Talking Typing Toronto

On law-enforcement and cycling…

joelafortune — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:44:23 +0000

I work closely with a number of 52 Division cops and we discuss cycling regularly, but in our discussions it is clear that they do not perceive the issue from the same perspective. We see things from an almost European slant. They don’t. They are products of car culture, often living in the suburbs abd see things from a decidedly North American position. Many are sympathetic to our complaints, but like most motorists, their immediate reaction is to go on the offensive and begin citing the frequent infractions cyclists commit. Even when I remind that while cyclists do commit many HTA offences, they are relatively harmless and neither threaten nor kill people, they still have a hard time wrapping their heads around the difference. They do not act on every infraction they witness, even when I point them out as they occur before us. They’d be tied up in court 24 hours a day for the rest of their lives if they did and many assess a situation—not necessarily to determine blame or cause as a judge is charged to do—but in terms of reasonable chance of conviction.

We need to really really re-educate our police and have them adopt a different mindset, a different culture before any significant changes improvements will occur on our roads. Laws may be laws, but if those who inforce them ignore them then, realistically, to the offender, they are not laws at all.

Goodbye Dave

joelafortune — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:09:32 +0000

Fittingly, the first entry in this blog is a farewell to iconic Dave Devall, CTV’s backward-writing, animated umbrella holding weather-forecaster. After a world record 48+ year career, Dave Devall is retiring after this evenings’ broadcast. I recall my gruff step-father forcing my sisters and I to watch the news when we were little and that was 40 years ago and watching Dave deliver the weather news and warnings. His smile was natural, his voice sincere and there was always a hint of childishness in his eyes. That spoke to me. The sports casters tried to be cool, but Dave was cool. I have only ever watched CTV (formerly CFTO News) news at 6, never City TV, CDC or Global and part of that reason was the familiarity I felt with Dave. He started broadcasting 2 years before I was born and joined CFTO when I was just 4 years old, so its like he’s been a life-long friend. Goodbye Dave. Sad to see you go, but hoping you have a long and rewarding retirement. You’ve earned it.

Hello world!

joelafortune — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:17:31 +0000

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