Yes I can bike on the street. I can’t believe I have to say this but I have the right to bike on the street.
No bus or bike lane does not mean I cannot take the street. It means I’m going to bike on the road.
Someone tell me if I’m crazy, and I’m actually not allowed to used any streets unless there is a bike lane?
This morning while I have my 2 year old in a bike seat behind me I was cycling up a street, and no I wasn’t going against traffic or anything. Just biking up a narrow one way street as usual.
First this car does not stop at a stop sign coming in and barely yields for me. Whatever it happens all the time I’m used to it at this point.
Then behind me he starts flashing his lights « wtf? » okay I guess he’s in a hurry or something asshole. He can’t pass safely because once again it’s a narrow one way street with cars parked on one side.
Then he stays very close to me and finally he tries to overtake when there is no space, and why? the light ahead is red. All the while I’m periodically turning my head like « WTF are you doing?? »
We come to a stop at the red light he rolls down his window and I rip into him in French asking him WTF is wrong with him, the light is red, why is he doing this??
He answers in English « no bus lane »
??? « What? » is obviously my response. Then he says « there is no bike lane ».
I rip into him some more in English, explaining in no uncertain terms that the road is the fucking bike lane, that I can cycle here and ending with a fuck off.
I wasn’t going to wait for a green light to fuck off from someone who uses his car to intimidate a cyclist with a toddler in tow, so I turned right in the bike lane on Saint Denis.
Like WTF??
Sorry for the rant.
Posting here because I fucking hope this man is a tourist. I refuse to believe someone living in this city does not know cyclists have a right to cycle on the road when there are no bike lanes.