Diggzz Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 I don't know if anyone has read the Toronto Star this morning but the cover story is about a bike courier getting in a fight with a motorist here in Toronto, the courier is a very good friend of mine, and as someone who see's the city from a pedestrian perspective it amazes me how ignorant Toronto drivers are, here is the link to the Toronto Star story:http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1138661412479&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_HomeAnd here is a link to all of the photos the witness took with a little blurb from my friend Leah:http://www.worksafevideos.com/photos/canada/road_rage.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodRev Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 That's a crazy story. Can't get the second link to work though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWeeJig Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 That is quite a wild story. I'm also guilty of throwing some inconsiderate person's uneaten food back into their vehicle. It was in Wasaga Beach about 6 years ago. Fortunately enough though I was applauded by people stuck in traffic rather than physically threatened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 and as someone who see's the city from a pedestrian perspective it amazes me how ignorant Toronto drivers are... I'm not. Pedestrians take their lives into their own hands at almost every busy intersection. I realize you are talking about the fight in Kensington Market, but that incident symbolizes Toronto and car culture. One of the worst aspects of Toronto is in its instilled and appalling car-friendly attitude. Speeders and pricks driving fancy suped-up cars like BMW's think they possess special privileges. Forget the slightly sensationalistic Toronto/gun-crimes incidents for a moment. Pedestrian car deaths happen every day in this city and no one really bats an eye other than the immediate families and/or neighbourhoods involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberHippie Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 She did the right thing, littering scum... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freak By Night Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Damn bike couriers. There ought to be a law.Seriously though, any man who gets in such an altercation with a woman has some serious issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouche Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 i love this form of justice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diggzz Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 and as someone who see's the city from a pedestrian perspective it amazes me how ignorant Toronto drivers are... I'm not. Pedestrians take their lives into their own hands at almost every busy intersection. I realize you are talking about the fight in Kensington Market' date=' but that incident symbolizes Toronto and car culture. One of the worst aspects of Toronto is in its instilled and appalling car-friendly attitude. Speeders and pricks driving fancy suped-up cars like BMW's think they possess special privileges. Forget the slightly sensationalistic Toronto/gun-crimes incidents for a moment. Pedestrian car deaths happen every day in this city and no one really bats an eye other than the immediate families and/or neighbourhoods involved. [/quote']I hear you, in a way it amazes me, but I also see it every day and have even been hit walking through intersections before, people are way too caught up in themselves in TO especially downtown. A buddy of mine had a cabbie pull out and block the intersection so he couldn't walk across, my buddy walked across the cabbie's hood of his car, he didn't like that much, they also don't like you punching in their rear quarter-panels (my experience) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Boy 2.0 Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 the only true justice is poetic justice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timouse Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 i love this form of justice. i prefer angry mob justice myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djmelbatoast Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 I think that guy had alot of other issues. I mean look at his face as he tries to beat the shit out of that women, something is not right there. It was his garbage anyway.By the way, did she get to keep her job? I mean it was a noble thing to do and all but if I through garbage at someone while I was driving around in the company truck you can bet I would be looking for work the next day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peipunk Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 [color:purple]Geez, this guy looks like a perfectly calm, reasonable person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenSeasJim Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 I bet he was fighting with his girlfriend just before all this happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Large Marge Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 if I through garbage at someone while I was driving around in the company truck you can bet I would be looking for work the next day.Since when to Toronto's bike couriers get their bikes and gear paid for by da Man? I recall a big controversy a couple of years ago when one courier was fighting to get a meal allowance comparable to a driving courier's gas allowance. Made sense to me as food is fuel to a bike as gas is fuel to a delivery vehicle. I'm not much for Unions, but in the case of Toronto's Bike Couriers, some sort of collective advocacy is seriously needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet Begonia Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 "By the way, did she get to keep her job? I mean it was a noble thing to do and all but if I through garbage at someone while I was driving around in the company truck you can bet I would be looking for work the next day".In one article she said that it was a Sat. and she was just shopping. I had a friend that was hit by a car while riding their bike and the person never even stopped to see if they were ok. Which they kinda were, no permanent damage.But ya I agree that guy had a lot of pent up rage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snarfmaster C Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 talk about pent up rage and cyclists - a good friend of mine in victoria had someone chuck a milkcrate at her from their truck as she was riding. she fell hard into a parked car and was pretty badly hurt. outta nowhere too, eh! i often gives a car a good pounding or shout at a driver, and i'd say most of the time the driver responds definsively and mean. a few drivers are genuinely sorry and apologetic though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 I think the moral here is that no one acts with impunity. I'm sure the cyclist didn't expect the motorist to jump out of his vehicle and give chase. But what *was* she expecting by throwing garbage into his car?I regularly "punch" cars that cut me off or fail to yield me the right of way. Even though, IMO, I'm on the right side of the law, ain't nothing stopping one of these motorists from getting out of his car and giving me a wallop.I think both parties were suffering a little road rage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diggzz Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Absolutely ollie and she even admitted that, but man the stories I hear from her daily would blow your mind and no she didn't lose her job as she was just out shopping. Before Christmas the couriers had a meeting with the local letter-carriers union to see about joining together, haven't heard anything further though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Boy 2.0 Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 if only we'd loosen our gun control laws and let everyone sort out their own little disputes then all this would be back page news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenSeasJim Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 I've been close to doing this several times before (trash and still burning cigarettes), but always refrained. I usually just get their attention and say politely "Sir, you just dropped something". I usually get the "Deer in the headlight look" and realize that I'm wasting my time with the jackass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djmelbatoast Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Sorry, didn't see the part about the shopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothedShredder Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 This story is awful, and unfortunatley not too uncommon. I've seen everything from each side of the windshield. From poster runs in Kensigton, China Town, and Queen, to soem awful experiences along the 401 betwenen Ottawa and Toronto, and the late night drives home after the Gypsy (where the goddam cabbies have no idea how hard they make it to drive)It all seems to stems from a total disregard of other people, and the rules of the road.As a pedestrian: I cannot stand when cars come close to me when I have the right of way at a stop sign or when making a right hand turn. Also, use your signals and use them early... (which should also include... know where you're going when you get in the car and don't drive around at 5km/h looking for where your going). As far as the signals... I've had it happen too many times where someone will signal at the last minute, and I won't be able to make a left turn (if they had gone straght and not had to slow down), or had to J-walk, but didn't want that car that did turn right at the last second, to keep going straight and hit me (Jwalking on Queen/Annex/Kennsigton (not the big roads)).If I've got the right of way, and I'm close enought to spit on the car, I spit on the car. Seems fair. All to many drivers have no repspect for bikers, and their right to use the road. I know sometimes I'm going to have to slow down to 20 or 15km if I'm stuck behind a biker... if it happens I usually let the biker get a buffer (i.e. gain some space between me and them)... this usually leads to a sandwhich of cars behind me... but I fugure better my whiplash then the bikers leg, or arm, or life. Too many people just squeeze around bikers, which to me looks like they are just getting pushed off the road. In Toronto I've seen it happen to many other bikers that it completely turns me off using the bike as a legitimate form of transportation in this city.As a driver though, there are some awful pedestrians too. The ones who cross after the hands starts flashing... or run desperately to make the light, can really make it difficult for the flow of traffic in this city. The dudes that designed the system have a pretty good one in place (considering a streetlight cost $25,000 a pop), but if the people don't obey the rules it can not work effectively... then you're going to end up with nutjobs like the one who's antics in Kensigton started this thread.Seriously though... that guy should of been locked up... atleast for a day... no dude should hit a female stranger in anger... I'm surprised the cops didn't do more, this guy deserves a red-flag... whatever that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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