Editor:
Re: “Driftwood hut deemed high risk,” March 9.
Why not make Styrofoam suits and helmets mandatory for everyone on the Davis Bay sidewalk? The point is that risk can be mitigated, but is it necessary? In Sean Eckford’s article there was no mention of empirical evidence. How many people are actually falling off the walkway? How many are actually being bumped into, injured, or threatened by bicyclists? This case is not about concern for personal safety but about the hypothetical risk of legal liability.
I have been biking on the Davis Bay Seawalk for 12 years and I have never seen or encountered any problems. The fact is, bikers on the sidewalk are very few and far between. They do not ride much faster than walking pace because their aim is to enjoy the view. Pedestrians have no problem taking their presence in stride. Everyone there gets along to enjoy what is without doubt the best thing on the Sunshine Coast. Serious cyclists wanting hard exercise or hot with places to go never detour off the road to slow themselves down on the sidewalk. This is not Stanley Park!
Bureaucrats and municipal politicians just love to wield power. Making laws always seems to be their first resort, rather than their last. And then when laws are in force, such as for noise, they are never adequately enforced … but that’s another story.
Piet Kos, Sechelt
