[Edit] – Please be sure to also read the pōstˈmôrtəm assessment of this event.
When you bike 260 days in a year, you’re going to have some incidents. I didn’t much like this one. This was an aggressive driver who narrowly missed me once (actually he hit my left signalling arm) and then proceeded to purposely hit me from behind to tell me to get out of the way. The person was reported to the Ottawa Police and I guess I’ll find out what happened at a later date. Technically it’s a hit a run, but I’m not sure what the investigating officer is going to do with it. He wasn’t too impressed after seeing the video. He was going to talk to the person.
People, me and my bike weigh less than 180lbs (yes I’m that wimpy). I just can’t compete with a car/suv. Would he have hit a car for being stuck in traffic? No. He was stuck in traffic. I’m not sure what else to say. I was shaken up for a while as my son can attest to. Will I be out there again tomorrow? Of course. Will need to post a happier video after this one 
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Hey, maybe you should turn the cyber stalkers at 4chan onto this guy. Just mention you’re a puppy or something.
Sorry to see you get rear-ended. When, I’m fully armored and on the motorcycle (600+ pounds approx.) I have more metal to protect me than you but really can’t do much except escape quickly if I see someone closing in on me. Like you, I use a lot of reflective gear to ensure my backside glows but definitely isn’t much of a defense against the ignorant.
WOW. Kudos to you for your restraint, I would have been swearing a blue streak at that guy. I bike through that part of town all the time, and I’m going to keep an eye out for him. Hitting you on purpose? That’s just UNCALLED FOR. I’ll add, would he have hit a pedestrian who decided to cross in front of him? I will bet not.
Hope you’re feeling less shaken up now. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a happier video for you!
Thanks, good community messages coming in making me feel better. Maybe I’ll make a good bus tag video, I think I’m forming a relationship with them on Carling.
Hi Ken Pleased that you were not hurt. I know what its like I have been riding a number of years from Kanata to Merivale and averaging 250-300kms /week
Consider myself a very experienced rider. Left turns in traffic always dangerous, several buddies injured by vehicles in left turns . Claiming the lane is the proper tactic but still risky.
My worst was slightly different ..run over by a SUV running a red light. Police charged driver with failure to yield ($55.00) Me?
16 Days in ICU legs broken 5 places ,both shoulders and hips extensive damage 5 heart incidents due to heart enlargement (swelling) due to impact., left arm still no feeling and permantely damaged hand Figure driver doing 40+ 0n cell phone not looking No charges then (2008) Five doctors assumed it non survivable. However conditioning from riding is assumed to have saved my life very ZEN according to my doc who stated “The bike saved your life” Who knows? I can’t say that I was impressed by the police action at that time or since. I tried in vain to get info on another 25 year old hit the same day who died several days later But police , Citizen and Sun show no deaths on bikes in 2008/ I also contacted CFSC and OBC for info on dangerous intersections etc to no avail. I guess the message is ..”You’re on your own ” please be careful out there. I am back doing limited commuting but hope to get back to full time riding this spring At 69 it’s a little tough to recover but I am getting there.
I am going to mount a cam and would certainly appreciate any advice you could offer me on purchasing and mounting etc if you can find the time
I can only offer all cyclists the old (at least similiar) Airborne Prayer “Fair winds and soft landings” I guess it worked for me and hope it works for all.
Cheers
I intend on doing an ‘equipment’ page, but the short answer is I currently use a ContourGPS with the handlebar mount. GoPro is another option. I’ll need to get together with someone who has one to do a real comparison. I can’t say I picked one over the other due to quality of image.
Crazy. Who would do that? Whenever you need to take a lane and do it, there’s a chance the uninformed person behind will be angry, but hitting your bike? Unbelievable. Way to keep your head and speak out the info in case the video didn’t get it. Shake it off as best you can, knowing cycling commuters everywhere appreciate what you’re doing, including catching this dude on video.
http://theincidentalcyclist.blogspot.com/2011/02/hit-on-purpose.html
OMG that makes me so upset!!!! I too would have been swearing and screaming at that guy, I admire your restraint. I wish I could throw my chain at his stupid SUV
I saw this on Kate’s blog and I promptly retweeted it. I hope the police do something, but if they don’t, a little public shaming doesn’t hurt. Glad you are okay.
Thanks, the officer was a nice guy, seemed like he was going to talk to the owner/driver. Video evidence works well.
I also commute through the year and have wondered about mounting a camera. What do you use? It would be great to have some of these experiences on video.
Glad you are ok. I tend to avoid taking the lane because of incidents like this. Although, I have never been hit intentionally. Drivers like that kill people eventually.
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I hope s/he gets arrested for this hit and run and taken off the road before someone is killed.
It’s the same action that Michael Bryant did before he killed Darcy Allan Sheppard.
tOM
Wow, what restraint! When I was hit by a car downtown, I yelled quite a bit at the guy.
It’s a sad world when cyclists must record their commute on video in order to get a voice.
While it doesn’t condone his actions, you did cut the guy off when you changed lanes.
He had already cut me off as I was merging left and I was worried for my safety so I took the opening. Check the distance between the car turning left, me, and the white that appears. He hit my signal arm with his mirror then plowed past me. I was about to run into cars which was why I was signaling my merge. So I took the spot which I needed to.
You’re complaining about not being given the lane and fearing for your safety. Fine. You ride a bike so it’s understandable to have some fear. But you forget that you’re operating a vehicle in a roadway. You’re not owed right-of-way like a pedestrian. You are supposed to wait until it is safe to make a lane change. You didn’t. If you watch your video you’re moving in and out of the right lane when you feel like it.
That doesn’t make it right for the guy to have hit you (if he did.. it’s not apparent from the video.. and I’ve seen cyclists feign anything to harass motorists). In the end if you felt you couldn’t hold the right lane in a safe way then you should have merged into the left when safe, or waited until it was safe. Even if that means stopping.
I agree, I have no free right-of-way. Not sure how many times I moved in/out of the right side. I was in the right lane, merged over thought I was going to get the lane, didn’t, so then moved into the lane in front of the car where there was a gap. And you’ll just have to believe me, I’m not out to get motorists.
more people need these http://johnprolly.blogspot.com/2008/08/car-scratchers.html
I’d likely tip over, not get out of my cleats, and impale myself
FYI – my reply was a joke – I’d never install these.
Any updates from the police?
And, out of curiosity, what did you use to film your ride? The quality looks great!
No updates. I use a ContourGPS. The GoPro’s are also very popular.
I am still boiling over this.
I have had yelling fights (which I always win as they speed out of hearing distance) with drivers over this. A lot of people are ignorant of the law that entitles cyclists to use a lane when and where we feel necessary. One place I always take the lane is Bank Street Bridge with its narrow lanes, high sidewalk and lots of speeders – too many times I have been nearly clipped.
This is now in the Toronto Sun online:
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2011/02/12/17254496.html
Here in the City of Victoria, I’m in a kind of dialogue with a sergeant at the city traffic division over when it’s legal to take the lane. We have a great cycling advocate on our city council who is interested.
I’d really like to see some kind of official policy that matches what I heard from my Can-Bike instructor (totally consistent with the post from Graydon Patterson here:http://www.tripleshotcycling.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1102&view=previous )
If you’d like to contact me I’d be happy to keep you informed of how it’s going here.
Sure, my email is in the about page. The comments I’m getting here and elsewhere are conflicting. I took a lane but too aggressively, why not just ride up the side, or stop and wait for a break (I think that would just cause more confusion).
you ride like a retard, squeeze between cars and cut in front of the ford……….just because you signalled with your arm, it doesnt mean you can cut in front or force yourself in front of them……you are lucky the guy was able to stop without running over you…….hope the cops give you a ticket
That’s great, a comment with no balls. Leave your real address you moron if you want to play with the grown ups.
Read the comments, re-watch the video. I am NOT an aggressive cyclist. Everyone was stopped including me.
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2011/02/12/17254496.html
You cut him off dude. Pretty rudely too. You should have stopped and yielded until it was clear. I am not condoning him for tapping you, but it is very frustrating as a driver when you guys pull these stunts. Oh and get rid of the camera, it just shows that you are trying to cause trouble… weirdo
He did not stop or yield to me, I had to take a lane. As I mention before, look at the car turning left at Sunnyside, where I am in the video, take my word that I’m signalling my merge left to get around the parked cars, and just estimate how that SUV squeezed in. Thanks for using a real name. I’m all for the comments, I expect it and want to address them. I try to show the good and the bad here. I’m not trying to say all motorists are evil or that I’m flawless.
So I guess stopping was not an option for you then? Just push your way in and blame the other guy when something bad happens. Get off of your high horse. All that video shows is that despite you signaling, you were not likely seen. When have you ever seen driver’s drive while looking out their passenger’s side window? You had plenty of room in the right lane, but you saw a bus way ahead and decided to dart into the left lane cutting off the SUV. You’re lucky the roads were not more slick….
The guy was behind as we both started passing the car turning left and and then darted past me, I thought I had that spot so I’m pretty sure he saw me. I agree that if he had the left lane already I can’t just stick out my arm and expect to be let in. As far as darting in, I’m getting mixed messages on whether to take the spot/lane or ride up the side being cautious to look for people entering/exiting their cars. At that time of day it’s all parked cars along the way so I can hang in traffic or sneak up the side. I appreciate the feedback Bob, I’m listening to it all. Maybe someone should ride a horse down Bank and see how it’s treated.
Frankly it’s cyclists like you that generate these problems. As I mentioned in my above post you aren’t owed right-of-way like pedestrians, but you think you are.
You don’t ‘take the lane’. You are supposed to wait until it is safe to merge into the lane like any other vehicle. If you can’t understand that concept then you shouldn’t be riding your bike on the roads. If you want to complain that it’s dangerous or you’ll ‘impale’ yourself on something, then again, you shouldn’t be on the roads if you can’t operate your vehicle within the rules of the road in a safe manner.
Sorry bro, but you cut the guy off. I know you’re mad so it’s hard to be objective but it’s the truth. Your lane was blocked by a parked car and his/her lane had free traffic flow. Just because you signal doesn’t entitle you to pull in front. Even if the lane had stopped. Brake and wait for an opening in the lane you wish to change into, a car would have to do the same thing.
Of course the guy was totally wrong to hit you and I hope he gets charged for hit and run.
But atleast you weren’t on the sidewalk, as someone who BMWs it (Bus/Metro/Walk) to go to work, nothing worse than having to dodge cyclists on the sidewalk, got hit once myself by a biker while walking, maybe I need a camera too…. lol.
Stay safe.
His lane did not have traffic flow, there is a car turning left at Sunnyside which requires people to stop behind that car or pass that car in the rightmost lane which I was in. So the white vehicle squeezed in between me and that car turning left. As John Vance mentions below (as others have), I should take more lane earlier thereby negating that option.
OK, in the future, merge over and take the lane much, much earlier. You’re riding too far right, you signaled too late, you tried to merge too late and found yourself trying to move over while the driver was passing you too close. You should have aggressively taken the lane a good 10 seconds earlier, at around time index 00:07 .
That said, his hitting and re-passing you was totally uncalled for.
Will try to do that, thanks
@john
Do you live in the city? Do you know the area/roads he is talking about. He was in the lane before the intersection. The SUV was behind him when he was taking the left lane and the suv driver passed him in the intersection. Which I am pretty sure he would not have done with a motor vehicle at traffic speed. This is just a vehicle driver using his car to bully someone he does not want ahead of him. Since he hit him and left it is no diff than what occurred in Toronto with a connected former politician. Except that Ken got it on video.
B
Kudos to you Ken! It is dangerous enough out there on the road with ignorant people not paying attention (i.e. talking on their cell phones or texting), and then we have these type of drivers to add to the mix. I hope the police will give this person, at least, a fine to send the message that this type of behaviour is not tolerated in our city!
It seems like some people are ignorant of that fact that, as a bicyclist, you have full right to a full lane when needed. Some excerpts from the Ministry of Transport’s cycling guide at:
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/section5.0.shtml
“A bicycle is a vehicle under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act (HTA). This means that, as a bicyclist, you have the same rights and responsibilities to obey all traffic laws as other road users.”
“HTA 147 – Slow moving traffic travel on right side
any vehicle moving slower than the normal traffic speed should drive in the right-hand lane, or as close as practicable to the right edge of the road except when preparing to turn left or when passing another vehicle. For cyclists, you must ride far enough out from the curb to maintain a straight line, clear of sewer grates, debris, potholes, and parked car doors. You may occupy any part of a lane when your safety warrants it. Never compromise your safety for the convenience of a motorist behind you.”
“HTA 142 – Signalling a turn
before turning, look behind you and signal your turn. Cyclists can use their right arm to signal a right turn.”
- Ken was preparing to change lanes due a line of cars blocking his
- Ken signaled it
- the SUV driver squeezed into Ken’s lane between the turning car and Ken, bumping his turning arm
- when Ken was able to, he moved fully over to the left lane
- according to Ken (can’t see in the video) everyone came to a stop, including the SUV driver
- the SUV driver then bumped Ken
So this is not an accident, it’s assault with a vehicle, against someone who was fully obeying the traffic laws.
Imagine that Ken was instead someone driving a small car like a Smart. Who would be in the wrong here? Now think that Ken and his bike are 180 pounds, and therefore much more vulnerable.
People need to stop driving as if their car is an extension of their personal body space. It’s not, and cars can and do kill.
Take care out there.
I was run over on May 21 last year and I’m still not OK. My body is OK but the brain injury lingers on. We are fragile and my bike is a wreak. Your video from the camera strikes me as a really good idea (… necessary equipment?) but I ask why should such evidence be necessary? Well there’s no question, aggressive drivers just think they can move on. Good work on the follow through with the police, although it almost seems as though there has to be some harm done before they excited. This fellow should lose his licence and see what it’s like to walk for a while. Take care, Ken.
I was also hit May 7th last year. I was heading East’ish on Colonel By just about to go under the Bronson bridge and a van going in the opposite direction turned into me. Hit my rear wheel and sent me flying. Luckily I wasn’t injured, the bike was. This driver simply didn’t see me, his passenger did and screamed something but it was too late. The driver wasn’t evil, this was a true accident. Sorry you’re still feeling the effects of your crash.
Wow, I can’t believe there are comments defending this animal driver. Ken, I longboard in NYC so I can totally relate to your experience. I often have arguments with dangerous drivers, and usually banging on their beloved cars is what it takes to make them understand we exist.
An emphasis should be placed on car owners to complete mandatory driving courses – that also involve how to drive with cyclists on the road. I think we can all remember the guy who was struck and killed earlier last year, and as someone who also commutes daily with his bike, I know the dangers out there. Bike paths are certainly not an issue in this city – the roads are definitely wide enough – drivers need to know how to navigate with bikers on the streets as well.
I agree that motorrists need to respect cyclists on the road, however, cyclists need to respect motorists as well. I can’t count the number of times I have witnessed a cyclist cruise through a stop sign or a red light because “there was no traffic coming the other way”. WHAT?? if a motorist did that, we would be ticketed and lose demerit points off our driver’s license so why is it that cyclists feel the rules of the road only apply to them when they feel they have been wronged? what about the motorists who have to slam on their breaks to avoid hitting a cyclist who felt the stop sign/red light didn’t apply to them? The rules of the road apply to ALL makes of vehicles using them…bikes/car/motorcycles. If there is a stop sign…STOP!
I don’t disagree with you Tracey. I do believe that bikers who run stop signs and or red lights and have a valid drivers license will in fact accrue demerit points and face fines. When a 5200lb vehicle runs a red light however, serious damage to other vehicles and/or pedestrians can occur. See my latest postings about red light runners. In two instances in the same morning on my way to work, if I wasn’t paying attention to the traffic I would be another casualty. You can’t completely say that’s my fault.
Clearly you were aggressive and cut him off. I am all for taking the lane where needed, but common sense and defensive driving techniques prevail. Cyclists should not act like bullies of the road – wait until it is clear and change lanes, as you would in any other vehicle. Cars hit other cars when they do manoeuvres like that – no special privileges for bikes to cut off other vehicles under the guise of ‘taking the lane’.
No lycra bullies, please – drive defensively.
Thanks for the advice, you can read my other comments on who took whose lane above. All the feedback I will use to adjust my biking.
Lycra bullies!
It must be terrifying having a cyclist cut you off when you are behind the wheel. The number of drivers killed and maimed by cyclists and their agressive cycling habits is really starting to add up… to zero.
It would be terrifying to run over someone with a vehicle, no matter who is at fault. Sorry, but riding a bike in the winter, in the dark, and aggressively all add up to a potential accident, and I for one do not want your blood on my hands. I had a friend who hit a child who ran out in front of his car – he still lives with the pain and trauma 20 years later. Why should your self righteous, indignant demand to ‘take the lane’ put me or anyone else through that trauma if you want to endanger your own life in the process. Get a bus pass. Or drive defensively, and courteously.
Easy solution Lance. Slow down and don’t pass the cyclist. Nobody will be at risk if you do that.
You are the one driving the machine that kills people and getting mad when they are in your way.
That pain and trauma that you mention is called is called guilt.
The story is now on Canoe.ca
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2011/02/12/17254486.html
Ken:
Glad you are okay. As a cyclist and motorist I can see both sides, but certainly nudging a cyclist with your car is inexcuseable and dangerous. I think I might have waited to merge until I cleared the intersection though. Take care out there.
Thanks, I’ve certainly got a lot of things to think about next time I go through that intersection both on bike and in the car
I have been in a similar altercation to yours, merging left on March Road as the bike “lane” ends just before Herzberg. I shoulderchecked, signalled my intent to move left and was on the left side of the lane as a motorist moved left then cut right as she overtook me, buzzing me with her passenger mirror as she turned (no signals) onto Herzberg. I followed her to her building (the old Digital/Compaq/HP building, now vacant) and confronted her. She got out of her car, coffee in one hand, cellphone pressed to her ear and a smoke on the go. I tried to be calm but “pleasantries” were quickly exchanged as she explained she had the right of way as she was in a car and “doing 80″. I am not proud of what I said to her, but I did take pictures of her car and plates and filed a police report and the police did call her. She told the police she felt threatened and scared by me confronting her.
You have convinced me to get a helmet camera this spring so I can document these altercations. Seems like if you don’t have pictures, it didn’t happen.
Wow, congratulations on getting this sort of behaviour out in the public discussion. Hopefully BEPT 819 will be sufficiently chastened and modify his behaviour.
I find the comments to be typically depressing, I hope you do not take riding advise or modify your riding style based on these comments. Cyclists can’t win, of course we are always responsible for the calamities that fall on us. You should have taken the lane earlier, no you should have stopped and waited for traffic to clear (in about 45 min). You deserved it because you cut the driver off, besides it is winter and at night how could the van have seen you. This is beyond ridiculous, regardless of what the video shows there is no reason for a car to make contact with another vehicle or pedestrian without stopping and offering to exchange information, apologizes and generally be contrite. This driver was a bully and deserves a fine and a talking to, maybe even some serious charges.
As to your riding, it looks fine to me. The camera distorts and plays tricks with distances, but it was clear to me that you were in the left half or the right hand lane when the BEPT 819 took your land passing the car in front of him on the right (a legal manoeuvre BTW, assuming there is no one in the right hand lane, oops there you were).
Keep up the good work.
Ken
I am a group leader with the Ottawa Bicycle Club. The OBC is the largest bicycle club in Ontario, and apparently the oldest club in the country. About five years ago we were experiencing problems with motorist “harassment”, particularly on the Russell Road. To me, “harassment” does not include throwing your vehicle at a group of cyclists, but I do not wish to get into an argument regarding what constitutes an “assault”, so I will use the less provocative term.
Forgive me if you are already aware of the points I am about to make, but they have not come up earlier in the discussion and those who are following this thread should know about them.
I mounted a camera on my bicycle five years ago to counter the harassment we were experiencing, and with the support of the club executive, proceeded to report incidents to the police. Bad news travels fast within the Russell Road scofflaw subculture evidently, and the number of incidents diminished drastically. My last report two years ago involved two motorists who passed a tandem hay wagon directly against a group I was leading on the Snake Island Road. It ended up being a two-for—two motorists convicted of unsafe passing as a result of a single complaint. I will send that police report directly to your gunshy email address. Constable Frank Mask was the very professional and courteous police officer who handled the case, and out of consideration for his desire to respect the privacy of the motorists involved, I am not going to post details here.
Sgt. Graydon Patterson, mentioned elsewhere in this blog, used to give a lecture at the beginning of the cycling season to our group leaders, and he encouraged my camera use. I can still remember the secretary at the Ottawa East traffic branch of the OPF exclaiming “I love it” when I confirmed to her during a phone conversation that I was the one who had sent in the police report for the Snake Island incident. My report nailed down the time of the incident to within several seconds and the location of the incident to within 10 or so feet on a very clear Google map thanks to GPS data that was sent along with the photographic data. Both licence numbers and drivers were identifiable in the photographs.
There were no incidents requiring us to make a police complaint last year. Contrary to first impressions, belligerent motorists are not mental defectives—most of them are able to grasp consequences. The six degrees of separation theory is real—video surveillance is a remarkable deterrent, and it was only a matter of weeks before word got out and we noticed a real difference when I started using the camera five years ago.
It remains important to understand the police perspective when making a complaint. They prefer to press charges for traffic violations they witness. Getting charges thrown out of court is bad for their performance appraisal. The last thing they want to hear is an accusation unsupported by any independent witnesses and with no supporting evidence.
You can’t charge a car—unless the offence falls under the photo-radar/red light camera provisions of the Highway Traffic Act. If you can not provide a rough description of the motorist who struck you (white/black, male/female/, young/middle aged, slight/overweight, bald/bearded, etc.) it is unlikely that he or she will be charged. I know whereof I speak—the OPF assigned my first set of complaints to police officers who were also members of the OBC, including Graydon, and I can vividly remember the advice that was given to me by Constable Louise Laflur after my first complaint.
My best guess, based on my experience, is that the most you can expect in your case is a “caution” issued against the driver. Nevertheless, do not underestimate the value of this action. His transgression will be recorded on the OPF computer, and will influence how he is treated in the future. That sort of thing is good for both cyclists and the police. A constable on routine traffic patrol really needs to know if the jerk he is pulling over for a minor traffic infraction is potentially of unsound mind. A vehicle description and a partial plate matching a motorist cautioned against harassing a cyclist could be an important lead in a hit-and-run case.
It is possible that your motorist will incriminate himself when he is interviewed by the police, but unless the they initially advise him that he has the right to consult a lawyer (not to have one present, as in the US), anything he says can not be used against him (implied police coercion). Two years ago, Manfred Ankenbrand of Carlsbad Springs, driving a dark blue Honda Accord licence BBBX 998, deliberately stood on his horn, gunned his engine and struck one of our cyclists travelling in a group on the Russell Road, inflicting a minor injury that nevertheless required medical follow-up. Ankenbrand did not stop, but admitted to police afterwards that he was the individual driving his vehicle at the time, that he hated cyclists and that he had acted deliberately. The police could not find evidence of contact on Ankenbrand’s car, and refused to press charges. My video work had brought me to the attention of several media types, and I forwarded the details of that incident to my contacts hoping that someone I sincerely believed to be demented or unstable could be stopped before he killed someone. To my everlasting regret, I was not present on the ride where our member was struck, so there was no video evidence that would have made an interesting media story or resulted in a conviction. As you have discovered, your video camera makes your cycling misadventures media worthy.
Mounting a camcorder on your bicycle is a very good idea, but your responsibilities don’t end at maintaining its deterrent effect by reporting any incidents. You need to be able to give a general description of the motorist.
Most of the readers of this blog are probably aware that the HTA very clearly specifies that no vehicle (the definition of which includes a bicycle as per clause 1. (1)) is legally required to leave more than one-half of the roadway clear (clause 148 (5)). That is particularly important to club riders, as bicycle touring presumes a rotating/drafting two abreast formation. We have been unfailingly successful in defending cyclists’ legal rights in the past, and if you feel that you need support in your case, Ken, please contact me and I will help in any way that I can.
Those of you who are not aware of the rights of cyclists specified in the HTA and who are not content to motor on in blissful ignorance will find the Act at http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90h08_e.htm
The legal situation is entirely different in Quebec. In my lifetime, I have seen Quebec laws that disinherited a wife in favour of her husband’s brother rescinded, so I have some hope these good people will update their equally backward cycling laws. Hopefully, also within my lifetime.
Ken,
I was thinking tonight that a second camera might come in handy. It does not have to be an HD model but a Go Pro 960 facing rearwards would work well. Here is a video I found of someone using two cameras on a bike. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJlGm1EvAs8&feature=player_embedded#at=470 And after reading the post from the OBC leader, makes me think that a second camera would in this case definitely have caught the face and front lic plate of the hit and run driver. BTW there is a voice on this video, so the police might be able to listen to the perp as they try and say they were not the driver.
B
Gord Boston – you are obviously a petty, small man. I hope the individual you slander in your posting sues you to kingdom come. I truly, truly do. You obviously have entitlement issues.
If you are a slow moving vehicle, be it tractor, car or bike, move to the right to let others pass. It is simple courtesy, nothing more, nothing less.
For those without simple courtesy and manners, prepare yourself to live a life attracting the disdain of more civilized, cultured and responsible people.
You deserve it.
Wow…I am very disappointed in car drivers in Ottawa. I am cyclist who has recently moved here from out West. I’ve noticed that Alberta drivers are just more courteous and less erratic than car drivers here in Ottawa. I find Ottawa drivers clueless on how to share the road.
Also the pot holes here are amazing and SUPER DANGEROUS! I can’t believe the holes I’ve found in bike lanes!
Ken keep it up.
This ‘Lance’ guy is OUT TO LUNCH!!!!
“– no special privileges for bikes to cut off other vehicles under the guise of ‘taking the lane’.”
You were totally in your right to take that lane. I wonder if Lance goes around rear ending cars that he feels have cut him off? Drivers like Lance make life on our roads just that much more dangerous. I also wonder if Lance has been on a bike since his first bike with training wheels!
According to the law:
Cycling and The Law
HTA 147
“You may occupy any part of a lane when your safety warrants it. Never compromise your safety for the convenience of a motorist behind you.”
Hey Ken,
I just heard your interview on CBC. Great job!
You came off as very well spoken, knowledgeable, and level-headed. Like you, I’ve had a hard time at that Bank and Sunnyside intersection and I find that whole following stretch to be very tricky; it has many parked cars, lots of ‘in and out’ traffic, and a relatively long and steep hill.
I really hope that City Hall considers doing something about these ‘transitory areas’ (from no parking to parking in this case). It seems that these types of areas are frequently where accidents happen (particularly the fatal ones of the past few years). The Laurier bike lane is a great first step to avoiding these these types of issues, so let’s hope that Ottawa goes further with these.
As your case shows, all it takes is one irresponsible and inconsiderate driver. While most drivers are accommodating, there are some amazingly ignorant drivers (particularly of the SUV/truck crowd) who are not aware that bikes can ride anywhere in the lane and that ‘dooring’ is a significant source of injury. That driver in your video really epitomizes this with his (her?) ‘Move Over!’ demand.
Anyways, just thought I’d share my compliments and my appreciation for your work in bringing this to the attention of the broader community.
On behalf of many bikers (and maybe many would-be bikers), I’d just like to say, ‘Thanks’! And, keep that video rolling! I’ll keep an eye open for you on Carling/Bank and I’ll be sure to ‘smile for the camera’!
Blayne
Hi Ken
I cycle nearly everyday, and once traveled the Bank Street route while living in Ottawa. I’ve commuted from the West End to the East and everywhere in between. I’ve recently moved to Toronto, where I continue to cycle from the downtown core to Markham. Unfortunately, there are no bike routes here running North to South, so I ride strictly on road.
While I do feel your frustration (trust me I know what it’s like to have someone cut me off with less than one meter between us. I’ve actually rear-ended an elderly woman who literally took the corner at speed to get around me), I also know what it is like to be in the drivers seat. I am not saying this was deserved, it definitely was not. But coming from a fellow cyclist who rides in all weather, I myself would have had second thoughts about squeezing into that left lane. Yes there were cars ahead of you parked on the right. Depending on how I felt, I might have looked into each rear window as I passed, to check if a ‘dooring’ was possible.
I like that your jacket has reflective striping, but I often see cyclists here in T.O riding with no lighting, save for the reflective taping. I don’t feel that is enough. [Again, I don't know what lighting system you have]. This obviously doesn’t seem to be a case of him ‘not’ seeing you.
I’m not sure how I would have reacted in the same situation at the same time. But I realize that I am just a bike, and although I am legally allowed to be on the road, and to take a full lane; I need to realize that it’s me against a car. If I was a pedestrian, and stepped out into a crosswalk, an oncoming car would kill me, regardless of who had the right of way. I feel that “I” couldn’t be more cautious on the road. I signal, I have some of the brightest lights on the market, and I obey all traffic laws; but I have still experienced my fair share of close calls and frustrations.
Glad you are okay in the end, keep cycling and stay safe
Regards,
Mike
” Depending on how I felt, I might have looked into each rear window as I passed, to check if a ‘dooring’ was possible.”
Mike Lee;
Unless you a); have x-ray vision, or, b); are psychic, you are playing Russian roulette in the door zone. Don’t do it. Ever. You may be lucky and never get nailed, but your odds of getting a ‘Door Prize’ increase every time you ride in that area. Even at 2 km/hr, you can still be knocked over by an inattentive driver (or rear passenger, for that matter) quickly popping a door open.
No, don’t get me wrong, I agree with what you are saying. I should have been a little clearer, during daylight hours, I often check rearview windows, for ‘shapes’ in the drivers seat. I also check side view mirrors to see if anyone is inside the vehicle. On top of that, I check the tires, I can judge movement much better by looking at the contact of the wheel with the road, rather than at the car as a ‘whole’. Having said all that, I don’t ‘stare’ at these things. I do everything I can to be cautious, and all of these things have saved my hide countless times. I can either anticipate what happens next and deal with it. In all my years of cycling (usually 50km a day, 4-5x a week) I’m pretty happy with my odds. Now since I’ve said that, I better knock on wood.
But, I agree, being dark, I probably wouldn’t have squeezed in there. But I was just detailing some of the things that I do to avoid accidents and mishaps.
Congratulations Ken:
I heard you on CBC Ottawa this morning. You were very good and balanced.
I hope we manage to bring awareness, among the Motor vehicle driving public, of being mindful of us cyclist. I admire you for bicycling in the winter. When I started bicycling to work in 1970, I only did it at the time when I could wear shorts. After a couple of years I managed to extend my season and bicycled from March up to December as long as the pavement was bear. It was quite a challenge then (a) motor vehicles were alot more polluting and you could suffocate from the exhaust fumes specially early on a cold morning and (b) motor vehicles did not even seem to notice you and treated you like you were a nuisance.
This mounted camera of yours is a great idea. Abrees like we say in Armenian!
Alberta, Tristan – he was not in his right to ‘take the lane’ – there was a moving vehicle in that lane, and he cut him off. You have to shoulder check, ensure it is safe to lane change, and then signal and move over slowly. It was not safe, he was clearly accelerating to pass the SUV on the right, then he hit his breaks.
Take the Lane does not mean cut off oncoming traffic – it means move over when it is safe to do so. And move back to the right to allow faster traffic to pass. As it says on the MTO website. It does not say “move over whenever you want to, and force traffic in that lane to brake to avoid hitting you”.
As Mike Lee says, I hope you feel as self righteous when you are nursing your injuries because the driver you cut off did not see you, or could not brake due to snow or ice.
Drive (and ride) Defensively, not self righteously.
BTW, I bike 2000K per year, road and trail, no incidents. Ever.
Lance you’re a troll. I don’t believe you ride a bike and I don’t believe you have watched the video you are supposedly commenting on. The SUV was not cut off, did not have to panic stop and had no right to make contact with anyone.
Go ride your bike and stop spewing nonsense.
Just because I don’t subscribe to your entitlement, does not mean I do not ride, nor am I a troll. I just take a more reasonable, educated, considerate opinion.
BTW, how would you feel if, on Ottawa Bike Pathways, pedestrians strode out in front of you to “Take the Path”? I bet you would curse and whiz past them by inches. They have a right to the path, and it is intimidating for them to be passed by entitled lycra warriors at 30 km/h.
Live and let live. Drive defensively, with courtesy, and it will be reciprocated.
Lance – on the Internet no one knows that you’re a dog. Unfortunately it is all to easy to spot a troll, and you sir are a troll.
I don’t believe your name is Lance, that you have a bike, much less ride 2000K(m) a year, but really what do I know. Why do you care? Why do you try to convince me that you actually ride? I don’t care, nothing you post is going to convince me you ride. Your posts are nonsense and you do not demonstrate even the basic understanding of cycling in traffic. You pose a rhetorical question to set me up as one of your straw-man “entitled lycra (sic) warriors”. You assume my behaviour in response, showing you don’t even know how multi-use paths work, or what is expected of cyclists using them. These are the posts of a Troll.
Hmm. Can’t argue the point, so you resort to name calling. Unfortunately, you are kind of proving my point, Brian…..
Next you are going to start calling me ‘liberal’, I suppose…. LOL.
Have a nice day.
I shouldn’t bother, but seriously what point am I supposed to argue? That I’m a Lycra Warrior? What can I say to that? I’m not, that carries no weight. Maybe I only were torn jeans, or maybe I only ride in group rides in the latest high tech fabrics, who cares? There is no point to argue? That pedestrians don’t like being passed by inches? What is there to say to this? Of course they don’t and cyclists like being passed by inches by cars driving 80 km/h even less. What is your point?
I might pretend your question; “how would you feel if, on Ottawa Bike Pathways, pedestrians strode out in front of you to “Take the Path”?” Was serious, if you didn’t answer it. Not only was this a asked and answered question setting up a straw-man, it showed a complete lack of understanding of how the pathways work. What point is there to argue?
That pedestrians are unpredictable? No argument from me, pedestrians are unpredictable. They are not “Take(ing) the Path” they have right of way. This line of inquiry has nothing to do with the video you have not watched. Ken’s behaviour or my sense of entitlement. Your posts have no content to debate, it is not name calling to call you out as a troll.
This is name calling “Gord Boston – you are obviously a petty, small man.” Look familiar? That is a quote a Troll would post, you posted it.
Brian, your posts are just reposting my questions – seriously, your posts stopped making sense about 5 posts ago. Come up with some rationale for Ken cutting off the SUV from a parking lane, in the dark, on a wet street, when you can clearly see the SUV’s fender ahead of his camera as they go through the intersection, or just stop posting. I don’t want to hear your abuse, I want to debate the issue.
Also, look up the definition of ‘straw man’. You are using it incorrectly.
And yes, I proudly am ‘a Liberal”.
Lance, Ken did not cut off the SUV. The SUV clearly merged right to pass a left turning vehicle, into Ken hitting his arm. Clearly an unsafe manoeuvre that could have resulted in Ken being injured. Ken then passed the SUV, properly and legally, and proceeded to merge into the left lane to avoid the parked cars. He did not cut off the SUV and the bump was not the result of Ken’s manoeuvre.
In short Ken did nothing wrong. There is unfortunately nothing to debate. Even, if there was a reason to debate Ken’s behaviour, and there isn’t, it would not excuse the SUV bumping Ken. That bump happened in slow moving traffic after the SUV had stopped. The SUV steamrolled Ken out of the way well after he occupied the lane, this was no accident of a surprised or distracted driver, this was a purposeful act. What is there to debate.
BTW I am using Straw-man correctly, you set one up when you distorted my position as one easily refuted: The entitled Lycra warrior, who buzzes pedestrians. I don’t know what you think it means. I also don’t know what you mean by debate? You haven’t engaged in any debate at all.
Hey man,
Sorry you got hit. I know the frustrations of attempting to ride with traffic and have had many close calls. I see many others have pointed out (though many rather rudely) that it does look like you cut off the SUV. I’d have to agree, though I can’t exactly blame you… adrenaline rushes and all that jazz. I’m not sure if you’ll have a case against the driver for that incident… though if you are looking to press charges or see the driver punished, you may want to look into the first incident of the driver coming too close to you. I know in the US we have a “3 foot rule” where you car drivers are required to pass outside of 3 feet of a cyclist. Hell, looking at many of your other videos it looks like you could get a lot of drivers for that one.
Stay safe and keep this blog going! I love watching videos of bikers!
I commuted to work for many years (not possible where I work now) and I tried to take the lane about 15-25m before every intersection, even if it meant slowing down to allow cars to let ahead of me. Not everyone is happy about this, but I would rather get cussed out by someone who saw me then ran over by someone who didn’t. It is especially effective for intersections that have traffic turning left in both directions or where drivers are likely to turn right in front of you as most drivers just don’t look for cyclists.
I would like to ammend that last line, when I said most drivers don’t look for cyclists I really should have said there are some drivers who don’t look for cylcists as the majority of them do.
Yes, that’s what I say. I’ve been pretty impressed on my commute the last two winter years on Carling Ave. Maybe it’s because there’s no parked cars and often 3 lanes. For the most part, motorists just move over and go around me (a small bit of my video suggests otherwise).
Hi Ken, that is absolutely terrible. Seeing that video makes me mad. What was the guy thinking, he should never have hit you. I am a Canadian Badminton player and I am currently living and training in Denmark right now. I live in a small town and bike everywhere. Bikes are much more accepted here because almost everyone bikes at some point throughout the day, even in the big cities like Copenhagen. I think that makes everyone more aware and more accepting of bikers because they know that it could be them later on. I know that I have become more aware of bikers because I am now one and I totally understand how careful bikers have to be and I believe that it is drivers responsibilities to also make sure that they share the road properly.
Stay safe
bye
Fiona
Ken
I’m happy you survivied. I too commute, 5 days a week, all year. In the winter, my route takes me from Britannia, via Richmond road and Somerset, to the Rideau Center. On a weekly basis I observe agressive motorists. Unfortunately I also see many ‘incompetent’ cyclists. I had thought about wearing a helmet CAM, originally so I could provide evidence to the City’s transportation comittee about the poor design and condition of the roads, from a cyclist’s perspective. After reading your post, I now have another reason to buy a camera. I was wondering how well lit up you are? I am a light fanatic, and, thanks to MEC, I have some of the brightest lights available on my bike, front and rear, as well as on my helmet. At least once a week, when stopped at an intersection or cycling slowly, somone(usually a pedestrian) comments on how bright and visible I am in the dark. I like my helmet light, it is bright enough to visibly light up the interior of any car I make eye contact with during my frequency shoulder checks. I’m sure you are going to hear a lot of pros and cons over your particular incident. I wish the city staff would get out on their bicycles and commute back and forth to work by bike and experience, first hand, the problems faced by bicycle commuters, who are growing in numbers on the City streets.
Good luck to you. You have my support if you need it.
John
John, for a real lightshow on your bike you should check out Monkeylights. LEDs that make patterns as your wheel turns. I expect cars could not fail to notice you with those.
That is an impressive commute in the wintertime. I ride about once a week in the winter and seem to have some close encounter with drivers who feel you should not be on the road in the winter. Good on you guys who do it all year round.
I’m a fair weather bike commuter in Toronto (ride from around April to end of October) – I’ve been clipped/hit several times – once by a red light runner, other times simply riding according to the rules (I’m VERY careful about following the rules – and VERY visible – I head to work around 4 a.m. and have flashing lights, halogan lights and reflective gear). Right now, still recuperating from a hit and run last June on a sunny morning – 5 months in a wheelchair – JUST this week, managed the full rotation on the knee but it will probably be another year before I can ride properly. I see a lot of cyclists being idiots – but a LOT more cars acting like cretins. They are so resentful somehow that cyclists are on the road at all. Bike lanes SUCK in Toronto by the way ….
you have more restraint than me – I’ve been known to be pretty damn passive aggressive with idiot drivers.
Tristan
Thanks for the info about Monkey lights. They look awesome! Just the thing to get noticed on the dark commuting nights. I just order a set to try them out.
I look forward to spotting you on the road with the Monkeylights. I didn’t buy any myself but I ride the Sommerset to Rideau Center route everyday. I’ll keep my eye out.
Hey Ken, sorry you were hit and very happy you are ok. I read though perhaps the first half of the comments here and sense that there is quite some confusion over what happened wrt lane blockages, movement, … It is a complicated intersection and it might be useful to have a top down view (perhaps an annotated shot from Google Maps) so that people understand how the flow works at that intersection.
All the best
Ya I thought about dissecting it however the controversies would just continue. I’m going to just see how it ends as it is. This blog is just a speck in the spread of negative feedback, as anything that is controversial goes. Thanks for the support and comment Jeff.
Hey Ken
I bike like a jerk regularly and you were definitely not being a jerk.
Funny to see a guy get caught on camera. I am sure he wouldn’t have done it if he knew the camera was on him. Stay safe
Duncan
Now that’s funny, thanks Duncan
I used to winter cycle many many years ago. Lance put it crudely, but there is such a thing as being “dead right”. I don’t agree with the ‘lycra warriors’ attitude at all but I’d rather be alive than dead-right. I also agree you “took the lane” too late. But I also know that intersection is horrible period. It’s bad in a car too. If you move over too soon, you can get blocked by someone turning onto Sunnyside, if you stay right, you get blocked by parked cars too close to the intersection.
I heard the interview on the CBC too, which is why I am here. Good interview, good points. I hope the driver gets charged. The point is, even if you should have done something else in retrospect, there was still no excuse to purposefully tap you with the vehicle. Please keep us informed on what happens, if anything does.
All of Ken’s critics have some kind of ideological bent that drives them to ignore the reality apparent in the video.
I looked at the video several times:
* 0:21 — The driver of the smaller car out in front, a Mazda, applies the brakes, and those brakes stay on for a long time, about 13 seconds.
* Traffic is stopped, basically crawling at this point, about 1 m per second.
* 0:25 — BEPT 819 hits Ken.
The ridiculous observations, especially by Lance, pretend that Ken “cut off” the other driver, which makes no sense when everyone was stopped in the first place. You can’t cut off people when traffic is NOT MOVING. (if traffic had actually been moving with any pace, BEPT819 would’ve never been able to say “move over” let alone have the audio clearly recorded). All the remarks about appropriate lane changes are all speed-contingent; in this situation when everything is moving so slowly, BEPT819 had nowhere to go, so he should’ve had the brakes firmly on.
In fact, if you look at 0:20 to 0:26, that would be a time where I would — as a driver — be happy to let a PEDESTRIAN take the opportunity during this slowdown to walk between the cars to cross the street.
I see nothing wrong with what you were doing. The driver should have been charged with something. Right or wrong, and he was in the wrong, there is NO excuse for deliberately encroaching on a cyclist. I agree with you about putting your safety first.
I have few comments…and I am not a fan of either the cyclist and certainly not the driver in this instance given he was totally wrong to hit you from behind ken…no question – he was wrong but.
1. It seems you started to change lanes within the intersection – which as a motorist you are absolutely not supposed to do. I think getting through the intersection and then waiting until you are able to safely pull out and pass (just as any motor vehicle would have had to do) would have been the correct move here.
2. At the point the guy hit your arm while signalling – this may have been a sign you are not dealing with a guy with a full deck here – so just staying behind him may have been the order of the day. If I was in my car and another aggressive car hit my mirror I would have gotten out of his way.
As a driver my biggest complaint is when cyclists will be in a high traffic area and we are stopped in our line of traffic – and a cyclist will pass me – over and over again – hence creating more havoc in an already congested area – if a cyclist has the same rights as drivers they have the right to wait in line for their turn to move forward – just like any car.
My rant for the day.!!
Karen:
1, Ken didn’t, it is not. People often have firmly held beliefs of what is right, that are very wrong. Like passing on the right, people believe that it is wrong to change lanes in the intersection. Of course people do both all the time, and this intersection requires both. It is a major bottle neck that requires straight through traffic in the right-lane to merge left in the intersection to avoid the parked cars on the other side. So, to be clear the statement: “to change lanes within the intersection – which as a motorist you are absolutely not supposed to do” is a false statement.
2. Besides invalidating point one (Ken’s arm was hit before entering the intersection). Is reasonably valid and I believe is what Ken has pledged to do in the future.
As a driver I have no problem with cyclists filtering or trying to get ahead, even if I have to pass them more then once. After all I don’t have a “right” to wait in line and expecting cyclists to wait when they don’t have to is very silly. Never mind the slowest and most obstructing time for a cyclist is when they move from a complete stop, better to keep them moving. I often hear this complaint from motorists, or similar ones where they’re surprised by cyclists passing them in the same lane. There is often an appeal to imaginary rules against passing to the right, or complaints that the cyclist is not giving enough room. I’d give these complaints more time if more cars would give cyclists more room. The norm is to pass without crossing the lane marking. The difference between a car passing a cyclists with inches of room while travelling at speeds 30+ km/h faster then the cyclist and a cyclist preforming the same manoeuvre at 15 – 30 km/h is huge.
Karen,
Please read http://www.theurbancountry.com/2011/02/bicyclists-must-obey-laws-if-they-want.html
Makes the point I was trying to make, only coherent
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