Scooter rider upset with customs

Jim Crackel

Letter to the Editor:
Last week an OPP officer came to my home and informed me that a custom officer had observed and reported my driving a scooter over the wooden part of the international bridge. No mention was made of speeding or erratic driving as I would hate to be either the hitter or hittee involving a scooter. The officer stated that even though there were no signs to indicate it, he interpreted the wooden section to be for pedestrians only and that any wheeled vehicle including bicycles, motorcycles, scooters for the handicapped and regular scooters were forbidden. He would not give me the name of the custom officer because of confidentiality laws. He went on to say that if it was reported that I rode on that section again, he would issue a summons to appear in court. Now this was getting serious, especially when I and many others have used that part of the bridge to ride on since the bridge was built in1960.
Anyone who has ridden a two-wheeled vehicle over the steel-mesh part of the bridge knows that it was not built with the cyclist in mind. The raised part of the mesh makes navigation not only erratic but hazardous.
I reasoned that since I had never heard of any cycle-pedestrian accident occurring or having been reported in forty-five years to my knowledge, that the custom officer reporting it must have some personal or personality problem with me.
I went to the customs office where I was confronted by the Supervisor who informed me that I was not to talk to any of the staff, but to her in private. When I told her why I was there, she came up with a solution - quit riding on the bridge. Why didn’t I think of that? I told her that I still had a problem with the officer who singled me out for legal action. She said she would speak to her staff, the OPP and get back to me. I expect correspondence from her about the same time as my Christmas present from Queen Elizabeth.
I dislike a system of law where a civil servant can remain in anonymity and have me threatened with court action while others doing the same thing remain unchallenged. I think that the riding of a cycle on the wooden part of the bridge ranks right up there on the serious crime list with parking on the west side of Main Street and jay-walking across the street to get mail or a loaf of bread.
Unfortunately, if this stupidity is carried out further, we can expect a sign being posted reading....”Pedestrian Traffic Only...except children and handicapped. No decision yet on inline skates or electric scooters”.
To the faceless customs officer I suggest...Get A Life, and consider the old proverb “Hasten not to shoot a mouse with a cannon, lest in your absurdity you are left to face a lion with a pea-shooter”.
–Jim Crackel
Rainy River, ON