Heliomass has movedSo sick of drivers almost running me over and then showing no remorse. Psychopaths.
This is why I’m so put off cycling in Montreal in spite of being a genuine cycling advocate. Too dangerous. Drivers don’t even view cyclists as human. You can have all the infrastructure you want, but without a deep cultural change not being in a car will always be dangerous and sometimes deadly.
I think it’s the powerlessness you feel after these close shaves.
At the end of the day not being in an oversized SUV means your fate, maybe even your life of the life of a child with you is at the mercy of whether another person is bothering to pay attention… or maybe is having a bad day and wants to do some consequence free intimidation.
The act of not being in a car is dehumanising by design, even in cities like Montreal where active transport is normalised.
</rant>
To wrap things up, this is just the worst: https://rcmp.ca/en/bc/safety-tips/road-safety/pedestrian-safety
• Both pedestrians and drivers have a responsibility to ensure that both parties remain safe in their travels
• Cross only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Never jay walk.
• Make eye contact with drivers. Keep your head up and look where you’re walking. Never assume that drivers see you.
Basically, it’s policy that it’s really always the fault of the “pedestrian”
(OK, I’m really done now!)
Young Thos@heliomass This is the RCMP acting as the equivalent to the Sûreté du Québec or the OPP in BC because they don't have their own provincial police force, and not federal policy thankfully.
And I could be wrong, given that highway codes are a provincial jurisdiction, but as far as I know jaywalking is a pure americanism and doesn't even exist as a term in any provincial highway code. Some provinces, like Ontario, even explicitly permit 'mid-block crossing'
🚎🏳️🌈Pollute_my_lungs@heliomass how can I make eye contact with a driver? I can’t see that far and a lot of drivers have their windows tinted.
@pollute_my_lungs Ughhh, I hate tinted windows. And often they have the sun shield down so you can’t see their eyes. Also makes it easier to dehumanise people when you can’t see their faces.
Peter Christensen@heliomass I hear ya, and I've felt exactly the same way at times after a close call. But for me, I find driving my car so unpleasant (and, ironically, dehumanizing), and riding my bike SO much more pleasurable overall, that the risks outweigh the dangers.
I recognize that everyone will have their own threshold.
But yeah, #FuckCars #FuckDrivers indeed!