An Open Letter To Councillor Ford
 

As many of you may have seen on FixedGearGallery.com, Toronto City Councillor Rob Ford has recently stated, in opposition to Toronto's appropriation of $3million for bike lanes, that "Roads are built for buses, cars and trucks, not for people on bikes. It's their own fault at the end of the day if they get hit." (source)

I have written Councillor Ford to express my views, and encourage you to do the same. My letter is copied below.

--Ben

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Councillor Ford,

Your remark that cyclists killed while riding on roads are the ones at fault is not only insensitive and incorrect, it is downright dangerous. To assert that those people who use bicycles for transportation or for fun are responsible for being killed when hit by drunk driver (please see: http://www.thestar.com/News/article/197378 ) or by someone who drives into the bike lane and then flees the scene (please see: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/n...16cyclist.html ) is disgusting.

There are many reasons people ride bicycles: for fun, for transportation --not everyone is wealthy enough to own a car--, or for exercise. With gas prices at record highs, oil reserves quickly depleting, global warming becoming an ever-larger threat, and people getting fatter than ever before you shouldn't be discouraging people from biking, you should be ENcouraging them to do so.

Such statements not only alienate a large portion of the voting public who enjoy riding bicycles, they endanger numerous lives. Cyclists already have to deal with daily taunting, threats, and physical confrontations from drivers who see the road as 'theirs' and lack the civility to share it with a cyclist. Your words only add to the righteousness felt by these dangerous individuals, and I have no doubt that they will now feel even more justified in their actions.

Councillor Ford, I encourage you to give cycling a try. Who knows, you may come to love it like so many of us have. Even if you don't, you'll at least lose some weight.

Courteously,

--Ben Reed

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EDIT: It looks like someone from BF got in touch with Councillor Ford a few days ago. Please read about the discussion here before deciding how to word future e-mails.

Oh SHMACK!

:beer: :roflmao: :roflmao: Nice one!

What an idiot. You'd think Toronto would have better politicians... oh wait, nevermind.

I would've thrown in something in there about bikes being on Toronto's roads well before cars were being built...

wtf

Figures he's a fat bastard.

Email sent.

I sent one too, not very polite or formal, oops