Toronto cab passenger apologizes online after hitting cyclist

The man wrote a note on Craigslist because he felt bad for giving a woman a 'door-prize'

Cycling in Toronto or any city can be a dangerous way to get to work, but hopefully a Craigslist post by an offending taxi passenger will cause everyone to pay a little more attention.

A man posted a lengthy note in the Missed Connections board on Craigslist, explaining how sorry he was for giving an unsuspecting cyclist a "door-prize", which is the term commonly used by cyclists to describe getting hit by a car door that opens right in front of them.

The man says the cyclists was riding along College St. near Dovercourt Rd. when he opened his door to get out of a cab and hit a woman on her bike sending her tumbling to the asphalt. She luckily dusted herself off and got back on her bike.

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The man writes he was struggling to pay and when the cab driver unlocked the door he jolted.

"I was stupid, stupid, stupid and I should've looked out and checked that there wasn't anyone behind me," reads the post. "But I didn't do that and, as a result, I probably messed up your night, possibly your week and hopefully not your life."

He said the cyclist toppled over and then got up immediately saying she was fine, but can sympathize.

"I've also been the recipient of a dooring in the past. It blows. It 100% plain blows," he wrote adding that he is a cyclist, but doesn't live in Toronto so he was taking a cab. "And if I didn't apologize enough then and there I wanted to do so now in, and what is probably the only public forum appropriate to do so, missed connections."

He was probably hoping he missed that connection and offers to pay for any damage to the bike the two didn't notice right after the collision.

According to a Toronto Star article, the cyclist hasn't contacted the cab passenger.

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Cycling in the city may be getting a little safer as crews work to complete the separated Sherbourne St. bike lanes. However, city council also just voted to eliminate the Jarvis St. lanes meaning fewer safe cycling options.

The problem with removing lanes is explained well by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, who said, "You're not going to remove cyclists by removing bicycle lanes. They are still going to be there. They're just going to be riding very unsafely."

(Reuters photo)