Rude driver irks responsible cyclist

To the idiot who followed me down Lasalle Boulevard around 3 p.m. today and honked and yelled at me for five to six blocks:

1. Under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, a bicycle is a vehicle and is allowed to travel on all and any part of Lasalle Boulevard, just like cars do.

2. You need to review the Ministry of Transportation’s online Driver’s Handbook re: how you should behave towards cyclists.

3. Do you act aggressively in the same way when faced with other slower moving vehicles like city buses, school buses, snowplows, and other vehicles? Road rage is not acceptable on our roads.

4. A person on a bike can take any part of the lane if necessary for safety. I was riding about one metre from the curb, as prescribed by law, in order to avoid grates and debris. Call the Greater Sudbury Police Service if you don’t believe me.

5. If you don’t like that I take up space on our roads, let the city know that you support separated cycling infrastructure on Lasalle. I ride 25 to 40 km/hour there, way too fast for biking on the sidewalk - which is illegal and dangerous. I’d love to get out of your way if I could legally and safely do so.

6. Driving irresponsibly is a danger to everyone on the road and also expensive for you. There are new fines and demerit points for passing a cyclist too closely, and for dooring a cyclist. Find out what you should know before you are charged.

I regularly travel on Lasalle and very rarely have these kinds of encounters. Thank you to the other drivers who drive safely. Let’s all learn from the behaviour of this irresponsible individual, and continue to safely share the road.

Rachelle Niemela
Sudbury