A motorist swerved into a cyclist and threatened them in Toronto on May 30. David Shellnutt, a.k.a. The Biking Lawyer, shared footage and information about the disturbing incident.
A truck was in the process of parking when the cyclist chose to go around it by passing on the left side. The cyclist then continued riding in the centre lane for a few seconds until an impatient and reckless driver started honking at them.
To avoid any potential hazards posed by the streetcar tracks, the cyclist made a turn into the curb lane.
Unfortunately, as the motorist passed by, he intentionally veered towards the cyclist, obstructing their path. The driver’s behavior escalated from anger to violence, and he even resorted to homophobic language. The driver hurled obscenities and homophobic slurs at the cyclist without any provocation. Furthermore, before speeding away, the motorist also issued a threat, indicating an intent to physically harm the cyclist.
The Toronto anti-bike community is pushing hard to get lanes removed
According to Shellnutt, this sort of incident is becoming more and more common.
“It is a trend of increasingly violent behavior directed at people on bikes in Toronto,” he said. Shellnutt says that the messaging from some of the mayoral candidates who are vowing to remove bike lanes is stoking the fires of anti-cycling attitudes as well. “We demand that mayoral candidates resorting to anti-cyclist rhetoric to stir up emotions ahead of the election condemn this act. Cease all further divisive comments pitting road users against each other,” Shellnutt added. “We call on elected officials and Toronto Police to prioritize the safety of vulnerable road users and take direct action demonstrating that this type of behavior targeting cyclists will not be tolerated.”
The disturbing incident was caught on camera and you can watch it below.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…