Dear Urban Diplomat: what should I do about an annoying e-biker?
Dear Urban Diplomat,
Every day on my commute along Eastern Avenue, this guy on an electric bike zooms past my car, sometimes in the bike lane, sometimes weaving between cars, sometimes popping up onto the sidewalk for a few metres before plonking back onto the street. It’s maddening. Short of gently nudging him with my bumper, what should I do?
—Driven to Despair, Cliffside
Nothing brings humankind together like our shared loathing of law-flouting e-bikers. The scourge of the road, they are neither bike nor motorcycle, yet their operators adopt the unpredictability of the former and the swagger of the latter. Legally, e-bikes aren’t allowed on sidewalks or divided cycle tracks (like the one on Sherbourne), but they are allowed in painted bike lanes. So for the sidewalk portion of your complaint, the law is on your side. Do not—repeat, NOT—nudge him with your bumper or any other part of your car’s anatomy. Call the non-emergency police number at 416-808-2222 to provide the where and when of his repeat offending. With luck, you’ll be driving by and witness the bust.
Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com
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