Good: Bad

As a socially-challenged and pessimistic person (read, 'asshole'), I find it difficult to see the best in people.  However, I was genuinely inspired to a rare plateau of optimism yesterday by an empathetic Sysco Foods truck driver, who graciously parked his vehicle while making a delivery at College St & Huron St.

Curious, I asked the driver if his parking job was a reflection of progressive protocols at Sysco Foods.  "No," he replied, "I park this way because I ride a bike myself.  I know how it is."  Though heartened by the gesture, my optimism immediately evaporated the moment I turned around and saw the more typical state of affairs directly behind me:

So common is bike lane imbecility in Toronto that even the Toronto Police Service, who recently brayed about their wide-sweeping blitz of cyclists and pedestrians, can't use them properly:

Police 'salmon' in the Jarvis St bike lane.

...much less enforce the most basic rules, even when an offender is right in front of a flock of officers:

Out of eight officers, not even one could bother to ask the motorist to move along?

Certainly all major cities struggle with infrastructure issues and enforcement of traffic regulations is immensely difficult given the sheer volume of users.  London, Paris, and New York all wrestle with the counter-productive behaviour of their populuses populi? populae? pupae? citizens.  However, whereas the Thrivy League of major world cities have embraced the challenge of implementing progressive transportation policies and infrastructure, Toronto faces a bevy of incumbent politicians who will either stall such change or actively remove it.

Rocco Rossi: "When I'm elected mayor, I will take this city backwards."
Rob Ford: "But you won't take it back far enough.  We need to go right back to the dawn of humanity!"

One could either laugh or cry, depending on what mood one's in.