Cyclist cited for texting and riding

Toronto Sun ^ | July 27, 2010 | Don Peat

[Squawk 8888]

Forget dialing and driving, an Owen Sound teen learned the perils of texting and cycling over the weekend.

Owen Sound Police charged the 16-year-old boy with careless driving on Sunday after slamming into a parked car while he was texting someone on his cellphone.

The teen was writing a message on his phone and riding his bike around 11 a.m. Sunday.

"The cyclist was not paying attention and collided with the rear of a vehicle parked on 4th Ave. W.," cops said in a release. "He was ejected off his bicycle, striking and smashing the rear window of the vehicle."

EMS took the teen to hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.

No word if he ever managed to send the text message.

[Squawk 8888]

No Darwin Award this time, but not for lack of effort. I think this merits a double facepalm.

[Pablo64]

Sometimes, stupidity needs to be painful.

[Howie66]

If the cyclist in question was wearing spandex, then I would say to throw the book at him.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I don't understand buying your child a toy a telling them to go play in traffic.

[NorthStarStateConservative]

Good job by the police. It’s unsafe to operate ANY vehicle in traffic while texting. Human powered or not, two wheels, 3 wheels or 4 wheels, you’re still going to cause an accident if you’re distracted or under the influence.

[jagusafr]

As my daughters would say, “EPIC FAIL!!”

Colonel, USAFR

[cyclotic]

Sorry, he’s not a cyclist, he’s a bike rider.

[NorthStarStateConservative]

You’ve probably never lived in a city before. Bikes aren’t toys, they’re vehicles.

[Squawk 8888]

Agreed. In most cities they’re the most reliable way to get around; I used to commute by bicycle and the 11km trip took 35 minutes to pedal, 45 minutes to drive, or an hour by public transit. I’ve since become lazy and traded up to a motorbike.

[SteamShovel]

writing a message on his phone and riding his bike

Today, I had to avoid getting run over by a woman scratching her lottery tickets in a parking lot while moving and not looking up.

[Stingray51]

I don’t think every act of negligence needs to be a crime. The bicyclist is obviously legally responsible for the damage he caused but I think making it a criminal issue is a little nanny-state-ish. If you are acting like a fool bicycling, you run the risk of crashing, in addition to the risk to others. I would think that if that did not deter you, the threat of a ticket would not either. So I guess I just don’t see the point.

[Squawk 8888]

He wasn’t charged with a crime; “careless driving” is a traffic charge.

[Yo-Yo]

As the Spandex Nazis in my neck-of-the-woods are so fond of screaming: Same Road, Same Rules!

[Hillbillary]

[Slings and Arrows]

Amazing how those parked cars just jump out at you.

[dixiechick2000]

“Amazing how those parked cars just jump out at you.”

Trees and telephone poles do that sometimes, too...though it’s mostly trees nowadays. ;o)

[Revolting cat!]

That’s nothing compared with the crime of making ‘texting’ an English verb.

[dixiechick2000]

“Sexting” as a verb is an even worse crime.

[Slings and Arrows]

;^)

Never trusted those trees...