This Driver Got Fined & Called Out After Committing Some 'Peak Toronto Behaviour' (VIDEO)
Toronto drivers are well known for some bad behaviour and in a recent example, someone decided that whatever they were doing was important enough to block a bike lane for an extended period of time.
In a video posted to TikTok by Toronto Police Parking Enforcement Officer (PEO) Erin Urquhart, a driver was fined for blocking a bike lane near the University of Toronto for more than 15 minutes.
"If this isn’t peak (downtown) Toronto driver behaviour … I dont know what is," @tps_bikehart wrote in the caption of her video, which has since garnered well over 1.5 million views.
In the video, a white Mercedes can be seen stopped right in the middle of the bike lane on St. George Street near the University of Toronto campus, with its four-way lights flashing.
PEO Urquhart checked out the vehicle to find there was no one inside and proceeded to place a $150 ticket on the windshield.
"$150 for the bike lane. And blocking in food trucks. That's nice," the officer said in the video.
While this would typically mark the end of any one of these situations, the officer's video continues with her biking back down the same street some 15 minutes later to find that the vehicle is still in the same spot.
"There's that Mercedes is still there," said said. "Call the tow truck."
She said by the time she had made the call for the tow truck, the driver had moved.
@tps_bikehart Car was left blocking the bike lane around the U of T campus for over 15 mins! Ofcourse when i call a tow truck the driver comes out before i could move it for them. $150 served. If this isn’t peak (downtown) toronto driver behaviour … i dont know what is #toronto #fyp #parkingenforcement #bikelane #bikeTO #bikelaneticket #bikelaneenforcement #mercedesbenz #uoft #downtown
Despite the obvious reason for this driver being fined, people were still divided about the video in the comment section.
"I swear people take these jobs because they hate that everyone else is having a good life," one person wrote.
Others took no time to argue over the legitimacy of the fine and instead focused on one key decision that this driver made.
"But they had their 'I am important' lights flashing," another person commented, because no matter how long the car was stopped blocking a bike lane for, at least they had their hazard lights on.
Another person referred to those lights as the "universal 'I’m parked illegally sign.'"
A cyclist also weighed in on the fine on Twitter, and wrote, "Too bad it’s only $150.00. As a cycle commuter, I know how dangerous it is to be forced into a lane with cars."
On the flip side, some drivers watching this video clearly thought $150 fine for this was way too high.