Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Driving You Crazy


The dreadful incident of road rage that resulted in a cyclist's death and the shame and possible end-of-career for an Ontario political star is telling in a hundred ways.

The cyclist was drinking. He had no helmet. He has a small criminal record. he comes from a family with criminal records.

The politician is a driven Type-A Master of the Universe privileged egotist. He was driving the wrong way down a street.

The roads are too small.

Everyone is in a hurry.

Everyone is in their own movie.

If I don't know you, you are not really a real person. You basically don't exist.

I don't know of a law or a public measure that will make the increasingly horrid act of driving in the city any better.

Civility is gone.

Yesterday...

Yesterday, I was entering a traffic circle at Nelson and Jervis. Of course, we live in the only city in the world where people either don't know how to use a traffic circle or they willfully choose to ignore the rules.

I was entering a traffic circle...

A woman was attempting to cross Nelson Street. She was wheeling her baby in a stroller.

I stopped to make sure she could get across safely.

Of course, the Master of the Universe in the black Porsche couldn't have that.

He drove over the zebra lines, directly in front of the baby stroller and when he found my car not moving, he did what any self-respecting sociopath would do, he honked his musical horn many times.

How do I know there is a God?

Because more people aren't killed.

Including the ones who aught to be.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is ironic that the former Attorney General and cop, introduced new laws against aggressive driving.
But in the end I believe it was the bicyclist who was aggressive, and the driver panicked in trying to protect himself.

Jeff Taylor said...

I now live in Toronto. According to news reports, the bike courier was drinking just before the incident. Reports also say that this cyclist threw his backpack onto the hood of the car and then grabbed the drivers steering wheel after he was cut off by the driver of the car. Just what was the driver supposed to do when a drunk cyclist attacks his car and then grabs the wheel of a moving car (the car's top was down). Isn't it fair to say that the driver felt that his life was in danger ? I'm in way saying that the cyclists death isn't a tragedy. However, put yourself in the shoes of the driver. What would most people have done in his position ? A crazed bike courier attacks you while you drive along a road with a woman in the passenger seat with the top down on your car.

Chris M said...

Haven't we had one horrific accident involving a baby in a stroller?
I usually take the bus, or walk, or bike ride and I am horrified about the behaviour of everybody!
It feels like I have to plan my entire day in the light of people aiming at me.
Cars blowing through yellow lights (or RED), bikes on sidewalks and storming through red lights.
Even on the bus it quite often lurches to a stop as jaywalkers dart across the road.Hello! It's a big vehicle mr/ms jaywalker (some even towing their kids with them)
Check your emotions at home when you are out on the road. Whatever form of transportation you use.

Anonymous said...

Many years ago I was taught how to drive defensively to avoid accidents. I found out it also pays to walk defensively. It has helped me many times avoid getting nailed by careless and/or thoughtless drivers and cyclists. Recent items in the various media have covered laws banning use of cell phones while driving. The powers that be might as well do the same for cell phone talking while walking.

A couple of weeks ago a young gal walked across a street I was driving down, yacking away on her cell phone. I spotted her and slowed down and stopped to let her finish crossing the street; this in spite of the fact that she was wearing dark clothing (with a hood over her head) and footwear, and I was barely able to see her. What utterly amazed me was not only was she taking her time to cross the street, seemingly oblivious to the presence of my two-tonne automobile; but instead of just completely going to the other side of the street, she continued to walk another 100 metres or so in the lane I was driving in before finally moving onto the sidewalk. She'll be lucky to be alive for very long if she continues to do what she does. It is unfortunate that there seem to be as many careless and thoughtless pedestrians as careless and thoughtless drivers out there.

Craig Y.

Anonymous said...

No matter who was at fault the 'spin is in' and the Elites protect their own. Did the bloody car not have working breaks??????

Anonymous said...

I would like pedestrians to pay attention to four-way stops. It's incredibly frustrating when it's your car's turn to go and someone takes that moment to step in front of your car, proceeding to walk as slowly as if they were enjoying a country stroll, headphones in, and sense of entitlement so strong you can smell it. The people who walk as if they think they're good-looking and/or sexy are the worst offenders. ("Daddy/mommy/boyfriend lets me do whatever I want, so I should be able to cross streets whenever and wherever I want. Right, mommy/daddy/boyfriend?") In the meantime, the cars that came after you all drive off and you've lost your place. Everyone's angry and the idiot pedestrian continues strolling away. Ack!!!!