cavit8

Deadly Encounter

A 42-year-old cyclist was killed Monday night, after he was hit while riding his bike at Cawthra and Atwater north of the Lakeshore in Mississauga by a car making a left hand turn.

The victim has been identified as Shin-Fang Ho. He suffered serious head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police had the area closed for hours just after 9:30pm as they investigated the tragedy. A 17-year-old driver hasn't been charged but cops are appealing for witnesses.

STEEKER

Typical eh like I said if you want to kill some one in Canada use a car and you'll get away with it,, another point is if you just so much as lay a finger on a mountain bike cop you a*s is in jail

jeremywhitehorn

yeah, but like, uh, west side story tough. we'll fight you...in dance form.

jeremywhitehorn

i could do a night ride, shout if you're up for one. tonight's good. so's thursday.

Shiznaz

in BIKE dance form! Push it to the limit!

jeremywhitehorn

no, you're right, they are to protect you against GREATER injury, not injury alltogether. a cyclist friend of mine was hit by a van last year on burnamthrope rd at speed. essentially, he got clipped by the van's side mirror and spun around, whacked his head on the side of the van then on the pavement. he ended up breaking his hip and with a concussion. the helmet was obviously destroyed but according to the doctors, he would have suffered permanent brain damage if it were not for the helmet, so yes it is not a catch all but in cases like that it does prevent further injury from contact with autos. and yes, cavernmech, he is a toronto fixed group tough guy like me (okay more than me).

operator

Those full face/protec helmets offer more protection especially for the back of the head where the roadie styles don't cover.

They are also safer because they look dorkier, there aren't any aer0 snag points on the rear of the helmet (when you rotate head on the ground it doesn't catch). When I crashed last year, I experienced that first hand.

Of course it pays off more to just pay extra attention to all the hazards on the road. Edit: For greatest protection I think you'd need to wear one of those suits that one guy developed for fighting bears. Or be Robocop.

operator

I think that's true for any cop.

somnambulant

^^^grandpa simpson

TRaffic Jammer

You are correct there. But how much of the driving responsibility is to be offloaded to everyone else on the road to AVOID the cars? I would feel better if the drivers came to the realization that the road isn't theirs in it's entirety. Wait for the letter....soon come man..

somnambulant

"Sincerely,
Ben Matlock"


edit: now I have the Matlock theme song stuck in my head.

operator

Honestly, I personally don't believe that is ever going to happen in Toronto.

somnambulant

I think I'm just going to put that cycling video from Copenhagen on repeat and cry myself to sleep.

TRaffic Jammer

To: The Honourable Mayor Miller, City Council

In 2006 there have been 4 cyclist deaths by car so far. This represents the number for the entirely of the previous year. What are you doing about it?

I ride into work everyday of the year, and have been for several years. From the rhetoric spewing out of City Hall, I thought for years this was a good thing for many reasons. Was I wrong? Has an open season on cyclists been declared that I am unaware of? Is it a crime to ride my bike on Queen Street? If it isn't why do I keep having drivers narrowly avoiding me in their zeal to get to the next red light?

I am a VERY experienced traffic cyclist, I have been riding in urban traffic for the better part of 20 years. Several of those as a messenger in Montreal. I have NEVER been this afraid to ride to work EVER.
This morning a car had to grind me into the sidewalk at 30kms/hr so he might pass the streetcar. I may have broken my hand pounding on his car, but it didn't matter to him. He just kept moving me over with his front bumper. Had I been a less experienced cyclist I may be dead now. The real rub is that if the driver had WAITED 10-15 seconds, either I would have been past the streetcar or the streetcar past me. As it is we were in different lanes.
I didn't know it was legal for a car to pass a bike within 6 inches. Ever have this happen? It's harrowing to say the least even for experienced riders.

I asked a police officer a few weeks ago about the legally of riding in Toronto. He told me I was allowed to occupy the ENTIRETY of the curb lane as a cyclist. Is this true? Drivers certainly don't think so. Has anyone told the drivers? Did you, as a counsellor and a driver in this City know?
I'll bet you didn't, and the way I grew up is that ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Drivers still think we should be on the sidewalks for crying out loud, or that foot and a half wide stripe of filth and broken glass beside the curb. I travel at 30-40kms easily, I stop at lights and stop signs. Why is it ok to kill me because I'm on a bike?

I'm also a licensed driver and I have never had the mindset that I owned the road. I share it with EVERYONE last time I checked.

I SHARE it with drunks staggering across the road.
I SHARE it with old ladies having trouble crossing fast enough.
I SHARE it with kids using the crosswalks.
I SHARE it with cyclists, no matter how many, how they ride, or even if it's rush hour or not.
I EVEN SHARE it with electric scooters using the curb lane like a bike should be allowed to.

It has never in my wildest dreams occurred to me to squeeze past a bike with so little margin for error that if the biker fell they would more than likely die or be seriously injured. I would consider this assault with a deadly weapon, aggressive AND careless driving.

Cyclists aren't using fuel, they aren't causing pollution, they aren't causing potholes. They are, however, our best bet that one day maybe every nice sunny summer day won't be a smog day.

It's unfortunate that as there are more and more cyclists on the road due to high fuel costs and the nicer weather that:

The police certainly haven't been briefed to do, oh say, ANYTHING about driver attitudes and their carelessness. A city-wide educational campaign hasn't been thought of, involving street signs, the media, the news, etc.
Driver education is the key to this issue, as it's them who are killing people. If a bike turns in front of my car I press the brake, and avoid, just let I'm supposed to.

It's odd that the cyclists know the law of the road better than the self proclaimed owners of the road.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? HOW MANY MORE HAVE TO DIE?
Do we want bike/car combat zone created on our streets?
I don't think we do, but your collective inaction is saying otherwise.


SO that is the letter I'm about to fire off.
I'm looking for editor emails for both print and TV news as well.

somnambulant

typo detector:
If a bike turns in front of my car I press the brake, and avoid, just let I'm supposed to.
Do we a want bike/car combat zone created on our streets?

also:
Speaking of the Copenhagen video, you might want to include that URL as well:
https://www.vejpark.kk.dk/byenstrafik...y/uk/index.htm

operator

Hey! Go redesign our crappy school website!

TRaffic Jammer

edits done thankyou

STEEKER I got my first reply back ...... are they all going to be the same?

operator

Eyefloater you have a copy of still we ride?

STEEKER

TRaffic Jammer . I hope you included how the stuff I mentioned in the previos post ? it really got some reply's anddddddddd dam I 've been asking this for more than a week but is anyone going to ride? today/this afternoon/night

TRaffic Jammer

I did include... I've gotten two "thank-you....your concerns will be brought to the attention....
I'm limping home tonight, I may be off the bike for a bit.

OH jeez reread.... I didn't add you're text mind you. Opps

You've got to be a special kind of ********, as a motorist, to hit someone turning left.

STEEKER

dam thats all you got ,,one that was sent to me had me legaley bound not to copy or post it but it did'nt say I could'nt talk about it my spelling sucks

STEEKER

TRaffic Jammer I could pull you home in my bike trailer if you want

TRaffic Jammer

no thanks I still gotta ride but I might not be able to grip the bar with my left.
I sense *shutters* a path ride. Maybe I'll get legalized by another councilor.

I really think it's time to ramp it up, before too many more die.

STEEKER

awww come on , you could give people the royal wave from the trailer as we drive by

Ill Mitch

Here's a link to the torrent file if you want to download it.

https://www.torrentspy.com/torrent/50...f_Police_State