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18 Comments

news

Tourists Coming Here, TTC Gas Prices Moving Up, Khadr Staying Put

By Patrick Metzger

news_11july08.jpg
Impending implosion of both economy and environment notwithstanding, tourists are still flocking to Toronto. Toronto Tourism reports that 2008 is shaping up to be another record year for visitors to the town also called Hollywood North, New York Run By The Swiss, Montreal Without The Culture, Seriousville, and the City Most Likely To Be Praised By American Celebrities.
TTC fuel costs are set to jump next year when a contract guaranteeing fuel at 87¢/litre expires, but chair Adam Giambrone says that “it’s far too early to tell whether all these increased costs will end up being passed along to riders.” Because maybe the oil companies will let us pay in magic beans.
A cyclist (bi, not motor) suffered a broken leg when he was struck by a car while walking his bike across the Don Valley Parkway near the Dundas street overpass. A bold statement for riders’ rights or just stupid? Discuss among yourselves.
Stephen Harper is saying “no” to repatriating Guantanamo terror teen Omar Khadr, stating that the legal process currently underway should be completed. They should send him back to Canada and have the PM adopt him, and then CTV could shoot a series called Fresh Prince of Sussex Drive. Omar: “Dad, I can’t find my iPod!” PM: “Really? I know you ji-had it yesterday!” (cue laugh track.)
News today that at least two of the multitude of detached feet that keep washing up in BC belonged to the same person. Most intriguing statement made by investigators: “the feet weren’t forcibly severed.” So they just fell off? Torontoist is going out to buy sock garters ASAP.
Photo by Striderv.

Comments

  • friend68

    “A cyclist (bi, not motor) suffered a broken leg when he was struck by a car while walking his bike across the Don Valley Parkway near the Dundas street overpass. A bold statement for rider’s rights or just stupid? Discuss among yourselves.”
    One vote stupid.

  • rocketeer

    Stupid.
    This can only help already cozy relations between cyclists and motorists.

  • torontothegreat

    “A cyclist (bi, not motor) suffered a broken leg when he was struck by a car while walking his bike across the Don Valley Parkway near the Dundas street overpass. A bold statement for rider’s rights or just stupid? Discuss among yourselves.”
    Definitely stupid. Why would you not just take it OVER the “overpass” I mean isn’t that what it’s for?

  • jaymo

    The guy is obviously a fucking idiot. Just another example of the general disregard for everyone else that exists in our society. People just do whatever they want these days without any thought to how their actions may affect others. The DVP was a mess for over three hours because of this loser.
    In a time when the popularity of cycling is on a fast incline – this will not help the negative opinion of cyclists at all.

  • Green Sulfur

    Patrick, Why even re-start this debate? Was there *anything* in the news that even hints at the possibility this guy was making a point by walking his bike on a highway? (Maybe you saw a banner on the guy’s bike that no one else did saying “RIGHTS FOR BICYCLE-WALKERS!”?)
    When critical mass did the Gardiner it was an obvious political statement but there’s no indication of that here. Instead you’ve just needlessly reignited a debate that has all the people who decried the CM decision coming back to rail on all cyclists.
    I’d have laughed at an insensitive smart-ass remark but what was the point of this? Smarten up.

  • David Newland

    Stupid, but it doesn’t reflect on cyclists any more than a drunk driver reflects on motorists.

  • Patrick Metzger

    Green Sulfur:
    Of course it was just a complete lack of common sense on the cyclist’s part, not a political statement. That’s the gist of the insensitive joke, which is even less funny when I have to explain it.
    And humour-wise, there’s not a lot of room to manoeuvre in there.

  • David Topping

    For my article about the Gardiner ride, Green Sulfur, you should know that I spoke to a few people who went up, and they said that it wasn’t planned, or intended to be a huge political statement. People projected what they wanted to onto it after it had already happened—and people spun it into a huge bikes vs. cars debate when I don’t think everyone involved in the ride was thinking that way (though some certainly were). And you’re pissed because someone else is (jokingly) projecting…

  • Gloria

    Wait. So is a delivery van half-parked in a bike lane making a political statement, or just one individual idiot?

  • Ben

    I don’t think that apathy is a statement.

  • Mark Ostler

    Sadly, I won’t be able to laugh at the Harper-Khadr joke until Harper’s out of office and Khadr sees some really justice (i.e. the same standard applied to child soldiers in other conflicts).

  • Mark Ostler

    Meant to say “real justice”…

  • friend68

    So Critical Mass riding on the Gardner was just peachy… Why? Because they didn’t get hit?
    Highways are off limits to cyclists for the same reasons there are minimum speed limits… coming across a vehicle moving so much slower makes it impossible for the traffic to react to.
    Dangerous stunts aren’t the way to inspire any real, needed change to the way transit, pedestrian traffic and cyclists are planned for.

  • snailspace

    Sorry, that wasn’t a cyclist. That was “Guy on a Bike” striking again.

  • sniderscion

    “At least Two of the feet belong to the same person” Doesn’t this imply that there could be more? Are they expecting more to belong to one individual? This is turning into an X-file; call Mulder and Scully!

  • rek

    Anyone else think a container full of illegal immigrants got pushed off a boat, and parts of their bodies are washing up after the sea life got its fill?

  • flashman

    #16, No; according to the RCMP the shoes cladding the feet were sold in North America, excepting one which was of a type mostly sold in India. More or less rules out the idea they were illegal immigrants.
    As for just falling off, yes, that’s apparently exactly what happened – bodies get a little soft after time in the water and tend to come apart through decomposition and marine life feeding on them.

  • Patrick Metzger

    The curious thing to me about the foot mystery is why BC? No doubt people die at sea all over the place, and if feel are the last thing to get eaten/disintegrate/sink, why aren’t they washing up all around the world?
    BTW flashman, is your name after the books by George Macdonald Fraser – I consider GMF one of the great writers of the last century but I rarely run into fellow fans.