8 thoughts on “Expanded definition of “bike”

  1. Anonymous

    quebec rules for scooters issued for medical reasons state that they are to share the sidewalks with pedestrians. they aren’t as fast as regular scooters, like the one in your link above.

    it always surprises me when i see vespa-type scoots on the lachine canal bike path.
    Make it stop, fagstein!

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  2. Homer

    Come’on Dude, its an old man who needs it to get around. Where would you rather he be? On the road? On the sidewalk? I think the bike path is probably the safest place.

    But technically, I’m pretty sure this is as much a “bike” as those electric scooters, or a power assisted bicycle. The roads (and bike paths) have to be shared. Get used to it.

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    1. Fagstein Post author

      For me, the big issue is speed, and this guy is travelling slower than most people walk, which means he’s an obstacle on the bike path and belongs on the sidewalk.

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      1. Homer

        Just yesterday I was nearly taken out on the corner of McGill College (sorry.. Rue du College McGill), and Boul. De Maisonneuve… by whom you ask? A severely disabled man speeding down the sidewalk in a powered wheel chair that should have had a spoiler or something…. he was moving LEAST twice as fast as I could ever walk… I probably couldn’t keep up with him if I was running… (mainly cuz i’d keel over after 2-3 blocks).

        maybe i should start a blog so that I too can be self-righteous about who should and shouldn’t use “foot paths”.

        Reply
  3. Jean Naimard

    Those should be on sidewalks, they are clearly in the class of wheelchairs; I mean, people ride often them inside stores…

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  4. Maria Gatti

    Well, that’s also true of parents cycling with their children. The parents can’t legally cycle on the sidewalks. I am VERY annoyed by vespa-type electric scooters on bicycle paths, but I’d be inclined to cut disabled and frail-elderly people some slack. J’étais en furie ce matin – a woman was honking at a frail elderly man who was crossing the street too slowly (he had the green when he set out, but was walking very slowly).

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  5. Maria Gatti

    The poor man (he could barely walk) was too terrified to do anything.

    Steve, there was more on this story in the Gazette blog on traffic a while back: http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/bikes+next+thing+just/1763415/story.html

    Those things are very dangerous on bicycle paths. They are silent too (an advantage in terms of noise pollution, but it makes them very sneaky). The “bicyclette” ads on http://www.lespac.com are full of ads for these so-called bicycles. Many are boosted too. I’m not against having a little electric motor for people with cardiac or severe joint problems to use climbing hills, but even seniors who aren’t too frail should be riding bicycles that provide them healthy gentle exercise. These things provide no exercise at all.

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