48 Hours of Biking Hell: A Diary of Cycling Insanity in Vancouver–Led by Suzanne Anton
Tuesday October 5th:
7:45am: Delivering two oldest kids to school. Coming along Marine Drive, and noticed a woman pulled over in late model Volvo clutching her chest. Stopped and called for help. Ambulance service very quick to arrive. As I’m pulling out I hear this unearthly ‘BANG’, twice, against my back window. Had been pulled over with emergency services and Volvo into the bike lane. So, Maj. Asshole Cyclist, no helmet (but wearing a yellow and blue ‘UBC’ all-weather jacket and cargo shorts), decides to hammer the back window (and cracks the frame around it), one foot from where my son sits, and yells, “Fuck you assholes…get outta my lane” Notice the emphasis on the word ‘MY’. Notice the entitlement. Both kids very shaken. Daughter starts sniffling and is reduced to a puddle of tears–right before school, nice. Son says, “Dad, why was that man swearing at us?” I roll down my window as I catch up, “Hey maggot, I don’t appreciate you frightening my children, pull over…” He gives me the finger, perhaps forgetting I’d just told him my children were in the vehicle.
8:15am: Both kids now delivered and secure. Blood at a previously slow simmer, now starting to rise to a boil. Thinking about what it was like in Kelowna lock up for one night, almost two decades ago….day dreaming of feeding the Maj. Cyclist Jerk his bike lock…that’s it, hard turn, right off Dunbar onto ‘UBC highway’ squealing tires getting a workout. Nope, no sign of him for almost the entire length of this stretch of road…and then paydirt.
8:20am: Maj. Asshole stops to chat with female cyclist, hand on her shoulder, laying it on pretty thick. Maybe he’s telling her about how he scared the wrong guy’s kids and is lucky to be alive…okay, blood now boiled into a three alarm fire…doubtful this guy knows how lucky he is to have previously blended into traffic and that kids needed to be dropped off..doesn’t know what he’s in for..YET…I keep thinking about Gina crying on the way to school…alrighty then, blood now a full on inferno, jacket’s coming off…is that steam coming out of my ears? Reach behind my seat and pull up George’s baseball bat. Funny thing that son o’ mine, he keeps forgetting it in here, really funny thing that….I get out of the truck, bat in hand, fixing in on his back wheel…that’ll be first strike, so he has nowhere to go…remembering first time I saw ‘Shock and Awe’ offensive on cable news, the explosions on the tube will seem like a flick of a Bic here…thinking about beautiful choke hold I learned in Osaka years ago…,goddamn it, parked too far back and Maj. Chickenshit recognizes me and the truck as I’m fast approaching him…keep thinking about Gina crying…arms now feeling like they’re made of steel…Christ I hope the wife’s available to bail me out later…Maj. Coward Cyclist says something quickly to girlie with extremely bad taste in (artificial) men–she first jets into a trail as Maj. Asshole rides away behind her after my first swing knocked off part of his fender…surprisingly his back wheel still works…he speeds off as I address his ancestry, tell him to go reproduce himself and suggest he might be the progeny of a female dog–in that order. “No kids around now you prick, come on back and let me help start your day off right–just like you did for my kids…come back and apologize, you jack off.”
His reply? “Maybe you should get out of your SUV and ride a bike with your kids and help the world you tattooed freak…you’d move quicker too.”
Yup, ride in rush hour with my kids…along a busy road. That’s what this city has turned into thanks to the Vision inspired cycling CULTURE OF SUPERIORITY. Total crazy-making.
Tells you something about these nuts, no? Well then keep reading…
9:00am: Off to work. Productive morning.
12:45pm: Just about to pull into the valet at the Vancouver Club. Meeting an old friend for lunch and a little business. Cut off by a cyclist (again, no helmet) right at Burrard and Cordova. I honk, she gives me the finger. Bump into no shortage of members and friends at the third floor bar. One prominent Liberal asks, “So, what do ya think Suzanne Anton will do? Think she’ll be dumb enough to vote for the Hornby bike lane?” The man’s a prophet, I swear. I say, “Absolutely, and that’ll kill the NPA for the next election. She’s just a completely destructive woman and has no idea how selfish and stupid many of her decisions this term have been.” He says, “Yeah, I think you’re right…unfortunately…hey very nice write up on you in the Vancouver Sun over the weekend. Loved the photo…goatee suits you. Say ‘Hi’ to Maryanna.”
2:30pm: Deal done, light lunch was very nice, as usual. Off to pick up the kids.
2:35pm: Stuck at Howe and Dunsmuir. Cycling fascists having some sort of mini-parade, along Dunsmuir lane more than half without helmets, one holding a beer, one police car parked across the street with three VPD cops just standing there.
2:40pm: Still stuck about fifty feet from where I started. Apparently some further construction on the bike lane being done.
2:45pm: Traffic slowly, slowly (no extra carbon emissions, right?) proceeding after second half of biking nutbars arrive through intersection. Two from the first group have pulled over and are sharing a very thin looking ‘cigarette’ that has unusually thick smoke. Hmm, can’t imagine what that might be…wondering how Vancouver’s finest are collecting salaries by watching people break the law…must be the Big Choooooo’s orders…
2:50pm: Finally on the Burrard Bridge heading south and then west towards Dunbar. Backed up a little as traffic slows to a crawl (no extra carbon being emitted, nope, none, nada). One bike lane: ABSOLUTELY NO RIDERS. Other bike lane: Six. Starting to think that Penny Ballem needs lie-detector test every time she speaks about the numbers. Nevermind Meggs. He and the Mayor have broken my bullshit detector about a dozen times a piece.
3:15pm: Coming down Dunbar, south, notice new bike lanes are awfully wide. Not one rider. Not one. But I bet Suzanne’s happy. Insufferable idiot. Screw the city taxpayers to satisfy a militant group of whackjobs on two wheels.
3:35pm: Kids collected.
The ride home was uneventful, until my son says as he’s getting out of the truck, “Hey Dad, um, my bat’s scuffed up at the top and there’s a piece of metal sticking out of it…how did that happen?”
11:50pm: Phone call wakes me from semi-prone position on the couch. “Yeah?” I said. “Yeah yourself Al, she did it. I hear Suzanne voted with those morons after Gordon Price filled the air with total bullshit.”
So I’m thinking, what else has Gordon Price ever filled the air with?
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Wednesday, October 6th:
8:30am: Arrive at the office with the phone ringing off the hook. Media types, pols, NPAers, a few Visionistas (the few that will defy Marcella Munro’s orders and still speak with me)…ALL incredulous that Suzanne Anton was STUPID enough to vote for the Hornby bike lane. Here’s a sampling of the more tame comments: “What was she thinking?!” “She’s killed us, the bitch!” “Hey, I guess your old pals in the NPA are done now, hey?” “Was she at Hollyhock over the weekend?” “What a sell out, she’s lost my vote” “How does she expect that the NPA will campaign against the Gregor goofiness of the last three years when as lone councillor she’s agreed with them on so many major issues–and they were ALL WRONG!!!!” “Didn’t she ask anyone?” “Suzanne has never had a political compass of any accuracy. She’s done. Her credibility is finished. Who in their right mind will trust her again? She’s such an idiot!”
And that was just the first batch.
11:00am: Rumors starting to swirl of a possible major defection from the NPA over Anton’s insanity. Apparently, crisis averted after Suzanne is confronted by no less than a half dozen senior NPA hierarchs. By this point she’d been on the receiving end of dozens of nasty emails, easily eclipsing any of the cycling nuts seeking her autograph. More phone calls. more emails…
3:30pm: Suzanne now clearly in panic mode. Stern talking to by yet another NPA boss. “Do you know what you’ve done?” he says to her. “You’ve made it that much harder for the party to run against the bullshit Gregor and Co. have dumped on taxpayers and residents. What were you thinking?”
5:00pm: She’s getting it both barrels from all sorts of people who read or hear that the motion on the Hornby Street bike lane lunacy was “unanimous”.
5:30pm: From one of her staunchest supporters…”Alex, why on earth are you being so hard on Suzanne? She’s the best we’ve got.” (Writer’s note: Oh, Dear Lord!) My response…”She has liquified at least half your party’s platform in one incredibly mindless, completely moronic vote. She’s NEVER been a great councillor and for precisely this kid of thing–she has no loyalty to anyone but herself. She lies about thinking through motions and initiatives. It’s all about her. When she first ran for council, she literally hung off Peter (Ladner). Then, because she’s just too damned dense to figure out how a TEAM moves forward, she shielded Sam and hung off him, after three years of horse shit. Now, she sees the militancy of the cycling lobby and knows that she might be able to pick up some votes from them, so she once again sells out her party for herself. She’s a total fool. I’m done with her.” …Sigh…
6:00pm: Michael Geller and I meet to have a drink and share a laugh or forty. It’s his birthday and he’s one of my favorite people in the whole world. “How bad is it out there after last night?” he asks. “Very” I reply. He frowns, shaking his exceptionally well operating head, looks up at me and says, “Now I’m sure I’m not running.” We order a second round…when I leave, I notice the same Dunbar bike lanes COMPLETELY EMPTY.
7:00pm: An NPA Directors’ meeting is convened somewhere in the fair city. Eleven believers. The sentiment against Suzanne is palpable. Except with Debra Spafford, Suzanne’s (very lovely) mark on the board. The room includes the Vision Vancouver plant, who is responsible for vetting potential NPA candidates…unbelievable. As I suspected, their pre-sales for the big dinner later this month are anemic (approx. 300 tickets sold to date). With the tide so significantly turned against Vision the NPA should already be sold out with at least 850 people filling the room–MINIMUM. Alas, these geniuses lost super-organizer Sheila Beveridge’s number and left the dinner responsibilities to whom? Why, Debra Spafford of course. A darling gal who hasn’t the first damn clue how to organize a successful (election readiness) dinner. Oh sure, they’ll bump the number and make SOME money, but nothing of any importance. And do you know who the keynote speaker is? Have a seat in case the stench from Vision’s agenda is making you faint. Sam Sullivan. I know…I know… And then Ms. Spafford suggested that Suzanne be allowed to speak and talk about policy direction. No, I’m not kidding. Here’s how that would go, (cue a more shrill, annoying Katherine Hepburn voice that would strip the paint off your walls in seconds), “Hi there I’m Suzanne Anton..um, well, (daftness on display, nervous laughter) ah, I just pick the initiatives and policies I think I can get away with supporting so I can draw down on some votes from any old place…who cares about my colleagues or this party…” Now, THAT would be an honest statement! Then the geniuses, instead of politely telling Ms. Spafford to get stuffed, voted against having ANY of their current caucus members say anything at the dinner, including ever-popular Ian Robertson, the NPA’s real leader, and school board heroes Carol Gibson and Ken Denike. Oh, and they’ve invited all the past Mayors to attend…brilliant. Here’s the scene: Sam as keynote speaker and Gordon on the stage taking a bow cause he’s sooooo popular–nice visual…Vision can relax, only a miracle could save this crew of NPA keystone cops.
8:50pm: Suzanne sends out one of the most embarrassing, shameless news releases I’ve ever seen. She essentially commits to a major flip flop. What she should have done was stick to her guns and ride out her own horrific decision–but that would have required some integrity, of which she has zilch. All this shows is that not only does she not understand how damaging these bike lanes are to the NPA’s traditional constituencies–small businesses and hard-working, long-suffering taxpayers, but that the only reason she backed down is because the lynch mob, from inside and outside the NPA, had made it to her door in South Kerrisdale, pitch forks in hand. Dense and cowardly. Now, there’s a mayoral candidate for sure!
10:00pm: The ridicule of Suzanne is already at DEFCON 2 and climbing and then the phone rings. “Hey, I’m in Washington (DC) for the week but I had to call you. She’s really blown it hey?” says the mellifluous woman’s voice through a drag of a cigarette. “Yes” I reply, “Suzanne’s credibility is completely shot. Who is going to ever trust her again? What a fool.” And then the bombshell. My friend says, “Well, we might find out soon enough, like in about a year and a half. Suzanne’s considering not running again civically and going after Hansen’s spot in Quilchena since he’s gone next time around.” I was already lying down, thankfully. “What? She’s more nuts than I thought. Colin hasn’t announced anything and she’d be in opposition if everything stays the same…and she’d get punted if a star candidate for Premier materialized. No one would want her. She’s useless” I replied. “Oh I totally agree, I’ll call you when I’m back from Washington and I’ll give you all the details. She’s been organizing in Quilchena for awhile.” You read it here first.
….so that’s why Ms. Spafford was so keen to organize the NPA dinner. See through the fog? Latest money and supporter lists…mostly westside, mostly…in Quilchena. Easy pickings, no heavy lifting required, while no one is minding the store. Shameless Suzanne, shameless.
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Thursday October 7th:
7:35am: Driving the kids to school…”Hey George, Gina! Look who’s in the bike lane about half way up the street. The guy who hit my truck.” So I roll down the window, “Hey asshole, remember me?” and I start to edge into the bike lane. He panics and falls sideways off his bike and into some dense brush before Marine Crescent. No helmet again. Knees scrapped, cut and lying there like the pathetic cycling bully he is. I take a picture of him with my phone and I drive on…
8:10am: Still getting high fives from both kids. “You clowns are gonna be late, we’ll laugh more later, I promise.” Having a tough time getting them to stop laughing. Son says, “Dad, you should’ve pounded him for making Gina cry.” Gina says, “Daddy, can I bring you to school for show and tell one day?”
8:45am: Driving onto the Burrard Bridge headed for a meeting. Bike lanes buzzing with activity, bursting at the seams…seven riders on one side, two on the other. I notice a female cyclist TEXTING WHILE RIDING. No helmet. I slow down to look at her sternly. She signals for me to lower my window, so I do. “What’s the matter, buddy, don’t you men multi-task ever?”
And then I got to thinking: If women are so good at multi-tasking, how come they can’t have a headache and sex at the same time?
We live in cycling hell thanks to Gregor Robertson, Geoff Meggs, Gordon Price, Suzanne Anton and other cycling radicals. There are some very decent folks who want to ride safely and courteously, but their voices are a minority thanks to the activist extremists with vested interests.
And courtesy of the NPA’s directionless state of affairs, this will likely keep us busy for another three years.
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Tomorrow and through the weekend I’ll give you the definitive word on the Olympic Village (which I’ve been working on after much research) with a major tribute to Bill Good for the stellar leadership he’s shown on this issue by challenging the Mayor, Meggs and Vision Vancouver and for his superb analysis and editorials on the bike lane insanity–and not just on Hornby. Credit where credit is due, Bill’s been astonishing and exemplary, as have NW across the board. Nice to see hard-hitting, balanced reporting. Also, I’ll introduce you to a new website that tells THE REAL STORY on cycling in Vancouver.
AND! As an added bonus, I’ll tell you who is likely the only person that can save Vancouver in 2011 by remaking the NPA and with a big enough name to kill Gregor’s civic career (sending him off to replace Hedy Fry, which is what his people have been quietly fixing as a fall-back).
Stay tuned for an end of week and Thanksgiving weekend you won’t want to miss!
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UPDATED: If any of you want to listen to what a great talk show host sounds like when she’s balancing skewering someone with a couple of softballs (that the guest missed anyway), then get into the CKNW archives from today and have a listen to Christy’s outstanding interview with Suzanne Anton. It’s INCREDIBLE that Suzanne even thinks she could ever possibly be Mayor. Her performance was P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C. I’m not sure the last time I’ve seen a politician vaporize her own credibility so swiftly and completely.
Well done Suzanne. At least now, no one has to ever again worry about your delusion that you’re mayoral material.
I read the Wiki posting on Anton and see she taught math to students in Portugal and the thought crossed my mind that with stellar teachers as her in their past it’s no wonder the Portuguese economy is one of Europe’s leading basket cases.
One good thing about all her shenanigans in the last few days is that she has been successful in making herself a political bozo the clown and no party will want to touch her with a fork.
Hopefully the NPA is looking for a clean way to exit her and any dreams she had about running for mayor are now in the scrapheap.
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She’s so done. And she can’t blame anyone else except the mirror on the wall.
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As I’ve said from as long as 1 year ago, the NPA needs to cut Suzanne loose and revoke her membership now.
To hear that she is doing nothing more than padding her rolodex to take the Quilchena seat from Hansen is a complete disgrace with respect to the NPA.
The board needs to go find some balls and make this move before she kills them over the next year.
And your silence is okay Bill, I know you pay attention.
Your choice to not engage me is quite acceptable providing you get the message I’ve been trying to deliver for a very long time now.
This isn’t comparable to the party turmoil of Philip Owen vs. Jennifer Clark, or Peter Ladner vs Sam Sullivan ……. YET.
But you need to cut the cord NOW to avoid the mess in a few months.
Step 1: Cut her loose now.
Step 2: Appoint a spokes person (that isn’t your vision plant.)
Step 3: Start earning back trust of the electorate and raising money for the election.
If you can’t get your board to agree on this, your doomed.
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did you not just admit that you assaulted someone? Duck Alex. I think you just shot up to the #1 spot on the hit list.
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After I pointed out that my kids were in the truck and he continued, I just lost it. People who traumatize children should be dealt with severely.
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Don’t worry if this ever goes to court we will give you a good character reference. Ha ha.
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How is it going to go to court? He caused significant damage to my truck and I cracked off a piece of a $25.00 fender in return.
Frankly, I couldn’t care less about trucks or bikes. He made Gina cry and was so flipping aggressive, THAT made me see blood red–frankly, he’s lucky I’m getting my knee scoped or I would have been all over him the bastard. And after I explained there were kids in the car he fingers us? No, sorry, not in my world.
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But Alex, you assaulted the guy with a baseball bat and then a couple of days later you ran him off the road and caused bodily harm. That’s serious, criminal charges stuff. What is wrong with you?
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Perhaps reading is a problem:
1) He caused almost $600 damage to my vehicle.
2) He traumatized my children.
3) I cracked off a piece of his fender. Est. cost $25.00
4) I never touched him.
5) I asked him to pull over so I could have a word with him for what he did to my children two days earlier. He fell over because he was shocked.
6) I was SLOWLY pulling in, in front of him so I could park.
So…to review. He upset my kids and caused $600 worth of damage to my vehicle. All I wanted was to explain to him how he did this and I wasn’t going to accept it.
Sorry, tell me again who is the criminal?
There is definitely something wrong with someone who would defend such a vile piglet as the cyclist who did this and needs to have his or her head examined. Enough is quite enough.
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You’re a hero. Do yourself a favour. Get yourself a dashcam and use it EVERY time you drive. The second one of these self righteous jack knobs hits your car because they failed to stop at a stop sign, you have video evidence.
Keep up the good work. If they can get up and ride away, you haven’t done enough.
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Okay…well…I’m not sure about that or if I’m a hero, I was simply protecting my property and my children.
But I appreciate your sentiment. It would be nice not to have to retaliate, but I just think the extremism spawned by Gregor Robertson, Geoff Meggs and others, is a major league problem in this town. IT’s a hurtful and divisive agenda.
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While I don’t agree with what this cyclist did initially, you sunk to a much much lower level by pursuing him with a baseball bat and by pushing him off the road.
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I NEVER pushed him off the road. He damaged my vehicle and frightened my kids.
Sorry, NO SYMPATHY from me. There are some very civilized cyclists in this town and I applaud them and wish them well, with all of my heart. It’s a tough slog doing what they do. But there is a new religion in Vancouver and it’s called ‘Cycling Superiority Rage’ and it’s disgusting and totally unacceptable. Frankly, I think everyone should pursue aggressive cyclists and teach them a lesson.
Enough is ENOUGH.
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Hi Alex,
To think this surreal experience happened simply because you stopped to help a citizen in distress. UNBELEIVABLE!
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Sure. Of course…but I’m an ogre because I was willing to stand up for my kids. Ridiculous.
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Oh yeah.
According to some anonymous Anton ass kisser commenting at City Caucus, apparently I’m your sidekick, and you and I are working for Vision.
Have you heard anything more hilarious…..or pathetic?
I was going at Vision from their election win, while you were still giving them the benefit of the doubt, (that I refused to give them). It was pretty lonely back in those days to oppose them, when everyone in town wanted to give them a chance. I think Glissando and I were the only ones in opposition back then.
Since, you’ve broken more stories on their failures and have quite certainly been the reason for some of their popularity drop.
So you get finger-pointed by the socialist media, Bula, Garr, Smith, etc.. who try to make it look like you’re an NPA partisan..
And this idiot thinks City Caucus should look into your working for Vision.
If this is the best Suzanne’s supporters can come up with, please ship her off to provincial politics where she can lose a seat and be gone from politics for good.
In fact, instead of provincial politics, since she absolutely adores Michael Ignateoff, she should run federally. A guaranteed win for the NDP or Conservative candidate in any riding she enters.
Good riddance Suzanne.
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Hey, she did it to herself.
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Hi Alex,
The cyclist you speak of has broken a “few” cycling laws (see below):
Cycling laws and by-laws
Provincial regulations:
•Rights and Duties of Operator of Cycle
•Bicycle Safety Helmets
City of Vancouver by-laws:
•Driver Must Have Hand on Steering Device
•Slow Moving Vehicles
•Bicycles
The above listed sections represent a selection only. View all other sections of the BC Motor Vehicle Act
Province of British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act
Rights and duties of operator of cycle
183
1.In addition to the duties imposed by this section, a person operating a cycle on a highway has the same rights and duties as a driver of a vehicle.
2.A person operating a cycle
a.must not ride on a sidewalk unless authorized by a by-law made under section 124 or unless otherwise directed by a sign,
b.must not, for the purpose of crossing a highway, ride on a crosswalk unless authorized to do so by a bylaw made under section 124 or unless otherwise directed by a sign,
c.must, subject to paragraph (a), ride as near as practicable to the right side of the highway,
d.must not ride abreast of another person operating a cycle on the roadway,
e.must keep at least one hand on the handlebars,
f.must not ride other than on or astride a regular seat of the cycle,
g.must not use the cycle to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped, and
h.must not ride a cycle on a highway where signs prohibit their use.
3.Nothing in subsection (2) (c) requires a person to ride a cycle on any part of a highway that is not paved.
4.Despite section 165, a person operating a cycle who intends to turn it to the left at an intersection where there is more than one lane from which left turns are permitted must
a.cause the cycle to approach the intersection in the lane closest to the right side of the highway from which a left turn is permitted,
b.keep the cycle to the right of the line that divides the lane referred to in paragraph (a) from the lane immediately to the left of that lane,
c.after entering the intersection, turn the cycle to the left so that it will leave the intersection to the right of the line referred to in paragraph (b), and
d.when practicable, turn the cycle in the portion of the intersection to the left of the centre of the intersection.
5.A person must not ride a cycle, skate board, roller skates, in-line roller skates, sled, play vehicle or other similar means of conveyance when it is attached by the arm and hand of the rider or otherwise to a vehicle on a highway.
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6.A cycle operated on a highway between 1/2 hour after sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise must have the following equipment:
a.a lighted lamp mounted on the front and under normal atmospheric conditions capable of displaying a white light visible at least 150 m in the direction the cycle is pointed;
b.a red reflector of a make or design approved by the superintendent for the purposes of this section;
c.a lighted lamp, mounted and visible to the rear, displaying a red light.
7.Despite any other provision of this Act or the regulations, a cycle may be equipped with a flashing red light that is of a make or design approved by the superintendent for the purposes of this section.
8.A cycle operated on a highway must be equipped with a brake that will enable the person operating the cycle to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level and clean pavement.
9.If an accident occurs by which a person or property is injured, directly or indirectly, owing to the presence or operation of a cycle on a highway or a sidewalk, the person in charge of the cycle must
a.remain at or immediately return to the scene of the accident,
b.render all possible assistance, and
c.give to anyone sustaining loss or injury, and to any peace officer who is present, his or her name and address and the name and address of the owner of the cycle, and if the cycle has been licensed and registered, the licence or registration number of the cycle.
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10.If an accident involving the presence or operation of a cycle on a highway or a sidewalk, either directly or indirectly causes death or injury to a person or damage to property causing aggregate damage apparently exceeding $100, the person in charge of the cycle must immediately report the matter to a police officer or a person designated by the superintendent to receive those reports, and must furnish information, including that referred to in section 67 (8), respecting the accident as may be required by the police officer or person designated.
11.A report made under this section is without prejudice and is for the information of the Provincial or municipal police, and must not be open to public inspection.
12.The fact the report has been made is admissible in evidence solely to prove compliance with this section, and the report is admissible in evidence on the prosecution of any person for the offence of making a false statement in it.
13.Despite subsections (11) and (12), a peace officer may, when giving evidence in a proceeding, refer to a report prepared by him or her under subsection (9) or (10) to refresh his or her memory.
14.A person must not operate a cycle
a.on a highway without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the highway, or
b.on a sidewalk without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the sidewalk.
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15.If a person is convicted of an offence under this Act in respect of his or her riding or operating a cycle, the court may, in addition to or in place of any penalty otherwise prescribed, order the cycle seized, and on the expiry of that period the person entitled to it may again have possession of the cycle.
16.For the purpose of seizing and impounding a cycle under an order made under subsection (15), a peace officer may enter any place or building in which the cycle is located.
17.A person operating a cycle on a highway must signify
a.a left turn by extending the person’s left hand and arm horizontally from the cycle,
b.a right turn by doing either of the following:
i.extending the person’s left hand and arm out and upward from the cycle so that the upper and lower parts of the arm are at right angles;
ii.extending the person’s right hand and arm horizontally from the cycle, and
c.a stop or decrease in speed by extending the person’s left hand and arm out and down from the cycle.
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Province of British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act
Bicycle Safety Helmets184
1.A person commits an offence if that person operates or rides as a passenger on a cycle on a highway and is not properly wearing a bicycle safety helmet that
a.is designated as an approved bicycle safety helmet under subsection (4) (a), or
b.meets the standards and specifications prescribed under subsection (4) (b).
2.A parent or guardian of a person under the age of 16 years commits an offence if the parent or guardian authorizes or knowingly permits the person to operate or ride as a passenger on a cycle on a highway if that person is not properly wearing a bicycle safety helmet that
a.is designated as an approved bicycle safety helmet under subsection (4) (a), or
b.meets the standards and specifications prescribed under subsection (4) (b).
3.A person who is convicted of an offence under subsection (1) or (2) is liable to a fine of not more than $100.
4.The superintendent may make regulations as follows:
a.designating a helmet as an approved bicycle safety helmet for the purposes of this section;
b.prescribing standards and specifications for bicycle safety helmets.
5.Regulations made under subsection (4) (b) may adopt by reference, in whole or in part, standards or specifications published by a national or international standards association, as amended from time to time.
6.The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations as follows:
a.providing for and requiring the identification and marking of bicycle safety helmets;
b.exempting any person or class of persons from the requirements of this section and prescribing conditions for those exemptions.
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City of Vancouver Street and Traffic By-Law No. 2849
(as of March 30, 1999)
Driver must have hand on steering device
41.
No person shall drive a vehicle without having at least one hand on the steering device, and no person shall operate a bicycle without having at least one hand on the handle bars.
Slow Moving Vehicles
59.
The driver of every slow moving vehicle shall drive such vehicle as close as possible to the right hand edge or curb of any street unless it is impracticable to travel on such side. For the purpose of this section a bicycle shall be regarded at all times as a slow moving vehicle.
Bicycles
60.
No person shall ride any bicycle upon any sidewalk except where posted by signs.
60A.
No person shall ride a bicycle upon a street while wearing headphones, or any other manufactured device capable of transmitting sound, over or in close proximity to both ears, except that this prohibition shall not apply to the wearing of a device designed and worn for the purpose of improving the wearer’s ability to hear sounds emanating from outside of the device.
60B.
No person shall ride a bicycle upon a street unless the bicycle is equipped with a bell capable of being used as a warning.
60C.
The various paths and ways shown and described by either a thick black solid line or a thick black dashed line on the plans attached to this By-Law as Schedule C (link to Streets and Traffic By-Law No. 2849) are, pursuant to Section 124(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act, hereby designated for the purposes of sections 60D and 60E.
60D.
No person shall operate or ride as a passenger on a bicycle on any path or way shown on Schedule C (link to Streets and Traffic By-Law No. 2849) unless the person is properly wearing a bicycle safety helmet that has been designated under or complies with the standards and specifications of the Motor Vehicle Act.
60E.
No parent or guardian of a person under the age of 16 years shall authorize or knowingly permit the person to operate or ride as a passenger on a bicycle on any path or way shown on Schedule C (link to Streets and Traffic By-Law No. 2849) unless the person is properly wearing a bicycle safety helmet that has been designated under or complies with the standards and specifications of the Motor Vehicle Act.
60F.
A police officer may arrest without warrant any bicyclist whom the officer finds committing a breach of any provision of this by-law if such person fails to stop and state his or her name and address when so requested by the police officer.
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Alex this was great, Please share the photo with us!!!
The real reason cyclists get such a bad name is because they always have to think they are above the law…
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I’ll post it tomorrow.
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Susan is not an idiot. She is a genius who has figured out how to apply quantum mechanics to the practice of politics by simultaneously being in two opposite places and embracing as her own, two opposite points of view. So what is wrong with being both for and against the bycleization of Hornby Street? Isn’t it more honourable to honestly hold two opposite positions than suffer the disgrace of changing your mind. I look forward to her both running and not running for Mayor. May she be both elected and defeated.
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LOL! LOL! LOL! Brilliant! As always…
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Mr. Tsakumis you are my well dressed level headed hero. I think the bike lanes would serve better purpose for sun-tanning in the summer? Just think of how uncrowded the beaches would be, wouldn’t that be fantastic for the community? (Ok, I’d better stop or you may start thinking I’m serious) It pains me to see major arteries in the city becoming even further congested from this lunacy.
Oh sure the Dunsmier bike lane looks pretty, but was the idea to promote cycling in Vancouver? Or cater to two wheel based business, with a private lane towards productivity! (Not to mention a private hwy out of downtown at 5pm) It was a VERY BAD IDEA, but tell that to the two wheeled idiots who now feel empowered, by whatever sugar coated bullshit was fed to taxpayers.
Was the barrier on the Burrard Bridge really necessary, or would painted lines sufficed? No, the real reason for the barrier was to keep the murder rate down.
My real piss off though, are how these bike riders act like they have a handicap sign around their neck, once on the sidewalk trying to get somewhere on foot. The attitude is fun to play with though, I will admit.
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Bless you Michael. Very kind.
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Greg, the Portuguese connection is hilarious. By now you may have seen on the news (Global) that she now rescinds her vote on the continuation of bike lanes, sounds like Alex was right about her being dragged up on the carpet by her NPA peers and betters. Don’t think your allowed to change your mind, at least not to any affect.
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She can indeed change her vote. There is a procedure to do that. But you’re right, she did it only because she was hammered by so many people.
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Alex, I am so happy you were able to to take out that punk I was laughing when I read that! BRAVO! This is place to come to hear what goes on behind the scenes. Your blog is more addicting than crack…not that I have done crack
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You’re most welcome. I don’t usually react like that, but these cycling idiots are the limit. He cause significant damage to my vehicle and frightened my kids right before school. He’s lucky that’s not all he got.
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Oh, common Alex. I understand your frustration and maybe I would have done the same. Oh, well not to that extent, but who knows? But you know what I think it was foolish of you? Put it in writing. You provided the time-line, the location, the motive, the witnesses, the events, the chase, the verbal exchange, etc. Now if I were you I would watch my back. ON top of that, calling the VPD chief, the Big Choooo, was not smart either considering. I would be sorry for you to get into trouble over this. That’s all we need now! You have to concentrate on the Vision scum, not on fighting back that cyclist’s lawyer, you know I am not the only one reading your blog. You know what I hope? I hope you pulled a ‘Glissando Remmy’ one us!
You son of a gun!
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I am a son of a gun if not anything else! HA!
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I have given your story some thought, and it has occurred to me that you are a very physical person, and I seem to recall that you have had some pugilistic experiences, was it at the Astoria club in the basement of said hotel. It is quite likely that I was drinking just over your head, and living in the residential hotel across the street (Hastings) was it called the Woodbine or something similar?
The closest I’ve come to a fight lately was about a year ago in Chapters in MetroTown when a great lunk of a fellow almost ran me over, bumping into me purposely. When I called him on it he said something filthy and asked if I wanted to go outside. I looked him over and realized he was about 1/3 my age and twice my size, and answered him with a question: With you? I don’t think he knew whether I was being threatening or just stupid. He walked away. Once in about grade 6, I got in a fight with a fellow on the school grounds. He was a farm boy of French Canadian descent. (Don’t fight with this sort of person) He hit me and I saw stars, literally. I lay on the ground, bleeding like 6 pigs (as Holden Caulfield might have said) and saw him looking down at me with a look of terror on his face. I got up, wiped my nose on my shirt and went in to wash my face. I avoided him for the rest of my life (hopefully!) and thus ended my adventures in physical combat.
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I LOVED Holden Caulfield. ‘Catcher” remains my favorite book of all time. And yes, I used to be at the Astoria every week….a loooong time ago.
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“7:35am: Driving the kids to school…”Hey George, Gina! Look who’s in the bike lane about half way up the street. The guy who hit my truck.” So I roll down the window, “Hey asshole, remember me?” and I start to edge into the bike lane. He panics and falls sideways off his bike and into some dense brush before Marine Crescent. No helmet again. Knees scrapped, cut and lying there like the pathetic cycling bully he is. I take a picture of him with my phone and I drive on…”
LOL – You’re joking, RIGHT?
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Yup, of course…
I think they’re both still laughing…
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Hahaha Good job Alex! The cyclists have become too much in this city!! All this money for the few cyclists who use these lanes, pathetic waste of money!!
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No argument from me.
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I remember once that I had the temerity to cross the street in front of my house (imagine my nerve!), a marked crosswalk with stop signs only to get told off by the cyclist who ran the stop sign. Now what I should’ve done was take a page out of your book. I should have used the big heavy backpack I was carrying and try to knock the S.O.B. off the bike, but I had somewhere to go and couldn’t be bothered with the little prick.
However, reading your story, gave me not only great laughs but it also very sobering (Suzanne is the best of the NPA (!) — sweet Jesus, have they been smoking it or taking it in the arm; Michael Gellar not running — terribly sad, however, intelligence doesn’t seem to be required for an elected official. Hopefully new blood and the much needed punting ol’ Suzy might convince him to get back into the thick of things.)
Gregor’s fallback is running to replace “The crosses are burning, the crosses are burning” Hedy Fry? Poor Vancouver Centre — however, the question there is, which one is truly more incompetent? That’s a toughie!
I’ve been hearing that it’s gonna be a fairly bad winter, compared to last year. I wonder how many cyclists will be wearing parkas, toques and gloves riding their bikes along the Burrard Bridge, Dunsmuir (and now, right in time for winter) Hornby Street. My guess is not many… in the meantime, they get their bike lane, while choking on the exhaust of motorists who are inconvienced by these nutbars.
I end this piece with a bit of comedy and a load of BS. It’s from Erin O’Melinn of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (courtesy of The Courier):
“It always seems to be ‘us versus them’ in the bike/car relationship. And it’s frustrating for us because at the VACC, we are not anti-car, we’re just pro-bike. And we think that they can actually co-exist happily, as long as there is respect on both sides. And we try to do a lot of education on how to be a respectful cyclist. But we have a ways to go.”
Not anti-car?! Could’ve fooled me! Respectful cyclist?! Surely, that’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one! Trying to educate on how to be a respectful cyclist?! They’re failing miserably! They have a ways to go?! That’s the understatement of the year!
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Sure thing. The problem in this city is that the Mayor and his cadre of cycling nutbars have inspired a whole cult of superiority. And it’s bleeding (soon perhaps literally) into the mainstream and people are suffering at the hands of cyclists. It’s sheer insanity.
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Alex,
I soooo would have snapped my crayon – good on you! I have my own story – I was waiting for a proverbial little old lady – walker and all – to cross the road legally on a walk light before I could turn right at a downtown intersection. A moron bike courier starting ramming his bike on my bumper while blurting expletives. So I got out asked him what exactly his issue was and took his bike courier license number. Now I did not have to beat him or threaten him because this happened in Calgary where the City has a ‘report a cycling infraction’ option on the 311 system with an option to report a bike courier. This was his second offense so his license would be pulled. I am not sure what happened to him after that but five will get you ten that he now lives in a basement suite in Kits, selling dope, collecting welfare and riding in Critical Mess every month. Good chance he also was ‘your guy’ !!
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The aggressiveness of these bastards is infuriating. And you just know the Mayor’s crew have told the cops to back off. Typical.
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Well said. Did you notice downtown this morning is in full traffic hell?
Hornby is basically at a standstill. One lane for all that traffic.
Howe by Georgia is down to one lane due to building constriction.
Robson is shut down between Howe and Hornby. To add to it, today randomly they shut it down between Richards and Seymour as well.
Where are people supposed to drive? Where is the justice?
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Yes, I did and I want you to know you are a credit to this city and this country for what you are doing. Dear Readers, let me introduce you to the great and wonderful folks who have created ‘Road Justice’. I will be blogging about this site today. A most valuable oasis of sanity in this cycling superiority crazed city.
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Alex,
It would seem both you and Jeff Lee had a bad week with cyclists. I was dumbfounded to hear that a cyclist actually spit on Jeff Lee’s wife. It would appear that with both of these incidents, cyclists don’t care about anyone other than themselves.
I’m sorry to hear that the woman you stopped for has died. That on top of the incident with the biker, must be a bit overwhelming.
The only bright side to this Alex is that there was someone with this woman in her final moments. Thankfully you stopped…Gina and George will remember that their Dad did a good thing for a person in trouble.
The other lesson they learned is some people are just selfish jerks.
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Yes, agreement all around. I’m usually not a morning person, so I’d often be fairly sluggish at that time of the day, but I just happened to be looking to my right. She did seem quite old, however, not a great way to go.
And yes, I saw Jeff’s column. Another reader sent it to me after my post. I cannot believe how he restrained himself. I would have knocked the guy into next century for spitting on Maryanna.
Stunning that Lee, held back.
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Mmm,first time I have seen your wondrous, uplifting prose. I feel moved to quote Shakespeare:
“What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how
infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and
admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like
a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals” … although come to think of it, perhaps I should have truncated that at “What a piece of work …”
In any event, two comments:
1. You say “And then I got to thinking: If women are so good at multi-tasking, how come they can’t have a headache and sex at the same time?” … (EDITED DUE TO PERSONAL ATTACK–TYPICAL OF CYCLING ANARCHISTS)
2. (EDITED SUE TO PROJECTION OF HATE AGAINST BLGO OWNER AND OFFENSIVE COMMENTS ABOUT PARENTING)
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And I, too, am moved to quote someone, specifically Rodney Dangerfield. “Why don’t you play hide and go f@#k yourself?”
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There I am quietly proceeding east on Beach approaching the 4 way at Howe. So, I’m not the sort of old fart who does 45k on the freeway, but I am the sort who goes along nice and slow and careful in a setting like that.
I get to the stop sign, there’s no other vehicles around but I stop and count three Mississippis anyway and ease into the intersection, spider sense tingling. Sure enuff, here he comes, Mr Bicycle, flying south on Howe. I just knew he wasn’t going to stop, so I did. Indeed, he blows right through the stop sign, into the path of my (stopped) car and semi-dumps his bike. Now he’s sitting there in the road giving it to me f bombs, what I am what I should do, the bird, all of it.
Since I was a couple of car lengths away, I just did an impromptu left slowly around this clown and left him sitting there in the road.
Some of these people are absolute loony tunes.
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Of course. Are you surprised? These vicious bastards have taken over. All because the NUTS on city council are trying to engineer social change. They are ALL insane.
The vicious nature of their behavior is unbelievable. And since the Chief of Vancouver Police is another bobbleheaded lackey for Vision, YOU ARE ALL ON YOUR OWN. It’s not vigilantism to stand up for yourselves.
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A parking authority officer that witnessed me almost knocked off my cane, on the sidewalk, by a cyclist sans helmet. REFUSED to ticket him, even though she was a witness. He couldn’t stop laughing at me, after he heard that.
She stated that the cyclist can’t be ticketed, as well she said, if I have a problem with it, call the Mayor, as it was his directive……..let me see who is on the Police Board…. guess that would be my Mayor. Hope he doesn’t expect my vote.
Alex, I have also posted this on Harvey O’s site, and he suggests I contact a working reporter.. if you can suggest someone to contact with the officers badge # I’d appreciate it.
Good luck with that knee scope next week.
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Thx Stormin’ Norman. You keep that cane moving. The knee’s going to be fine. I was at the butcher shop yesterday with my son and a reader recognized me, very nice fellow indeed, and said, “Hey, look after that knee” and with a big smile. Made my day. It’s going to be just fine, I’ll be in and out in a jiffy. I’ve been icing it. Much less swelling.
As for your dilemma, email me privately and I’m happy to give you the name a few people that will cover such a piece.
Cheers!
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What blows me away is the sheer suicidal recklessness. Not just blowing the stop sign, I mean, how does this meathead know I’m not someone a) with a hair-trigger temper b) who’s just been told he’s got 3 months. ‘Screw it, I’ m gonna send this piece of excrement on ahead. Give him the biggest and last surprise of his worthless life.’ Screech of tires …
Some people seem to “think” a Darwin award is an achievement to be striven for.
If I’d been strolling along, bow in hand, quiver on my back (yes, I am into archery, as it happens. I also fish, So there.) would he have shown his disapproval of my primitiveness by pelting me with rocks?
Who raises these specimens?
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Not I Sir David, not I…
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I see you admit to assault with a deadly weapon. As you like to see yourself as “upstanding” and “honest” I can expect you will report yourself to the Police right away and plead guilty in court?
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I gather you never attended law school and aren’t a cop.
1) I was trying to park. He panicked. You’d have to show that I did it intentionally and that this movement by me was the cause of his spill.
2) He’d have to file a complaint with the police.
3) Can you refer me to the deadly weapon and how in court you’d define that?
4) What, precisely, would I be reporting myself for? Name a law which was broken. Just one. And then explain how you’d make it stick to the extent that I’d be reprimanded and that as a result the community is better served. Give your head a shake. This whole episode began with the damage to my property and the threatening and intimidation of me and my kids. I guess you skipped that part because you’re yet another cycling FREAK.
Most people that come around here Michael, aren’t intoxicated on their self-importance. If you could ever survive such a rehab process, then come back.
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Congratulations on setting a fine example for your children. Shouting “asshole” and then cutting the cyclist off by driving purposefully into the bike lane… What have you taught them? Laughing about his injuries. You are raising your children to be monsters, to behave as if they are above the law.
Oh, so you didn’t touch the cyclist, and he fell off his bicycle in fright? As you were moving into his lane? And you have the temerity to complain about cyclists cutting *you* off? Driving a vehicle into the cyclist’s path is assault with a deadly weapon. Your vehicle being the weapon. Can’t you see that? You waved your loaded gun at him, and in the past you used a baseball bat to strike his bicycle, the only part you could reach. Of course he believe you fully intended to kill him. Reasonable assumption, given your past behaviour.
You are now a criminal and feel this is your right to behave this way. You expect us to applaud you? Who’s the asshole now?
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You, or is that more appropriately, bitch, Karen…?
1) My two oldest children, with me in the car for when our property was damaged and they were threatened and intimidated by your fellow cycling idiot, laughed because he was clearly startled and fell WELL BEFORE I tried to VERY SLOWLY park in front of him. They felt, as I did, that justice was served.
2) The only monsters here are you and your cycling zombies who feel you own the road at the exclusion of the rest of us.
3) You need to either a) go back to law school, or b) stop pretending you understand the law as it defines a “deadly weapon.” You clearly watch too much television and need to have a little training on evidence collecting before you start making broad sweeping statements about what you THINK happened.
4) There was NEVER a discussion with him about “killing” him. He actually stopped in the first altercation. If he felt his life was threatened, he wouldn’t have stopped to hurl more epithets and banter. Additionally, as the foam bubbling from your mouth increases it shouldn’t impede you from being able to write intelligently: You haven’t any evidence I would have gone beyond swatting his bicycle. Not a shred.
5) Please don’t ever write that you are capable of making “reasonable assumptions.” As is evidenced here, there is nothing reasonable about what you’ve written, or you.
Have a nice day.
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I just read the letter above mine. To educate you, I bring your attention to a link of a doctor in California who received a 5 year sentence for pulling in front of cyclists purposefully and braking hard, as a case of assault with a deadly weapon: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/cyclist-sentenced.html
Oh, and by the way, not sure about the poster above, but *I* did go to law school. I am also a cyclist. You really need to report yourself to the police because I intend to report you if you don’t.
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Then you deserve a big fat ‘F’. Go ahead and report me. You are as dense as a fencepost. Where do you have evidence that an assault took place or that I applied my break so hard as to impede the idiot? I was almost even with him on the road when he fell over. O loe the way you don’t even address the damage to my vehicle or that he almost shattered the window about a foot away from my son.
Go sell crazy elsewhere please. I await the call for the VPD with MUCH anticipation and please include your full name and address in the complaint. Don’t forget. I’m going to make an example of you here.
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As an additional reply to your ABSURD contentions.
Did you really graduate from law school? Are you really telling the truth. Because your inability to compare apples with apples is breathtaking.
Here, from YOUR OWN LINK:
“One cyclist was flung face-first into the rear window of Thompson’s red Infiniti, breaking his front teeth and nose and cutting his face. The other cyclist slammed into the sidewalk and suffered a separated shoulder.”
There were no injuries other than scrapes in my case.
As well, the crazy doctor that got (and deserved) five years in this case had a PREVIOUS RECORD of seeking out cyclists and hurting or intimidating them. I’ve never had a run in with a cyclist in my life other than with the the insane idiot that told my kids and I to fuck off and that severely damaged my back window. Again, in your “legal training” was there not a little course that would help you see the difference? LOL!
Twit.
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I didn’t realize you need to have a conversation with someone that you intend to blow their head off with a gun before you do so, in order for that act to frighten them.
Calling me a “bitch” for writing my letter… very interesting, but consistent.
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This is your last comment that I will allow. Spiking posts is something I am completely against. I know Vision loves to try that here, but I won;t let you let them.
Pay attention: “I didn’t realize you need to have a conversation with someone that you intend to blow their head off with a gun before you do so, in order for that act to frighten them.”
You could have stopped at “I didn’t realize” PERIOD and been entirely accurate. What a fool you are. The gun analogy is comical as is the blowing off of heads. No meds today, Karen?
Anyway, it’s been a slice. Don;t forget to have me arrested, okay?
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This is an interesting vent. As a driver, I would say that sometimes cyclists commit offenses. But drivers top them in that. In addition to that, you should have wrote how hundreds of drivers were after your kid’s life as well. They were all out to frighten and kill your kids. Giving one side of this story only helps ignite hatred in the people who listen to the crap you write.
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Too much drink at dinner? That could be the only explanation for such a mindless comment.
If you feel that I write crap and that you don;t like it, why are you here for such long stretches?
Do us a favor. When you do appear, make sure you make SOME sense. Thx.
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you and your fans are amazing! you stellar and law abiding full stopping and never speeding motorists who can’t drive a few blocks without being persecuted by those cyclists who are wrecking your lawful motorways. until the cyclists took over city hall traffic flowed smoothly and free of gridlock and pedestrians smiled at you and children never cried.
you have a great way with words and the truth
and to think this all started with you cutting the cyclist off in the bike lane* and the cyclist had the temerity to get pissed off at you for cutting him off in the first place. maybe you did not realize this
well it was an interesting and sad thing to read your blog and the rabid responses of your fans
i ride of course and so i ask you readers that when you are driving your car toward me and taking up up more than half the narrow side streets i ride on please remember that i am riding to work and that i once sat in the baby seat of my parents car and i too deserve to live even if i was not brought up to be a thoroughly hateful mf like you Alex Tsakumis.
pol
* reason we need barriers
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“…and to think this all started with you cutting the cyclist off in the bike lane* and the cyclist had the temerity to get pissed off at you for cutting him off in the first place. maybe you did not realize this”
Actually, if you’d bother to pay attention, I was pulled over to assist a woman who was having a heart attack. I hadn’t cut anyone off and was in fact pulling out carefully from being parked. The cyclist could have waited the two seconds it would have taken for time to do that. Instead he committed property crime and threatened my and my children.
I realize you have an interest in making stories like this go away, but you can’t hide the truth, or, apparently, your deep-seeded hatred and bias.
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Can everyone cool off a bit and agree that whoever does it, cyclist or motorist, calling people names in loutish. Cutting off each other is dangerous. Damaging one another’s vehicle is criminal.
Hey, we’re all just people, traffic on the road. At times we cycle, at time we drive, at times we walk. A very good standard of Canadian politeness is called for from all.
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Hi Neale. I know you’re a very reasonable cyclist and an avid one. It’s a pity there aren’t more of you around.
But unfortunately, there is no politeness with a growing number of your fellow cyclists. I’m unrepentant in my castigating them as cycling fascists. Look up the definition. It’s fits perfectly.
I wish you well.
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