[identity profile] wizwom.livejournal.com 2011-04-10 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
well, who can they hurt? The rationale for very stringent drunk driving laws is that they can kill innocents. The rationale for suspending and revoking drivers licenses is punish the people and make life difficult - but if you take away bicycling, and force them to walk or take a taxi, you remove their sense of self-actualization and sense that they can control their own life.

[identity profile] james-nicoll.livejournal.com 2011-04-10 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)

The woman who was struck by a cyclist on a sidewalk Thursday evening has died. (http://www.thestar.com/article/678179)

This tragedy is a "stark reminder" that bicycles should not be used on sidewalks, police say.

At about 3:30 p.m., the 56-year-old woman was walking south on the west sidewalk of Kennedy Rd. near Sheppard Ave. E. while a 15-year-old boy was cycling north on the same sidewalk. The cyclist may have made a move to avoid the pedestrian, while the pedestrian made a move to avoid the cyclist, police said.

The two collided head on.

The Toronto woman, whose name has not been released, struck her head on the sidewalk and was rushed to Sunnybrook hospital with head trauma. She died just after 5 p.m.

"This is exactly why we don't want bikes on the sidewalks," Sgt. Tim Burrows of Toronto police traffic services said. "They really are made for pedestrians."

[identity profile] janciega.livejournal.com 2011-04-11 03:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Exactly. I wish I could show this to every moron who shouts at me to get on the sidewalk. :(

[identity profile] theweaselking.livejournal.com 2011-04-10 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
well, who can they hurt?

The people they hit - both in terms of killing a pedestrian by slamming them with a 100kg weight at 30kph, and in terms of fucking up the lives, cars, *and* potentially the persons of the people in cars who hit 'em.

People on bicycles are dangerous for much the same reasons as an unsecured passenger in a car is dangerous: they're a large, heavy object with some surprisingly solid points moving at high speed.