From a Dunsmuir cycle track user:
My wife came across this vehicle today, one of five parked on the Dunsmuir bike path. She was sworn at for trying to get past!
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I saw a delivery truck parked in the dunsmuir street portion of the bike lane yesterday evening. Made me quite mad. Is there a city department I can call or complain to with license plates?
Yes, there is. It was founded on May 10, 1886 and is sometimes known as the Vancouver Police Department. Their non-emergency number is (604) 717-3321.
It is important that as many vehicles as possible get reported as that affects the crime stats, which can help push VanPD/Council into doing something about it.
I call the VPD all the time when I see dangerous driving. They have a road/cycling safety hotline at 604.717.2998. Not sure if they follow up on anything, but at least they hear about it. They like to know: vehicle, driver description (age, hair colour, height, gender), and plate number. Then they usually ask a whole lot of questions about you, which is a bit unnerving.
For corporate vehicles, call the company; they usually have their number on the side of the van, and sometimes they can be quite responsive.
“Then they usually ask a whole lot of questions about you, which is a bit unnerving.” You don’t have to answer, I’ve told them point blank that it’s not about me and I’d prefer not answer. They accepted that.
Thanks. I thought it might be a bylaw enforcement issue rather than a police issue. I’ll keep that in mind though.
It is a bylaw issue. It is still a VPD issue: http://vancouver.ca/police/organization/operations/traffic/traffic-enforcement.html
They swore at your wife for trying to get past!? That’s disgraceful and certainly an instance that warrants a swift u-lock to the side of their car.
I’m the wife who took the photo (and got sworn at). Thanks all for the phone numbers. Did you guys know about this site for bike lane parkers? http://vancouver.mybikelane.com/
BTW I get cursed at all the time for trying to get past people parked in Vancouver bike lanes (especially on Carrall), so wasn’t surprised, but as I was on my own, wasn’t about to go the U lock route. Sadly, I couldn’t ring the company to complain as I frequently do, as he was the company owner. My experience of ringing companies is that you get very little sympathy from them when you ring to complain about an employee texting while driving, parked in a bike lane or whatever. That’s why I take photos. Seems to upset driver for some reason!
Ohhh, the invasion on civil (or uncivil) liberties!!!
“Penny”
“I’m the wife who took the photo (and got sworn at).”
==============================
LOL. Try to imagine how little I care.
I have been sworn at — and physically threatened — by angry, abusive, aggressive cyclists when I have said inflammtory things to them, such as “Excuse me!”, when the rip in front of me on the sidewalk or crosswalk.
It’s pretty obvious that some of these supposed cyclists are in reality people who lost their driver’s licence and are mad at the world about it.
Tell the truth, Penny. Do pedestrians get in your way too?
@ Rod. So because a few cyclists have broken laws and sworn at you in your experience, you automatically assume that every cyclist, including this one, is automatically evil and out to get you? It’s really not the case.
This is a clearcut issue of cars parking in the cycling lanes. If you’re upset about bicyclists using sidewalks, why not take a picture and e-mail Gordon and maybe he will post for you. In the meantime, if you could try not to belittle other people that would really help.
Every single time I have (politely) commented to cyclists (eg. “oh look, there’s a bike lane right there, why are you riding on the sidewalk?”) I have got the F-bomb treatment. Rod is on to something…
=== >>> Tessa – I ride a bike myself from time to time and don’t assume that all cyclists are aggressive, rude or dangerous. Some are, and for some reason others wish to make excuses for them, including leaders of cycling organizations.
Making an issue of one, single illegally parked car is sort of like assuming that “every cyclist … is automatically evil”. Who would do that?
@ Rod
“Making an issue of one, single illegally parked car is sort of like assuming that “every cyclist … is automatically evil”. Who would do that?”
Wha..? Logic FAIL.
No, that would be analogy fail.