It occurred to me -- as I unblinkingly accepted as normal the fact that 4 ladies and an infant climbed into the middle bench of Mike's Toyota LandCruiser (joining the man already seated there) and another 3 piled into the back to wedge themselves in amongst 2 trunks and a computer bag -- that perhaps I might experience a bit of reverse culture shock after all.
In June of 2024, a man was just riding his bike to work. Early in the morning when traffic should be low to nonexistent. Wearing a helmet and a reflective vest. A racing driver lost control and plowed him over. Anyone who bikes in this city was grieved and outraged. This stretch of roadway is designated as a bike route. There's a little green sign with a bicycle icon to tell you that. The wide road that invites speeding certainly doesn't. How does a person even drive 159 km/hr on a sleepy residential street within city limits? (Because the street is too damn wide.) For about as long as it has existed, the cycling advocacy organization has identified this stretch of roadway as a route in critical need of remediation to make it safer. So, within a week, temporary safety measures had been rolled out. Reduced speed limit signs were erected, poly posts narrowed the roadway and speed cameras made sure folks took it seriously. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. No. 20, 40,...
Comments