A video of a cyclist in Toronto being stopped by police for riding through a crossover without stopping for pedestrians has gone viral, and people have mixed feelings.
The video is shot from the point of view of a cyclist pedalling down a Toronto street.
In the clip, the cyclist can be seen approaching a crossover where pedestrians are crossing the road. While the cyclist slows down, they do not completely stop, travelling through the crossover while people on foot pass by.
@nowtoronto A cyclist says they had a "weird interaction" after being stopped by a Toronto police officer for biking through a crosswalk. What do you think of the situation? 🤔 #Toronto #TPS ♬ original sound – Now Toronto
A car horn honks before the cyclist stops and turns to face a Toronto police officer in a cruiser.
The officer questions if the cyclist saw the pedestrian, to which they respond that they did, which is why they reduced their speed.
“You’re supposed to stop my friend,” the officer warns. “I could give you a $240 ticket for that.”
“You stop, you don’t slow down, you stop. It’s a crossway, it’s not for you to slow down. You stop, like this, and then you proceed.”
After telling the man to stay warm, the officer drives away. The cyclist then calls the interaction weird.
“Most of my encounters with police are awesome, but then you have the weirdest encounters like that. Very odd guys,” the cyclist says.
Now Toronto reached out to the original account that posted the video but did not hear back at the time of publication.
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Online, people are sharing their thoughts on the video, with many calling the cyclist lucky.
“You have to obey all traffic laws as a cyclist. Getting a warning was nice of him,” wrote one person on TikTok.
“Cyclists think rules don’t apply to them,” another commented.
Meanwhile, other people feel as though requiring motor vehicles and bicycles to adhere to the same rules of the road is nonsensical.
“I’ll never understand [why] bikes gotta follow the same rules,” one TikToker commented. “A 2500 lb vehicle vs a 20 lb bike.”
“The guy on the bicycle slowed down and looked for pedestrians and you people are siding with the cop,” another commented.
CYCLISTS MUST OBEY ALL TRAFFIC LAWS: TORONTO POLICE
“Cyclists must obey all traffic laws and have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers,” Toronto police told Now Toronto in a statement.
“Drivers and Cyclists must wait for pedestrians to completely cross the road at pedestrian crossovers. They also must come to a full stop at Stop Signs and Red lights.”
A crosswalk is different from a crossover. Crosswalks are usually found at intersections with traffic signals, pedestrian signals or stop signs. Meanwhile, crossovers are specifically marked pedestrian crossings that can be anywhere on the road, potentially indicated by flashing lights, street markings or signs.
The provincial website explains that drivers, including cyclists, are required to stop their vehicle and wait for pedestrians to completely cross the street at all pedestrian crossovers, school crossings, and places where there is a crossing guard present. At crosswalks, drivers are only required to stop and yield the entire road when a school crossing guard is present.
Drivers are only permitted to continue moving once pedestrians and school cross guards have safely crossed to the sidewalk.
