Cycling comments go from sensible to silly

Reaction to the Government’s decision to review cycling deaths in Ontario ranges from the sensible to the silly. One person comments that he rides daily in downtown Toronto and loves it. You need only wear a helmet and obey the traffic rules to be perfectly safe, he declares. In the silly department is the complaint that we should prevent obesity by encouraging cycling. A laudable goal but eating another cookie doesn’t seem to rank with the imminent peril of cycling between a bus and truck. Vox populi aside, the causes of cycling deaths are pretty apparent. No doubt Coroner Dan Cass will nail them. There are the dreadful but relatively rare instances of drunk drivers ploughing into cyclists. Terrible. And then there are the easy habits so suitable to the small footprint of the bicycle. Easy and lethal. Among the most common of these is riding swiftly between slow moving traffic on the left and parked cars on the right. A door opens and the cyclist of thrown under the wheels of the vehicles to his left. Such accidents frequently exhibit carelessness on the part of both the cyclist and the motorist. We think cyclists are sensible people who will normally act in their own best interest. The many ways in which bicycles mix with both cars and pedestrians would be made safer if simple signage alerted riders to the local rules, i.e. no riding on the sidewalks, keep to the right, bicycles may not pass etc.

Leaside HS facing Northern on Friday

Leaside High School’s football squad has established a 3-2 record so far in the young season. Friday Leaside will face Northern Secondary at 1 pm at Birchmount Stadium. At InsideToronto.com there is a good picture by Manny Rodrigues of Leaside’s Taylor Kartavicious tackling East York Collegiate’s Courtney Cothiers-Grant during a recent game where Leaside won 17-13.

Zero emission dominance Nissan’s target

Nissan says it is determined to sell 1.5 million electric vehicles around the world by 2016. Japan’s second-largest automaker behind Toyota said it wants to be the world’s largest player in so-called “zero-emission vehicles” including a new fuel cell electric vehicle developed with Daimler. That’s the New Mobility Concept (above). The company, which is 43.8 percent owned by French partner Renault, has sold 15,000 Leaf electric cars, the only model it produces, but plans to add a further seven models across the group.

Two men go mugging with their girlfriends

There’s been an unusual mugging near the corner of Yonge St and Eglinton Ave. where it appears that two men with their girlfriends have swarmed and mugged three young women out walking early in the morning. Mixed gender attacks are not common. It is also a reminder of the peril of walking late at night even in numbers. Toronto Police Service Report: Three females, aged 22 and 27 years, report that on October 23, 2011 at approximately 0230 hours, they were in the area of Eglinton Avenue East and Yonge Street when they were approached by two female suspects and two male suspects. The suspects grabbed the victims and a struggle ensued. The suspects hit and pushed the victims about the body. The suspects removed a quantity of cash and a cell phone. The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle eastbound on Eglinton Avenue East. Two victims sustained minor injuries and will seek their own medical attention. Police are requesting the assistance of the public in identifying the following described persons in connection with this offence. Description of Suspect #1: Female, 24-25 years, 5’6”-5’7”, 134-145 pounds, thin build, red hair. Suspect #2: Female, 25-26 years, 5’3”-5’5”, 134-145 pounds, stocky build, brown hair. Suspect #3: Male, 23-25 years, 6’0”, 180 pounds, medium build, black hair. Suspect #4: Male, 25-26 years, 5’5”-5’6”, 180-189 pounds, stocky build, brown hair.

Author Ian Rankin at Sleuth on Wednesday

Sleuth of Baker Street will have a brief visit from author Ian Rankin for one hour on Wednesday, October 26. That’s at 907 Millwood Road from 4:30 to 5:30pm. Then he’ll be off to other appointments. All fans of this popular mystery writer are invited. Sleuth notes that the shop is normally not open Wednesdays, but, will be from 3.00 pm that day. Mr. Rankin will be autographing copies of his new Malcolm Fox novel, The Impossible Dead ($34.99 Orion hardcover, $24.99 Orion trade paperback). This is said to be a terrific sequel to the equally terrific The Complaints ($10.99). Here is Rankin talking to the BBC about how he became disciplined enough to write novels.

Townhomes coming to Millwood and Rumsey

That development at the intersection of Millwood and Rumsey Rds is to be known as Towns of Castleton. The name refers not to a new community (that would be a real stretch) but rather to the townhomes which will be built on the southeast corner there. It has been vacant for years but with a flashy new sign advertising starting prices at $1,179,000 it appears that construction will not be too long delayed. The sign does not say how many homes will be built on the site which seems a bit strange because the property is not too large. The sign says that homes are available in limited quantities up to 2800 square feet. Notably a previous plan to develop the site by another builder called for five homes.

Despair and backbiting in Europe

What appears to be the worst nightmare for Europe and the world has been forecast by the IMF. In a few words, it says there probably isn’t enough money in all Europe to save Greece. This bombshell warns that without a default, the Greek debt crisis alone could swallow the eurozone’s entire €440 billion bailout fund — leaving nothing to spare to help the affected banks of Italy, Spain or France.The Telegraph of London’s excellent report.

Local scarecrows have a rich, scary heritage

It’s beginning to look a lot like Halloween around South Bayview and no more so than on Davisville Ave. where our happy (straw) friends are on display on a lawn near Millwood (far left and far right). The scarecrow is a fairly obvious device to keep the birds off newly sown seed but this ancient phenomenon has developed a rich culture ranging from Ray Bolger’s straw man in the Wizard of Oz (upper left) to the horrification of the concept in a dozen B minus movies (lower right). In between, we make scarecrows for fun, dress ourselves as scarecrows (very fetching at upper right) and even costume Fido in the scarecrow style. The first scarecrows are practically pre-historic.Wiki mentions one from a Japanese book from the year 712. Don’t be scared, read more.

Police consider licensing bicycles

The Sun reports that the Toronto Police Services Board briefly talked about licensing cyclists Thursday. Councillor Frances Nunziata raised the issue after Chief Bill Blair presented a report on the enforcement of cycling infractions in the city. The York South-Weston councillor wants the city to look at licensing cyclists.Blair said licensing motor vehicles is “very useful” and licensing cyclists would have some positive aspects.“One of the more positive aspects is it does create some accountability for the owner of the bicycle that could assist us in enforcement,” he told the board.He added licensing would help ensure stolen bicycles could be returned to the rightful owner.The board also discussed the hodgepodge of bylaws within the city when it comes to bikes, particularly cycling on the sidewalk.Blair acknowledged sidewalk cyclists are a big complaint police hear about.Board members voted to ask city council to look at creating a comprehensive bike policy for the whole city.The photo shows a rare sight: Police ticketing a biker at Yonge and Dundas. Yonge and Roxborough news.

Gardiner closed, Occupy marchers downtown

Good morning. There will be smooth sailing on South Bayview today but downtown you can expect the Gardiner Expressway to be closed between 2 a.m. on Saturday and 5 a.m. on Monday for annual fall maintenance. Also, the Occupy Toronto group will march from St. James Park over to City Hall, and back presumably. That is supposed to begin at 2 p.m.