activism

To judge by the number of people who don't know exactly what to make of my helmet camera, not all that many Toronto cyclists wear helmet cameras on a regular basis. Perhaps a few more of us should consider it. If more people saw what the streets look like to cyclists, we might get more support, particularly if we put our stories together into a narrative. I think about the series Whale Wars on the Animal Planet TV show. I don't generally agree with Paul Watson or the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, but first-hand footage of their struggle makes for an exciting narrative, and I have to say that having watched their struggles, I have somewhat more sympathy for the Sea Shepherds than I did before I started watching the series. Cyclists have compelling and exciting stories to tell, and if those of us who record our rides put our footage together, maybe we too could come up with a basis for a show to pitch to Discovery or TLC or even TVO.

Art Project by Michel de Broin, Mercer Union Gallery 2007.

Clever advert for a the a popular box store in Germany.

If you happened to cross the Bloor Street Viaduct on Monday afternoon, you might have noticed David Curtis, his partner Laura and a couple of die-hard activists still givn’er with placards, after 4 solid days of Car Free activity.
Our targets were the many drivers who speed Eastbound, jamming into the right lane to exit down on to the Don Valley Parkway (which looks beautifully resurfaced for next year’s Ride for Heart, by the way!!!).

Perhaps more importantly, we felt a need to target cyclists as well, who are forced to merge across this auto-mania, as their Bike Lane abruptly ends. The dangers were imminent as we watched rider after rider cut into the traffic lane without so much as a hand signal or even a backward glance! Drivers were time and time again “cut off” and forced to slam on their brakes to avoid plowing the cyclist down.