Kid hit by cyclist starts flurry of comment
A video capture of a cyclist colliding with a child crossing Jeanne‑Mance to board a school bus in the Plateau has sparked a flurry of critical comment and well‑intentioned advice. I’ve seen the bike path layout criticized, the kid’s parents criticized, and inevitably the incident used as a premise to criticize cyclists generally for being negligent users of the streets.
The kid wasn’t injured and the cops haven’t laid any charges, but are investigating.
Saturday, CBC reports that the cyclist was fined $131 for not stopping for a school bus.
walkerp 10:27 on 2024-05-11 Permalink
A strong reminder to all of us on bikes that we have to adjust our modes now that bike-riding is finally being respected. As the city and infrastructure are being developed to create legitimate bike routes, we have to start behaving and following the rules that go with that.
Meezly 10:46 on 2024-05-11 Permalink
I’m kinda continuing from the older post about this incident. I regularly bike that stretch of Jeanne-Mance and often encounter the school bus, so am aware that it stops in front of several homes. Even as a cyclist who often makes Idaho stops at stop signs, I do actually stop when the school bus stop lights come out.
It’s fairly common sense if you’re the kind of cyclist who pays any attention to your surroundings. After all, bikes do share the same rules of the road as vehicles. I do admit that if I don’t see any kids on my side, I’ll sometimes continue on very slowly. But that woman on the BIXI who plowed into that girl was going fast. I can’t imagine what the outcome would be if she was on an e-Bixi. She seemed to be one of those oblivious and ignorant cyclists, who give cyclists a bad rap.
There’s a safety cycling program for kids that participate with elementary schools in Montreal! You have to make a request with the teacher to see if this is possible. At my kid’s school there were at least two classes that were participating, and I asked her if it’d be possible for my kid’s class this year. Unfortunately, she said she wouldn’t have time 🙁
Ian 11:43 on 2024-05-11 Permalink
They had a bike rodeo at my kid’s school aa couple of years running, back when it was still the CSDM.
Tim S. 11:46 on 2024-05-11 Permalink
My elementary school had a bike safety lesson. I was in French immersion, so we watched a dubbed video of Bill Cosby and had a very joually-police sergeant come in and talk to us. All grade one anglo me got out of it was some bizarre arm waving.