Just Saw a Bus Nearly Run Down a Bike Courier

[Classic_Cool]

Not even half an hour ago on my way into downtown Calgary (had the morning off). Was sitting on the left side of the bus going down 9 AVE in the left lane and there's a bike courier ahead riding close to the curb. The bus pulls ahead of him and then with the poor courier still alongside, the bus moves IN towards the curb. Nearly crunched the bike against the curb, might've run the rider into a lamp post but thankfully that didn't happen.

Now honest mistakes do happen. What happened next wasn't friendly though; the courier who had every right to be angry, rode up alongside again as the bus was turning left and smacked the driver's window. He then tried to hail a passing cop but it didn't work. He followed the bus as it stopped at a light and he knocked on the door, stating clearly "I NEED YOUR INFORMATION". The driver (an olive-skinned fellow wearing sunglasses) glanced his way and then didn't look at him again. Just got on the phone with whoever, reporting the situation. The courier followed us to the next stop which happened to be mine. The driver opened the door for passengers but still wouldn't look at the courier who was right next to the door stating clearly and sensibly again that he needed his information. Not a word from the driver, still talking on the phone. I get off the bus as the courier is snapping a pictue of the driver and I hang out a moment because I know he's about to ask for witnesses.

Sure enough he comes over and I tell him I saw everything. He didn't look like some crackhead or anything, just a young guy with a courier job. I give him my contact information so I expect I'll hear about that in the future. I might not have involved myself ordinarily but the driver was being a dick, he didn't even say sorry.

For the record I know I've made some racey arguments about immigrants but that's just my philosophical bull**** and has nothing to do with this, the driver was out of line.

I think the bigger question is though, and I've said it before, why do Calgary laws insist that bikes are vehicles and belong in the freakin street? The courier was only following the law, as stupid as the law is. That bus could have ground him into a paste and it wouldn't be the first time that happened. How dangerous is a bike on the sidewalk hitting a pedestrian? I mean serioulsy, get some perspective.

[Redfrog]

Good no one was injured. Was the bus driver talking on the phone while he was driving.:thinking-006:

[Classic_Cool]

Good no one was injured. Was the bus driver talking on the phone while he was driving.:thinking-006:

No he got on the phone afterwards so he doesn't have that excuse.

[marlin1]

get a bus number?

[Okotokian]

(an olive-skinned fellow wearing sunglasses)

What was the skin tone of the courier? And what about the cop who ignored him. And yours of course? All important info. ;)

Welcome to the big city. Could also give you a hundred tales of having to slam on the breaks as bike couriers sprint through red lights. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

[Okotokian]

No he got on the phone afterwards so he doesn't have that excuse.

I suspect the fellow you are responding to was really asking if the driver was on the phone while he was moving, even after the incident.

[Albertadiver]

Follow that same courier around for a day. I guarantee you he'll break dozens of laws from one drop off to the next.

No sympathy for the couriers in my case. (No sympathy for the bus driver either - the transit drivers are just as obnoxious)

[CaberTosser]

You must have witnessed the first-ever bike courier who followed the traffic laws:rolleyes: Now I'm by no means saying the events you described didn't occur, but in my observation of and experience with bike couriers this would definitely be the pot calling out the kettle. They sure can criticize others, but no criticism had best land back on them because they're superior beings; being that riding a bike is like wielding the holy freaking grail and all.

I believe you, but chances are the courier has done worse to others; he's just driving less mass.

[Bound2Fish]

Not even half an hour ago on my way into downtown Calgary (had the morning off). Was sitting on the left side of the bus going down 9 AVE in the left lane and there's a bike courier ahead riding close to the curb. The bus pulls ahead of him and then with the poor courier still alongside, the bus moves IN towards the curb. Nearly crunched the bike against the curb, might've run the rider into a lamp post but thankfully that didn't happen.

Now honest mistakes do happen. What happened next wasn't friendly though; the courier who had every right to be angry, rode up alongside again as the bus was turning left and smacked the driver's window. He then tried to hail a passing cop but it didn't work. He followed the bus as it stopped at a light and he knocked on the door, stating clearly "I NEED YOUR INFORMATION". The driver (an olive-skinned fellow wearing sunglasses) glanced his way and then didn't look at him again. Just got on the phone with whoever, reporting the situation. The courier followed us to the next stop which happened to be mine. The driver opened the door for passengers but still wouldn't look at the courier who was right next to the door stating clearly and sensibly again that he needed his information. Not a word from the driver, still talking on the phone. I get off the bus as the courier is snapping a pictue of the driver and I hang out a moment because I know he's about to ask for witnesses.

Sure enough he comes over and I tell him I saw everything. He didn't look like some crackhead or anything, just a young guy with a courier job. I give him my contact information so I expect I'll hear about that in the future. I might not have involved myself ordinarily but the driver was being a dick, he didn't even say sorry.

For the record I know I've made some racey arguments about immigrants but that's just my philosophical bull**** and has nothing to do with this, the driver was out of line.

I think the bigger question is though, and I've said it before, why do Calgary laws insist that bikes are vehicles and belong in the freakin street? The courier was only following the law, as stupid as the law is. That bus could have ground him into a paste and it wouldn't be the first time that happened. How dangerous is a bike on the sidewalk hitting a pedestrian? I mean serioulsy, get some perspective.

Why was he on the phone? Shouldnt he have stayed where he was if he was reporting it instead of continuing to drive on?

I see almost on a daily basis of couriers almost getting run over in downtown Calgary. Most of the time it is their fault for weaving in and out of traffic and not obeying traffic laws as they are supposed to. Glad no one was hurt though.

[Classic_Cool]

What was the skin tone of the courier? And what about the cop who ignored him. And yours of course? All important info. ;)

Welcome to the big city. Could also give you a hundred tales of having to slam on the breaks as bike couriers sprint through red lights. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Lol. Courier was white, I'm white, police man was in a passing van and I don't know ;)

I've seen bike couriers do dopey things as well but in this case he didn't do anything wrong and I can't assume that he has before. Kind of immaterial though, the driver should have apologized at the very least.

The driver got on the phone when the courier started following the bus and asking for information, I could only catch a few words from where I was, something about how the courier was hounding him.

[CaberTosser]

I've noted this here before. On one of the numerous occasions when a bike courier cut me off, one couriers bike chain happened to break at that instant and it jammed his wheel and sent him crashing to the ground right in front of my Volkswagen, which I was doing about 50km/h in at the time. Thankfully some quick reflexes on my part and the benefits of a light car with big brakes saved his sorry ass. I came to a stop about 2-3 feet short of him. He stayed there and was quietly hugging his wounded knee and I got out of my car, picked up his already mangled bike and threw it at a concrete wall while letting him know his style of riding sucked. Everyone who hadn't witnessed the actual event probably would have thought I just hit him with my Scirocco.

[Redfrog]

What was the skin tone of the courier? And what about the cop who ignored him. And yours of course? All important info. ;)

Welcome to the big city. Could also give you a hundred tales of having to slam on the breaks as bike couriers sprint through red lights. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

OF course here's the race card.:snapoutofit: There was no race, it was a color, get over it. they were two separate vehicles not connected in any way, other than one was white.:)

Live by the sword, die by the sword. ?????????
Really?????? You said that????
What about live by the Kirpan, die by the Kirpan.
or Live by the claymore, die by the claymore.
or live by the Katana, die by the Katana.
or live by the Kukri, die by the Kukri
Or live by the Ginsu, Die by the Ginsu


Or live in the gutter and die by sewerside.:scared0018:

[Okotokian]

OF course here's the race card.:snapoutofit: There was no race, it was a color, get over it. they were two separate vehicles not connected in any way, other than one was white.:)

Live by the sword, die by the sword. ?????????
Really?????? You said that????
What about live by the Kirpan, die by the Kirpan.
or Live by the claymore, die by the claymore.
or live by the Katana, die by the Katana.
or live by the Kukri, die by the Kukri
Or live by the Ginsu, Die by the Ginsu


Or live in the gutter and die by sewerside.:scared0018:

HUH?

Red, if yer hitting the bottle... hand it over here. I need a swig. ;)

[Mistagin]

That's scary. Good thing you didn't witness anything worse.

Reminds me of a time when I was riding my bike on the street, as required by law in a city I used to live in. I was a student at the time and rode my bike a lot. That city had a very hefty fine for those who rode bikes on the sidewalk. Anyway, as I was riding, on the edge of the paved curb, about a foot from the raised curb, I suddenly had a 'feeling' of imminent danger. I looked over my left shoulder and saw a city bus bearing down on me. It was hugging the curb. There were no bus stops along that section of street either. I barely had time to bail with my bike onto the grass shoulder of the road. If I hadn't the bus would have crushed me. I can still see the bus driver's face as it looked like he was watching me as he bore down. And I can still 'hear' him honking the horn as he drove past. I parked my bike after that episode and walked everywhere; never took a bus again either.

[Redfrog]

HUH?

Red, if yer hitting the bottle... hand it over here. I need a swig. ;)

I just think all this color/race stuff gets far too much airplay. Everyone is a color. Some should be black and blue but that's for another thread.:)

My grand daughter met 'Princess Otto" She is a black woman with green and blue hair.:) and she works the till there. The only thing she thought unusual was that a princess worked at a store.:)

[Jayhad]

I was a bike courier in this city for a few years; nothing new transit and cabbies are courier killers....... that being said as a courier the idea is to get the package to the address, regardless of the laws slowing you down.... ride on sidewalks, ride wrong way on one ways, shoot through parking lots, don't wait for lights... ect. I'm surprised he stopped to get info from the bus driver... I always looked at it no harm no foul.

I was once (illegally) hitching a ride down 6th ave on a cabbies trunk, when he noticed me, he hammered the brakes, I think I startled him. When he hit the brakes I was able to turn around the cab, but not before fracturing my right arm off of his rear window pillar... still to this day I don't understand how I hit it. But I never stopped just rode to the clinic and got my cast.

Being a courier is an inherintly dangerous job, and is great for adrenelin junkies, you need to assume you are going to get smashed sooner or later. if you get into the occupation thining you'll be safe you are delusional.

[Apocalypse_now]

My brother-in-law was a courier in cow town for years. Nothing sounds like more fun than downtown Calgary traffic, in the winter, on a fixed gear bike with no breaks!!:bad_boys_20:

[Okotokian]

I just think all this color/race stuff gets far too much airplay. Everyone is a color. Some should be black and blue but that's for another thread.:)


That was my apparently unnoticed point. The color of anyone involved was irrelevant.

I'll go your story one better. When my oldest son was very young he tried to point out a particular man to me in the store we were in. He described what the man was wearing, etc. I finally figured out who he was talking about... the only black guy in the store, which he apparently thought wasn't a trait worth mentioning. I thought that was sort of nice.

[Redfrog]

That was my apparently unnoticed point. The color of anyone involved was irrelevant.

I'll go your story one better. When my oldest son was very young he tried to point out a particular man to me in the store we were in. He described what the man was wearing, etc. I finally figured out who he was talking about... the only black guy in the store, which he apparently thought wasn't a trait worth mentioning. I thought that was sort of nice.

Well I would have got your point but you candy coat everything.:)

[Albertadiver]

Well I would have got your point but you candy coat everything.:)

That's cause Oki has taken 'sensativity training!'.

[Okotokian]

That's cause Oki has taken 'sensativity training!'.
F U, you moron.

LOL just kidding driver. I was just trying out a typical AO response to someone I disagree with. ;) No offence intended... this time LOL

(really, it was a joke, honest....)

[Okotokian]

Well I would have got your point but you candy coat everything.:)

For you to get my point, I'd have had to have gotten out the Lansky... ;) LOL

How ya doing today you old goat?

[Redfrog]

For you to get my point, I'd have had to have gotten out the Lansky... ;) LOL

How ya doing today you old goat?

Any better I'd be on a runaway. I'm heading out for the last 90 minutes of deer season.:) Then just waiting till 5 o'clock for ....well you know.:)

[Okotokian]

Yeah, I gotta try that night hunting sometime ;)

I, on the otherhand, am having fun with my reno contractor. Actually he's a great guy. Just trying to straighten some things out and it's stressing me more than... well, more than this board usually does. LOL

[Fox red lab]

Glad no one got hurt but I guarantee that courier has broken more laws and hit more pedestrians in crosswalks and on sidewalks that you could ever imagine. I see it every day all day.

[greylynx]

:party0052: