab at Miller and his riculous comment about TTC cuts...didn't you guys already vote in your budget for the year with the Sheppard line running?  I digress...)

Funny, I see cars weave in and out in front of other cars all the time, causing the other drivers to slam on their brakes to avoid accidents (and causing everyone behind them to slam their brakes as well).

 I also see drivers nearly run me over almost daily because they forget that even though it's a red light, they're not allowed to turn right when a pedestrian is in front of them legally crossing on their green light.

I also see cars parked in bike lanes, along side walks, and double parked on busy streets, using the almighty "hazard lights" as their personal super power.

So ya, you suck neil, and it's YOUR fault -- retard.

Motorists are dicks.

They like to use their greater huling mass and momentum to threaten:

a) pedestrians.

2) cyclists.

d) other motorists.

Seriously though, passing cars on the right is a totally legal maneuver for a cyclist.  I know of no law in the HTA or elsewhere that says otherwise.  Since you seem to think it is illegal, Neil, maybe you could enlighten me. Ringing the bell is a way to try to ensure your own safety from being doored.

 I will not stand up for cyclists who use the sidewalk.  I think the laws concerning this should be enforced more.

A bike is a vehicle. Vehicles use lanes on roads. If a car is pulled over in the right lane or waiting to turn right from the right lane, cyclists have no business on the right side of that car. Legal or not, you're going to get hit.

@RyanC.:When you say " I also see drivers nearly run me over almost daily because they forget that even though it's a red light, they're not allowed to turn right when a pedestrian is in front of them legally crossing on their green light." you'd better be walking across the street because if you're riding your bike and you think that you should be treated as a pedestrian while running a red light you're the retard Neil was talking about. 

I've been riding in Toronto for about 10 years now. I've been run off the road, thrown in front of a streetcar by a careless driver slamming his van door into my shoulder as I passed by and narrowly missed many more times than I could possibly keep track of.

As much as I like to slam drivers, I'd have to say there are an equal number of idiot cyclists as well. Carelessness and stupidity on the road seems to be equally spread amongst the population regardless of the form of transportation (actually pedestrians qualify here too). 

As a cyclist, I want drivers to respect me. How do I achieve this? By obeying the same laws the drivers have to follow. Stop at stop signs and red lights. Obey traffic signals, stay off the sidewalks, etc.  I even go so far as to obey no right hand turns on a red when turning from southbound on Greenwood  on to Dundas.

As for passing on the right, obviously this is essential part of cycling in Toronto. If you couldn't do this I'd be riding down the middle of the lane holding up traffic and no one would be getting anywhere. That said, the number of cyclists I see who take this as a right frightens me. When a car is making a right hand turn, DON'T pass on the right!  They can't see you flying up beside them. Wait for the car to turn or merge into the lane and pass them on the outside.  When a car slows down at the curb to let someone out, go to the outside. It's easy to do and a thousand times safer than gambling against random odds of timing as you try and sneak by on the inside. 

When I see some of the stupid things other cyclists do, it's no wonder drivers get so frustrated with us. 

Wow, Part of me says to just ignore Neil, but part of me hopes a cyclist introduces him to the business end of a U-Lock or bike-chain. However, he is a driver who is on the road, so we can deal with ihm here or deal with him out there. There is a good book from the Ask Mr. Bike website (Dave Glowacz) called "Urban Bikers' Tricks and Tips". That is not meant as a shameless plug, but it has some good information. Ultimately though, it comes down to this, Neil; we all have to find ways to SHARE the f**king road!  And yes, it certainly behooves cyclists to learn and follow traffic rules also, I agree with Rick that stupidity abounds in drivers, cyclists and ped's. However,  of the three, which has the potential to cause the most damage due to recklessness? You rarely see, "Truck-driver dies getting caught and dragged under bicycle tires", in the headlines.

I've been cycling in the city for 5 years or so and i agree with Neil's points, but i wouldn't say "cyclists are dicks". Not more so than motorists anyway. If you obey the rules of the road you reduce the odds of being injured (by accident or on purpose. Unless you're this guy.)

i'm glad to see this post is generating some good comments, cos that's what the meeting next week is all about... creating a dialogue. Yes, there are obviously asshole cyclists... just like there are asshole drivers... and asshole pedestrians... and asshole equestrians. the long and the short of it: there will always be assholes. of course, i'm still of the fairly utopian mindset that cars shouldn't even be allowed in the city, much like Louis Kahn's original plan for Philadelphia... guess i'll just have to keep dreaming for now.

Cyclists are dicks. I used to walk from midtown to work downtown. I can tell you that I have been run over twice by cyclists riding on the sidewalk - and one of these creeps acted like it was my fault and threatened me with further assault.

Every day I also watched you dicks weave across oncoming traffic lanes like the wolrd belongs to them, switch from road to sidewalk, ignore all lights and signs and generally act as a menace to both cars and pedestrians. 

It is illegal for a bike to ride on the sidewalk - at any time period. Look it up in the highway traffic act.

And I am sick of the city wasting money and making traffic proiblems worse with reducing roads to add bike lanes - this is not a city where you can bike year round, and the vast majority of people do not have jobs where they can show up sweating in thier sweatshuit after biking 15km to get to the office. This idea that bikes can replace cars to transit is just the idiotic ramblings of a few enviro-nazi morons.  

Some cyclists are dicks, Nick.  I never ride on the sidewalk, and stop at all the stop signs.  (Even the one at the bottom of Russel Hill Road!)  I don't weave across oncoming lanes, or switch from road to sidewalk, or ignore lights or signs, or (in my opinion) act as a menace.  I'ld like to think I'm not a dick when I'm riding my bicycle, and I'ld like you to agree with me on that.

Similarly, some drivers are dicks.  Specifically, the ones who try to run me off the road, and the ones who park in the bike lane, forcing me to swerve into traffic to get around them.

(Heck, even some pedestrians are dicks.  Do you really need to step onto the road when my light has just turned yellow, and I'm already half-way through the intersection?) 

But I believe that in all cases, the proportion of dicks is pretty much the same, and fairly small.  They're just memorable because they're being such dicks.  Try to cut the rest of us some slack.

Finally, bikes can replace cars for some trips, and probably more trips than people think.  Every trip?  No.  Many trips, especially in the summer when we have more smog alerts, yeah, probably.  (Heck, I live up at Davisville and work down at Front.  My ride to work is all downhill.  No sweat! ;)

People are dicks.  Some of them walk, some ride, some drive.  Dicks who drive are the most likely to feel entitled and protected, and the most likely to maim and kill.  Around drivers who are dicks (not pedestrians), it is legitimate to ride like a dick.  It's called 'survival'.

YES!!  Someone finally pulled out the, "cyclists are like enviro-nazis" argument. I love it. Comparing people who bike for enjoyment/fitness/to save gas or lower pollution to a military group that mercilessly killed millions. That's exactly what we are. Look out, innocent mindless drivers, the cycle-nazi's are coming!!  Our bicycle bells will put you into a Pavlovian trance and you will submit to our mind control. Dammit, someone is on to our left-wing, liberal, commie-pinko bicycle conspiracy. Comrades, to your' Trek's and Cannondales, UNITE!

Bleaaahhhhhhh!!!!

cyclists are dicks ... oh sorry, some already covered that ... goodbye

labeling all cyclists as dicks is exactly the type of attitude that a lot of car drivers have, as if were imposing on their own personal space and that they own the road and were somehow getting in the way. While I dont think bikers should be on the sidewalk either, this is often the safest thing for a biker to do when there are giant trucks on the roads and cars using the streets as a highway - and lets not even get started on cabs.  The sidewalks wouldnt need to be used if we had  clear bike lanes.

Hey Wally, Nick & Paul,
It's pretty easy to call all cyclists 'dicks online'. Bet you won't tell another cyclist that sort of thing to their face.?
Perhaps you should come out to one of the memorials that ARC organizes and speak with the widow(s) of cyclists who were killed by trucks and cars on our roads. It may change your mind about those you are referring to as 'dicks' in public. Hubert van Tol,the brilliant scientist, Isaac Morkel, the social worker, Ryan Carriere, the artist and devoted father. These men all rode their bikes daily because they felt that it was the right thing to do. They never hurt anyone and rode respectfully.?
Pedestrians deserve respect and safety.?That safety is far more often compromised by cars rather than bikes.? The Police stats in this case don't lie.

get over yourselves, stop pointing fingers and offer up some real solutions.? personally my biggest issue is that i can't seem to keep a bike longer than 2 months in this city.? ?i've lost four over the past 3 years and feel defeated.? can't someone do something about this?? 3 out of 4 times they were stolen in broad daylight in front of one of the offices i've worked at.? i'd like to see companies in this city create a secure space for their employees bikes.

hey tino, i'm a cyclist. i'm on your side. take the time to read comments before you point fingers. please and thank you.