Toronto: Another Confrontation on Bike

Biking home from a pleasant dinner at Le Paradis, I encountered quite the disagreeable individual, perched upon a mountain bike, wheels of gargantuan proportion as only seen from Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire. I interrupted his jaunty but effortful sidewalk crossing with my right turn, to which he exclaimed in a most cantankerous voice “the light is red!” Yes, the red light was mine but I was turning right. And there were neither cars nor pedestrians to yield to. There was only the self-affirmed rider on the wrong side of the street, occupying a pedestrian crossing.

His raspy voice and glaring eyes held me at a standstill. I questioned my lawfulness and self-worth. I apologized for tempering his lively commute and only a bit later did I realize my mistake in apology. If only humankind was less sure of itself, we would see ourselves so much further. If we first considered our own actions before judging the actions of others, we could achieve so much more.