Asphalt Ribbons makes the case that it is a myth that American drivers are disrespectful and have more road rage than Canadian drivers.
On my last trip I visited Montreal, Quebec; Stowe, Vermont; Jackson, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; Burlington, Vermont, and 0n other trips have also visited Chicago, Illinois; New York, New York and Boston, Massachusets. What these places in common is that they have embraced the reality that human beings cannot rely on the car alone, and successful cities and towns must find a way to incorporate a variety of transportation methods, if for no other reason than the survival of the planet depends on it. Granted, there aren’t any complex bike networks in these places in the way that they exist in European cities such as Amsterdam, but what does exist there, which is SO ABSENT here in Toronto, is RESPECT for other people and whatever transportation method they are engaged in.
Torontonians have become very angry (cue the predictable “not everyone is like that….” response) and it seems to be worse every year. Why? Perhaps because of the tens of thousands of people who move to the city every year?; perhaps because of the growing animosity between Toronto and its suburban parts (we can thank Amalgamation for merging very different cities)?; or perhaps it’s the thousands of people who flock to the city core every day to work, and play because their own suburban dream has turned out to be lacking? I don’t know, but what I do know, having been here my whole life, is that people are so much angrier and this is never been more apparent that when I return from the US. This is an irony most people will refuse to wrap their head around, becasue we are Canadian! We are “nice”! Americans are “rude and narcissistic”! Let me bust this myth now – my experiences with Americans and in the US have been some of the most pleasant experiences I have had travelling, and have only served to highlight the rage that exists here.
I certainly respect Asphalt Ribbon's take: the stereotype that American drivers are ruder than Canadian drives seems to be wearing a bit thin, especially in comparison to Toronto. I have biked in a few American cities, including New York, Washington, DC, Buffalo and have not had any outstanding negative experiences. But I was never sure if this was just because I was a tourist, less assertive because of not knowing the local customs, and wasn't in the city for long enough to experience the bad and the ugly. I can attest that New York drivers were more aggressive than Toronto drivers but not necessarily in an angry way, at least during my short time biking there.
We can also see examples of the opposite view. For instance, Jeremy Guthrie, pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles who loves cycling in Toronto, especially in comparison to Baltimore, said to Spacing:
Toronto is my favourite city that we travel to. It’s open, has great weather most of time and there are a lot of cyclists on the road so I never feel alone. It feels like you have partners watching your back: When I was riding, I saw one cyclist helping out another cyclist who got clipped by a taxi. That’s great. I also love seeing different parts of Toronto like Yorkville and Queen Street. This city has a lot to offer.
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I’ve biked a bit in New York City. New York can be a little bit rough and you really have to be aware of what’s going on around you. There aren’t as many cyclists in New York either. Another problem is that cyclists seem to defer to drivers instead of the other way around. As a cyclist, you have to be overly defensive to make sure you’re safe.
I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions. I don't think there's a neat divide between Canadian and American cities, and there are always going to be local customs that to some may seem rude or aggressive. It also makes a difference on how you want to measure it. Montreal is known for its great cycling with many bike paths, but it's also known for its aggressive drivers. I have an inkling that Toronto is definitely friendlier to bike in than some cities (more due to the large number of cyclists and slow traffic than to a proliferation of bike lanes or friendly drivers), but it is also less friendly than others. How would you rank Toronto on that scale? And would you agree that Toronto drivers have become angrier and is there more road rage in the past few years? Has a sense of entitlement to the road increased with our current Mayoral disaster? Let me know.
