A couple of months ago, we asked you about the rules of the road that you play by that others seemingly often ignore.
We wanted to know, from a cycling perspective, what are your biggest pet peeves on the streets of Toronto? What do drivers do to get on your nerves? What do pedestrians do to get under your skin? And how about other cyclists? The more minor the inconvenience, the better. After all, a ‘pet peeve’ is “a minor annoyance that an individual finds particularly irritating to a greater degree than the norm”.
Thank you to the hundreds of you who answered the call and took to our survey to vent. It took a little while to comb through all of the responses, but in doing so, it was easy to notice certain themes coming up again and again.
In the last Ring & Post, we covered drivers. This month, we take on the humble pedestrian. Before horses and carriages, and long before bikes, cars, subway trains, scooters, and onewheels, there was but one method of travel around human cities: walking.
(Pedestrians jostle for space at Spadina and Richmond.)
Pedestrians are amongst the most vulnerable of road users, so it’s hard to fault them for too much. One particularly laissez-faire commenter answered our central question of “What do pedestrians do that annoys you?” by saying that pedestrians can do no wrong:
“Nothing. Pedestrians can have free reign as far as I'm concerned”
Another respondent acknowledged the hierarchy of vulnerability on the roads:
“As a cyclist im more of a hazard to pedestrians, so i take the approach of always giving way to pedestrians”
But still, others were far more critical of some of the common pedestrian infractions that they see regularly.
The Jaywalkers
The most contentious activity by far was jaywalking. Some said it’s always alright with them. Some said it’s never okay. And many said it really depends on the perpetrator’s approach. Pedestrians walking across the street or bike lanes without looking both ways is evidently a major pet peeve of the Ring & Post’s readership. As is jaywalking while staring at your phone. Another qualm was diagonal jaywalking: many said it’s fine to jaywalk, but make it straight and predictable, otherwise it can get a little dicey.
Bike Lane Intruders?
Plenty brought up people (and animals) who can occasionally be found in the bike lanes not on bikes. Joggers were the main target, and a small subset specifically mentioned the Martin Goodman Trail. A few also brought up unleashed dogs and their pedestrian owners.
Teetering On the Edge
Another common complaint was regarding those who stand at the very edge of a sidewalk while waiting at an intersection to cross the street. One respondent said:
“Standing right on the edge of where the sidewalk meets the road. I just think give it a foot or two, you’re asking to get clipped by a bike or car someday”
Ahead of Schedule
Many of those who ply the streets with streetcars but no streetcar right-of-ways wanted to vent about people who prematurely saunter onto the street long before the streetcar stops, or even slows down at all. Our readers were annoyed with this sort of purgatory in which the streetcar’s bells haven’t rung and the lights haven’t signalled it’s about to stop, yet a handful of overly eager TTC riders are already wandering across the curblane.
So, what do you think? Are these valid concerns? Are you more willing to look the other way when it comes to pedestrian bad behaviour?
Thanks again for sharing your pet peeves with us. In the next Ring & Post, we’ll be looking inward and sharing your biggest pet peeves regarding your fellow cyclists. Should be fun, see you then.
