On More Cost Benefit Analysis

I got quite a bit of positive feedback from my analysis of the motivation of drivers to use the bike/bus/taxi lane on Bay Street. (For people outside Toronto, the right lane is reserved, the left lane is for general use.)

In my post I noted that for a driver the calculation proceeds along the following line, assume the chance of getting caught and ticketed is say X, now assume the ticket value plus lost time waiting for the cop to write up the ticket, plus hike in auto insurance premiums is say, $Y. The "cost" for using the bike lane is logically simply $XY (or X times Y). Now using this 'right' lane is obviously faster than the left on Bay street, assume the drivers time is worth say, $T/hour and assume the driver estimates they will save H time (measured in hours, or fractions thereof), if we compute say V = $(TH - XY) we get the savings from driving illegally in the bike lane. If the number, V, is negative it does not make economic sense to put a cyclist (including me) at risk of death by 2 ton blunt instrument, but if the number is positive, well a driver would be foolish to drive anywhere other than the bike lane.

Of course if you are driving, illegally, in the bike lane and you see a cop the natural thing to do would probably be to get into that left lane, since X has just gone way up. Except, it turns out, and here is a dirty little secret, X, recall, is the chance of getting caught and ticketed, well the value for X is a big fat plump juicy ZERO no matter how many police are out there.

I was riding south to work, on Bay and I saw a cop at a red light, on Friday Dec. 18. I asked him if he was going to ticket the car behind me on account of the fact that the car was in the bike lane. The cop responded: "what bike lane?" I answered: "right here!" Then the light changed to green. In retrospect I should not have taken advantage of the green light, but argued my point.

I believe I am entitled to get to work, by bike, without taking my life into my hands. We all know the lyrics sing along, bikes do not pollute, they cause considerably less wear on roads, they are responsible for far fewer fatalities, than cars. Use of a bike does not enrich Osama Bin Laden or Mister Richard B. Cheney, but a bike will cause the rider to loose fat and gain muscle. So I want it explained to me, why is it that police so religiously enforce the no left turn on Bay Street southbound to Richmond Street west, but won't pop their head around the corner and enforce the bike, bus and taxi lane not 30m away?

In unrelated news, tomorrow is December 25, this day is significant to some as International Jewish* Movie Day. Others, followers of a Joshua son of Joseph, celebrate Joshua's birthday this day (despite the fact that he was probably born in the spring). I will be cleaning Erin, I will post images and give a detailed explanation while I work, hopefully anyone I haven't just offended will find it helpful.

* Okay I should probably call it Muslum or Hindu Movie Day, but a friend of mine in high school called it International Jewish Movie Day and that's worked pretty well, but lets be honest, its basically Internation Movie Day from what even Christians tell me.