A few months ago, the Kingston City Police took a break from motorists and decided to pick at cyclists instead. This was the same day that tardy, law-breaking Queen's cyclists were picked off at stop-signs and given hundred-dollar tickets. To grasp the magnitude of the effort, two of my friends were reprimanded, though one escaped justice.

One such evil criminal was yours truly, who was given a $355 ticket for going through a red light on a bicycle. Ironically, this was a few days before I was promoted to G status. I have compiled the following list of lessons I learnt from the experience:

Bikers are charged the same amount as motorists. It seems counter-intuitive as the respective harms to society are far unequal. But it is a simplification of a law ("The Highway Traffic Act") that does not make a special case of cyclists. The result is exorbitant costs for what might seem harmless
Going to court helps. It reduced my fine to from $355 to $125, partly because of my student/unemployed status, partly because of my clean driving record, and partly because of my biking as opposed to driving. Going to court also provides some perspective on the rough lives people live. People were genuinely concerned about paying amounts that were far below any considerable amount.
Call the prosecutor prior to the court date to ensure a speedy court session. Otherwise, the negotiations occur during recess. Having not made any arrangement beforehand, my court-time lasted 45 minutes.
Biking infractions have no effect on your license (as long as you pay the fine) and have no associated demerit points.