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Last Friday morning, a cyclist assaulted a driver with a screwdriver, stabbing him in the neck.
Over the weekend, a bit more detail about the assault was published in the Globe and the National Post:
There have been posts and comments on other websites about this assault that make reference to the fact that drivers put cyclists at risk all the time on Toronto's roads, and the tone of the writing sounds like they are partially justifying what the cyclist (whether it was a courier or a homeless person, or whomever) did.Police say the incident began about 9:45 a.m., when the driver of a Ford Escape was making a left turn onto College Street from La Plante Avenue. An eastbound car stopped to let him go, but the turning driver had to wait for westbound traffic to ease up, Detective Trevor Searles said.
While he was stopped, a cyclist heading east got upset the driver was blocking part of his lane, Det. Searles said. The two men argued briefly, and the driver finished making his left turn.
Police say when the driver got to McCaul Street, the cyclist, who had followed him, stopped his bike in front of the Escape and approached the driver's side window.
"Words are exchanged, a bit of an argument, and basically the victim says, 'We'll let the police settle it. I'll call 911.' So when he reaches for his phone to call 911, that's when he's stabbed by the suspect," Det. Searles said. "It seems like our weapon was possibly an Allen key or a screwdriver."
It is NEVER okay to assault another person. Not with a weapon, not with a car, and not with words. I find it sickening that any cyclist who wants more peace and respect on the roads for all road users would ever even partially justify any kind of violence - whether it is stabbing someone with a screwdriver, slashing car tires, or "keying" a car.
[photo credit: National Post]
Labels: news
Nothing wrong with slashing or keying a car when someone almost kills you: the car is just property.
By 
, at
10:01 PM
That's vigilante justice, and there's no place for it in society.
Talking with the offending driver is the best course of action - not random violence against people or property.
By bikingtoronto, at
11:21 AM
I agree, but using physical violence such as stabbing someone in the neck is totally inexcusable unless the driver had tried to run over him. I was intentionally hit by a driver last year and in that case, I would have not hesitated to do something to him completely out of my nature, but it seems that this cyclist used violence when the problem could have been dealt with more effectively.
Secondly, keying a car or slashing their tires after they've almost taken your life seems like a fair payback. I would not condone it in any case, but in the case of a driver's extreme behaviour, it seems acceptable. Spray painting a Hummer is alright in my books too, but I would most likely never do it.
By , at
11:30 AM
I agree, violence or vandalism of any sort is never justifiable. But what bothers many is that violence by automobile (ie. nearly running someone over with an SUV) is considered to be much more acceptable than stabbing, shooting, punching. Why is this? When people are shot or stabbed, it is front page news; when they are killed by a car, it is on page B12.
Motorists who run reds or drive through crosswalks without a right-of-way should be charged with attempted murder, in my opinion, but this will never happen.
In short: charge the cyclist with assault or attempted murder. That's fine. But charge the driver with exactly the same thing. That would be justice.
-PukeGreen
By , at
11:46 AM
What that cyclist did was absolutely un-called for, its bad enough that our city has turned into the pool of violence that it has. As for vandalism to peoples property, that unfortunately becomes the begging of rage, and though we have ll been there, there's never and excuse for it.
A couple months back I was cut off by a limo taxi down by the sky dome on my way to a Jay game, and I let anger take the best of me, I was so furious that I stood in front of this cab yelling at him challenging him to get out of his car, as he fueled me by calling me an animal. Looking back on that I was the animal and I should have know better, That Cabbie being and idiot and incapable of driving shouldn't drive me to violence, but if these drivers want to be irresponsible and very careless around cyclists, maybe the law should start by taking this freedom of driving away.
CHECK YOUR BLIND SPOT
By , at
10:43 AM
I believe it is not my right or duty to exact "justice" on others. I believe they will probably get theirs anyway, without help from me. Also, we can see that people are easily set off; or, at least, set off unpredictably and my view is, for my own protection, don't antagonize people because you don't know whom you're antagonizing.
A couple of things, and I get everywhere on my bike or on foot:
Cyclists, please do not whiz by me from behind when I am on the sidewalk. One step to the right or left, and I am maimed or killed;
Cyclists, please do not whiz by me from behind on the road unless you leave a wide berth. It is dangerous! We could become entangled and both go down in traffic;
Cyclists, use front and back lights and helmets. Your head will crack like an egg if you hit it on anything on the way down. It is the #1 avoidable emergency situation for cyclists.
Cyclists, do not stop suddenly in front of my bike on the road. Please signal.
Motorists, please do not door me. Please remember to check before you open that door. Be aware of the blind spot. And please do not drive in the bike lane; if you are turning right, do not cut off a cyclist behind you in the bike lane.
By , at
11:15 AM
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