Edmonton cyclist who says he was racially abused requests meeting with mayor
By Ainslie Cruickshank
First posted: Sunday, July 31, 2016 11:03 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, August 01, 2016 12:39 AM EDT
Edmonton cyclist Bashir Mohamed is requesting a meeting with Mayor Don Iveson to discuss racism, bike infrastructure and education after he says he was racially abused during a road rage incident on Friday evening.
Mohamed was cycling home through a construction zone on 104 Avenue near the new arena when the incident happened.
He had moved into the centre of the lane, as the street was too narrow for cars to pass him safely.
The driver behind him honked and when Mohamed stopped for a red light, the driver yelled at him, using expletives, to get off the road, Mohamed said.
He yelled back saying it’s illegal to ride on the sidewalk.
“And then a guy gets out from the passenger seat and he charges at me and he says get off the effing road you n—-r,” he said.
“I’m shocked, thankfully there were two (CBC) reporters who saw this happen,” Mohamed said.
“The way he said it, with such extreme anger, I thought he was going to attack me,” he said.
Mohamed was able to record a portion of the interaction.
The video, available here, contains graphic language.
Mohamed, who works for the Alberta Government, cycles to work everyday. His commute is about 45 minutes each way and there’s virtually no bike infrastructure along his route, he said.
On average, drivers honk or yell at him once a day, while about once a week he’ll experience a more aggressive reaction from drivers, who may yell something more extreme or give him just “inches” when they pass, he said.
Almost all cyclists he’s spoken to experience this kind of reaction from drivers, but it’s worse for people of colour, who also frequently experience racist slurs, Mohamed said.
Mohamed reported the incident to Edmonton Police Services. The hate crimes unit only works Monday to Friday so he hasn’t been able to get an update on his case.
“This abuse would not happen if there was a place for me on the road,” Mohamed said, adding it would also make cycling in the city safer.
Chris Chan, the president of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society, agrees improved bike infrastructure would reduce conflicts between cyclists and drivers.
The organization is pushing the city to develop a network of bike infrastructure in the downtown core, he said.
Just last week Chan was riding down one of Calgary’s protected bike lanes, which is a model his organization would like to see replicated in Edmonton.
A section of the bike lane was closed for construction so the city built a temporary lane right next to it, Chan said.
“It’s the kind of consideration that really speaks volumes about whether or not a city is attentive to all road users and not just people who drive cars,” he said.
The need for improved bike infrastructure and education around sharing the road is something Mohamed plans to discuss with the mayor if he’s able to set up a meeting with Iveson.
Mohamed also plans to raise the issue of racism and the need for greater action to combat it. That starts with recognizing that people of colour continue to face racism on a regular basis, he said.
Edmonton cyclist who says he was racially abused requests meeting with mayor | C
By Ainslie Cruickshank
First posted: Sunday, July 31, 2016 11:03 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, August 01, 2016 12:39 AM EDT
Edmonton cyclist Bashir Mohamed is requesting a meeting with Mayor Don Iveson to discuss racism, bike infrastructure and education after he says he was racially abused during a road rage incident on Friday evening.
Mohamed was cycling home through a construction zone on 104 Avenue near the new arena when the incident happened.
He had moved into the centre of the lane, as the street was too narrow for cars to pass him safely.
The driver behind him honked and when Mohamed stopped for a red light, the driver yelled at him, using expletives, to get off the road, Mohamed said.
He yelled back saying it’s illegal to ride on the sidewalk.
“And then a guy gets out from the passenger seat and he charges at me and he says get off the effing road you n—-r,” he said.
“I’m shocked, thankfully there were two (CBC) reporters who saw this happen,” Mohamed said.
“The way he said it, with such extreme anger, I thought he was going to attack me,” he said.
Mohamed was able to record a portion of the interaction.
The video, available here, contains graphic language.
Mohamed, who works for the Alberta Government, cycles to work everyday. His commute is about 45 minutes each way and there’s virtually no bike infrastructure along his route, he said.
On average, drivers honk or yell at him once a day, while about once a week he’ll experience a more aggressive reaction from drivers, who may yell something more extreme or give him just “inches” when they pass, he said.
Almost all cyclists he’s spoken to experience this kind of reaction from drivers, but it’s worse for people of colour, who also frequently experience racist slurs, Mohamed said.
Mohamed reported the incident to Edmonton Police Services. The hate crimes unit only works Monday to Friday so he hasn’t been able to get an update on his case.
“This abuse would not happen if there was a place for me on the road,” Mohamed said, adding it would also make cycling in the city safer.
Chris Chan, the president of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society, agrees improved bike infrastructure would reduce conflicts between cyclists and drivers.
The organization is pushing the city to develop a network of bike infrastructure in the downtown core, he said.
Just last week Chan was riding down one of Calgary’s protected bike lanes, which is a model his organization would like to see replicated in Edmonton.
A section of the bike lane was closed for construction so the city built a temporary lane right next to it, Chan said.
“It’s the kind of consideration that really speaks volumes about whether or not a city is attentive to all road users and not just people who drive cars,” he said.
The need for improved bike infrastructure and education around sharing the road is something Mohamed plans to discuss with the mayor if he’s able to set up a meeting with Iveson.
Mohamed also plans to raise the issue of racism and the need for greater action to combat it. That starts with recognizing that people of colour continue to face racism on a regular basis, he said.
Edmonton cyclist who says he was racially abused requests meeting with mayor | C