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| PICTURE | DESCRIPTION |
 Medium (700 x 525) Large (2272 x 1704) |
When I got off the bus at Islington Station on my way home from work tonight, I was presented with this sight. Yup, looks like a car or truck slammed into one of the bike racks at Islington Station with some serious force. The bike rack is ripped out of the ground, and the bike is crushed up against the subway station wall. |
 Medium (700 x 525) Large (2272 x 1704) |
You can see that the impact destroyed the front wheel and forks, and completely mangled the bike rack. |
 Medium (700 x 525) Large (2272 x 1704) |
The frame and rear wheel are bent right out of shape too. |
 Medium (700 x 525) Large (2272 x 1704) |
I can think of a few ways that this happened: 1) A car drove too quickly into the "Kiss'n'ride" / taxi area and missed the turn, 2) someone drove up onto the curb for a drop-off or pickup, 3) someone tried to manouver out of this lot without having to go all the way through. Maybe it was something else..... but I can easily see any of this happening. It's a very busy station, and the drop-off cars and taxis are often driving like maniacs to get in there, even with hundreds or thousands of people walking by daily (from the apartments and neighbourhoods, the huge park'n'ride lots, etc...). You really have to be careful walking through this section of sidewalk! |
 Medium (525 x 700) Large (1704 x 2272) |
Unfortunately, it's not unusual to see beat up bikes here. It seems like there is always at least one or two smashed up bikes in these racks. Some are probably vandalized, but other looks like they were obviously crushed by inattentive automobile drivers. Here are two other bikes crushed on this rack... |
 Medium (700 x 525) Large (2272 x 1704) |
It's sad that the commuters who are doing "the right thing" by walking, cycling, and taking the TTC have to put up with drivers physically threatening them and their property. I would be pissed and saddened at the state of public transit and cycling in this city if I got off the subway after a long day of work to find my bike like this. |
 Medium (700 x 525) Large (2272 x 1704) |
Another view of the complete bike rack. I have a few suggestions for this bike parking area: 1) Put some bollards on the sidewalk to keep the cars from driving up and hitting pedestrians and the bike racks, 2) put some speed bumps in the approaching lane to slow down the speed-demons. With the thousands and thousands of dollars spent on maintaining the huge parking lots around here, you'd think they could spare a few bucks for decent bike parking. |
| All photographs ©2005 Victor Gedris | |
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