mito2008

ok, I disagree with you and respect your opinion.

(last word is mine......)

Turd Ferguson

Today, stopped at the light (in car), at Dovercourt/Dundas, two bike cops ( 14 div?), blew the red light while another cyclist stopped.

Toronto cops are the worst. The police here jam the public with tickets. They obviously have high quotas. Big Dave has already told us the city is broke.

mito2008

they were certainly on duty going after a criminal... they couldn't stop!

dcon

I love watching the bike cops. It's the cheapest entertainment in this city - aside from laughing at Big Dave and his team of trained seals, that is.

mito2008

please elaborate.

why are they so funny?

Turd Ferguson

Mike,

The fine itself is not a problem, only if it may affect my drivers license/abstract and those who don't have have a drivers license, don't suffer the same penalty.

What happens when a cyclist gets pulled over for drinking and riding...could happen. His bike is considered a vehicle under the HTA, should the cyclist produce a drivers license he may lose it. Someone with no license doesn't suffer insurance increases and all the other crap that comes along with it.

Should I of produced my license, and paid the fine without any research it would of shown on the abstract. I got lucky. It was an excerise to learn the laws surrounding this fine, the officer is aware of the laws, yet asked for my drivers license.

Anyway, off the courthouse.

jm01

Same thing when drinking & boating...in Ontario you lose your driver's licence if convicted

but not just drinking...as a diabetic, I can be charged with impaired if driving with blood sugar low enough to cause an accident

dcon

Oh, just because Toronto is expensive, so I have to get my laughs on the cheap. I find it funny that every time I've seen a police officer on a bike, he (I've only seen male cops on bikes) does something that would result in a warning or a ticket if I were to do it on my bike.

I think it's great that there are cops on bikes, though.

Turd Ferguson

I'd like to see more female bike cops..in spandex.

jm01

I have seen a few female cops on bikes, and lots of meter readers...we have Irene who tickets on our street

Had fun on my lunch ride today though...a film crew had pilons blocking off the right lane and a cop was standing on the left side of the pilons watching the movie set...I had to go around him on the right side, on the inside of 2 pilons...he yelled that I should stay on the outside of these pilons...

...so I stopped and told him to get behind the pilons and make some room for the cyclists to do this...he was forcing us to jump a set of streetcar tracks, and after sliding out a few times, I hesitate to do this.

He got quite upset by me doing this, but there wasn't much he could do (he was on paid duty, off duty and working for the film crew)...wished him a nice day, and rode off

psykoocycle

I live near annette and dundas, thanks for the info, will make sure to look out for the cops...

There has been a few rants and raves on toronto's craigslist last year about cyclist getting tickets for this and that....

Sorry to hear you got nailed... I would have pissed as well.

My coworkers once got a ticket for riding a bike at night without lights!... now I thought that was rather incredulous, but my coworker is not the type to embellish...

Treker

All of your stories remind me of a story I read in the National Post a couple of years back:

The Canadian city escapes me but this casual rider was dinged by the police for not having a....bell! He could pay a fine or take a remedial safety class to wipe out the infraction. He chose the latter. He described the event as being similar to a AA meeting where participants introduce themselves and recite their infraction. When the rest of the group, mostly couriers who were there for far more egregious infractions heard him, there was a collective: 'you're f*$%ing kidding'

greenmtn

STOP because another rider may be running another stop sign into the same intersection

Turd Ferguson

Anyway folks, I went to the Edward St. Court house thinking I'd plead guilty with an explaination and have the fine reduced.

The line up was so freaking long..it would of taken 4+ hours to see the procecutor. I opted just to pay the ticket as the guy at the info desk advised I wouldn't receive a loss in demerit points on my drivers license.

That was beer money. Good thing I keep a little extra for hard times.

travelinhobo

I think the best solution to Mike and Mito's controversy is if we all just ride Penny Farthings. Let those little vehicle bastards try to make us stop! lol

ken cummings

So he didn't check "bicycle"? Good, there is a chance you can get the whole thing, fine and all, thrown out. Get an barrister expert in Canadian Bicycle law. If there is a Canadian equivalent to the US League of American Bicyclists they should be able to direct you to one. We have such lawyers in California and most will give some free advise.

mito2008

actually, turn back, the other rider might chase you.

Turd Ferguson

I know this thread is ancient but I just renewed the sticker for my license plate today and decided to pull an abstract only to find 3 demerit points added to my drivers license.

I didn't have a license at the time of the offence therefore none was written on the ticket ( B written in license # field.) . Also, the court office on Edward street advised me I wouldn't loose demerit points.

Anyway, I just spoke to someone at the court office. The gentlemen I spoke to did see that it was a bicycle offence and would send a letter to have it removed from the abstract. So note others, check your abstract !

Kangaroo

Effin clown commuters- far too cool to stop for Red Lights. They'll have all the time in the world to rest when the get hit by some dickweed SUV. At least make a cheesy effort to slow down. Yesterday I saw a CC (clown commuter) buzz through a red light on Queens Quay and Bay near the Green P lot and and almost got broadsided. I made eye contact with the driver and just shook my head. For once I had an milligram of sympathy an SUV driver.

Most people don't know that if you carry a U.C.I. license and get nailed with a ticket, you face a possible suspension of your racing license. The OCA is becoming more organised in its efforts to curtail poor road riding habits.

Personally, I don't care anymore what peeps do on their crappy 80 dollar commuter bikes. My 7500.00 Pinarello will happily wait at Reds to preserve its lifespan.

As my friend says : " It's a fine line between clever and stupid..."

Just sayin' ya know.

Turd Ferguson

ohhhh..Pinarello.

when did 80 commuters com into the conversation anyway...

note to self, don't carry my drivers or UCI license while riding.

melslur

Carry it if you want, just don't produce it. The HTA says that providing your name and address is sufficient; don't say no to the cop but advise that you are only required to provide your true name and address, which you are doing.

Snow_canuck

ONLY in Canada, for teh WIN!!!

Voxxy Brown

I slow down at stop signs to the point where I just come to a momentary stop, but still keep balanced up in the air, and then if it's clear, I take off. I'm also a car driver, and I HATE when cyclists, blow stop signs and do dangerous things. We already have enough drivers hatin' on us, why make it worse. And as a person who also drives, there have been a few times, I almost hit a cyclist, when he blew a sign and whipped out from a blind spot due to hedges and I almost killed him. Sad thing is, as a driver, it probably would have been my fault.

I definately vote for, be courteous and act responsible on the road, and yeah maybe everyone driving won't love you, but you might win over another driver or 2, and thats at least an improvement. In Hamilton it's pretty bad. It's not exactly a cycling town, and it's a bit dog eat dog with the drivers, and it wouldn't hurt us to display that we are capable of behaving reasonably out there.