Crash Texting

[Easy Drifter]

I almost wonder if Wade91, who we seem to have lost, since the Tennessee floods has moved to Canada.
A 16 year old was busily texting away as he rode his bike down a street.
He plowed into the back of a parked car and went over the handlebars into the back window of said car. He broke the window.
He was not wearing a helmet but only suffered scratches and bruises and was released from hospital after a short visit to Emerg. Must have had a hard head.
At 16 in nanny Ont. it is illegal to ride a bicycle without a helmet.
That is just a minor problem for him as he has been charged with careless driving.

[MrJan]

Are we talking push bike or motorbike/moped?

[Easy Drifter]

Bicycle or push bike.

[52Paddy]

Ridiculous. I hate gardaí (policemen) who stop you for breaking some simple road rules on a bicycle, as if you were driving a car. I get it all the bloody time :mad:

[MrJan]

I've been pulled on a bicycle a couple of times but nowt more than a ticking off. Once I jumped a red light (half eleven at night, road obviously empty and I wanted to get home and watch Red Dwarf), once for not having a front light (stupid, but it was on the way home from work and I was on the road for about 100yards of the journey, in which time I saw a police car) and finally in an industrial estate which was on the way home from town. Every time they used the flashing blue lights and went a bit OTT but mostly just asked some questions and went on their way. Considering that 2 of the times I'd had at least 3-4 pints I'm quite happy with that (for me the bike is largely a way to get home from the pub)

[52Paddy]

I've been pulled on a bicycle a couple of times but nowt more than a ticking off. Once I jumped a red light (half eleven at night, road obviously empty and I wanted to get home and watch Red Dwarf), once for not having a front light (stupid, but it was on the way home from work and I was on the road for about 100yards of the journey, in which time I saw a police car) and finally in an industrial estate which was on the way home from town. Every time they used the flashing blue lights and went a bit OTT but mostly just asked some questions and went on their way. Considering that 2 of the times I'd had at least 3-4 pints I'm quite happy with that (for me the bike is largely a way to get home from the pub)

Interesting. As a courier, I tend to attract much more police attention than a commuter. It's usually for cycling on footpaths, cycling up one-way streets, breaking red lights or having no brakes (which legally, they can't complain about unless I am involved in an accident). What ticks me off is that I'm in control of the situations I put myself in. I never put any pedestrian's life in jeopardy (admittedly, they are not aware that I know what I'm doing). A testimony to this is that any accident I have had involving a pedestrian was their fault, and they've admitted so.

Sorry for continuing to rant but I do get frustrated with the stick I get from policemen for being a courier :mad:

[Mark in Oshawa]

Lets see Paddy, you ride the wrong way up streets, ride on sidewalks...ya...I cant see WHY a cop would object?

Geeze...bicycles are still considered vehicles under the law. They have exemptions and the like for helmets and licensing, but they still are vehicles and subject to the rules of the road. Cops choose NOT to go after cyclists because there really is no point to it, but couriers...well the havoc they can cause weaving in and out of downtown traffic often is cause for them to be pulled in. You may not be a bad courier at all Paddy, but the guys in Toronto are just downright nuts...and I can see why the cops hassle them.

BTW, before you think of me as some Nazi in a car, I spent most of my teen years riding miles everywhere, and I often played a little fast and loose with the rules of the road, but as you said, I knew what I was doing....

[52Paddy]

Lets see Paddy, you ride the wrong way up streets, ride on sidewalks...ya...I cant see WHY a cop would object?

Geeze...bicycles are still considered vehicles under the law. They have exemptions and the like for helmets and licensing, but they still are vehicles and subject to the rules of the road. Cops choose NOT to go after cyclists because there really is no point to it, but couriers...well the havoc they can cause weaving in and out of downtown traffic often is cause for them to be pulled in. You may not be a bad courier at all Paddy, but the guys in Toronto are just downright nuts...and I can see why the cops hassle them.

BTW, before you think of me as some Nazi in a car, I spent most of my teen years riding miles everywhere, and I often played a little fast and loose with the rules of the road, but as you said, I knew what I was doing....

Don't get me wrong, I can understand that a lot of what couriers (including myself) can be nuts at times, or at least seemingly. But, it's usually small things I get pulled up on. For example, I was cycling on a pedestrianised street and, while I cannot argue against being stopped by that policeman, there were other commuters just cycling by. Yes, he told them to get off (much more politely than I was confronted) and allowed them to continue their business. In my case, he was very condescending, sent me a fine and, more than that, wasted my time which, in turn, is money when you're on commission.

But I do understand that there are some crazy couriers out there too. Like really crazy! :p :

[Drew]

Most teenagers can text without looking at their phone, so he clearly needs to work on his texting skills :p :