In response to N. Smith's rant, "You selfish cyclists" [Sept. 22-22 issue]: Cyclists ride on the sidealk not because they have a "lack of consideration for others," but because they fear for their lives. I know of many people who have been seriously injured or killed from riding in
traffic, but not one by a bike on the sidewalk. Instead of ranting about the inconsideration of sidewalk cyclers, you should be ranting that the city of Vancouver does not have a safe place to ride a fucking bike. Other cities in Canada and all over Europe have actual bike lanes where cars CANNOT DRIVE. Vancouver puts a picture of a bicycle on the pavement of a random street and calls it a "bike route." You should be ranting at the city for not providing cyclists with a safe lane to ride a bicycle in. We live in an age where people are dying in the desert so that North Americans can drive to work and back. This city needs to do its part in reducing our oil dependency, not painting pictures of bicycles on the street and hoping for the best.- Megan Rose
1 comment:
Agreed. Short version of a long story: I used to cycle to work. In 1998, I was cut off by a truck one day, and ended up with minor, but permanent, shoulder damage. ICBC refused to pay for my three months off work or my physiotherapy, so I had to take them to court -- my original claim was for less than $10,000 total.
Enter lawyers, a screwy system that allows corporate interests and poorly informed jurors to rule the day, and an appeals process that requires a massive deposit for someone to right a wrong, and eight years later, ICBC is suing *me* for $30,000. My lawyer has already written off her $45,000 in fees, as I told her from day one I had nothing to pay her.
In short, even if I had won, the system is so messed up that I would have needed a $70K judgement to see a single penny in my pocket.
I plan to declare bankruptcy and move to Asia if ICBC is successful in their evil plot to usurp my paycheques.
In other news, my shoulder still hurts.
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