Biking on sidewalks a problem in Leamington

 

Bylaws on sidewalk bicycling in Leamington may not be hitting home for migrant workers, who reportedly have been biking at dangerous speeds down Erie St.

These bylaw infractions have resulted in a number of accidents in the town’s downtown core, from residents suddenly facing bicycle traffic on Erie St.

These mishaps have come at great annoyance to several business owners. Camille Thompson, a bartender at the bar Bedrocks has complained about the regularity of accidents outside the bar. In one incident, Thompson said a migrant worker ran into an elderly lady so hard, Thompson said she “flew out of her slippers.” Another time, an 82-year-old lady was coming out of the hair salon where she was run over on her foot.

“If you say to them ‘hey get on the street, or please slow down,’ they usually tell you to f*** off, or they yell at you,” said Thompson.

These issues have come as a concern to Henry Campbell, a migrant worker who says he does not know why many of his co-workers bike so fast down the sidewalk. He says in his culture everyone is in a hurry and that the bikers have to get out of the way of the drivers, not the other way around. He praises the system in Canada which respects all travelers.

“The people here, they respect the cyclists a lot, they give them a lot of space on the road,” says Campbell. “You don’t feel threatened like someone is going to hit you off your bike or anything. You keep your distance from bikers, they keep their distance from you, which is very good.”

Dave Friesen, a Leamington resident has also complained about the number of accidents, of which he himself has been at the receiving end of a few. He says it comes down to bad manners.

“When I was a kid growing up in this town… I stepped out of the way for everyone,” said Friesen, who criticized the downgrade of sidewalk behaviour since his youth. “All this stuff’s gone out the window. It’s just common sense. I used to ride my bike on the sidewalk but when I got near a pedestrian, I went onto the street or onto the lawn. I never made anybody move who was walking on the sidewalk. I’m just really disappointed.”

According to Friesen, this bad behavior isent restricted to just one group.

“My mother lives down by the lake and last week she was walking on the sidewalk… and two young families on bikes, two groups, they literally forced her right off the sidewalk, so it’s more than just migrant workers.”

This issue is additionally frustrating because of the reported inactiveness of the police force in the town. Thompson says the cops repeatedly drive by, never issuing any tickets and seldom reprimanding any of the sidewalk violators. Just once, she says she would like one ticket to be given out and then maybe word would spread.

“About a month ago I went out for a cigarette and I walked out and there’s two bicycles coming at me and I almost got smoked,” said Thompson. “So I went, ‘hey, excuse me, maybe you could get on the street.’ and a cop did actually see it and got on his microphone and yelled ‘gentlemen, get on the street.’ But that was it. The two gentlemen got on the street with their bikes but there was no issuing of a ticket.”

The Ontario Provincial Police force in Leamington did not return phone calls.

Campbell agrees that this is an issue that needs to be addressed. The sidewalk, according to Campbell, is something that needs to be respected, seeing as it is provided for everyone. And everyone needs it.

“You do your thing, they do their thing,” said Campbell. “Everyone has a happy time, everyone reaches their destination, that’s good.”