I was informed that questions regarding my integrity and the bike/vehicle counts I performed on Sherbrook in June of this year is being discussed on a public forum website. This is my reply to those questions or concerns about my integrity.
A comment from Shaynelle (ed. note: this is the online pseudonym of an employee of Health Sciences Centre. She appeared as a delegation at Public Works Committee to voice support for the controversial Sherbrook bike lane proposal and opposed using Furby or Langside, as requested by the Spence Neighborhood Association and West End Biz, saying those streets were too dangerous for cyclists like her. Mayor Katz told our audience it has now been postponed by the administration due to questions about the consultation process.)
Re: Biking in Winnipeg
by Shaynelle on Thu Oct 07, 2010 8:08 pm
tgcts wrote:I only reported the count. The counts themselves was done by KIm, who worked for the commissionaires for many years and takes the oath of peace officer very seriously. If you would like to question her integrity, provide me with a contact so you can confront her directly and then we can all enjoy the consequences.
So, Kim has previous police or military experience? Or did she join after the Commissionaires got desperate and opened their doors to just about anyone?
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First of all the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires did not open "their doors to just about anyone?", expanded those doors by allowing non-military/RCMP/Police to apply yes, but the Corps began as an organization to provide "meaningful employment for veterans". And that is still their mandate, expanded yes but they are still far more careful about who they hire than some security companies. So before you start shooting your mouth off about the Corps, perhaps you should do a little more research.
I do not have military or police experience. I did however spend 15 years in the security industry working in a variety of areas, requiring me to learn how to watch for the patterns and flow of people, which is easily translated to traffic matters. Not even mentioned is my ten years of Union involvement from Health and Safety to being Chief Steward, I would suggest Shaynelle that before you make a judgement you learn about the person first.
Another comment
by Hooj on Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:07 am
For the record, I am not against cycling or cycle routes, I've said it before but it appears I have to say it again and again as it seems some people can't read.
You want to get on a bike? Knock yourself out, go ahead. However trying to force others to do the same is WRONG. Forcing neighbourhoods to comply with YOUR wants is WRONG!
We could get into all kinds of debates about consultation or the lack of thereof, the fact is consultation wasn't in place.
And I've also agreed that some of the routes created were really good ideas, they were put into places that were safe, didn't affect anyone and made sense.
Problems have risen because some of the plans were for areas that DIDN'T make sense, there was no thought to any of these plans, nobody actually studied the area, found out if a bike route would be a good idea.
Nope, take a look at Assiniboine, more problems have been created because of that one area than was fixed, nothing was truly calmed.
Nobody took the time to think about what they were doing, instead the "use it or lose it" mentality came into play, let's just thunk a bike path down anywhere to make sure we get to spend that money, doesn't matter what the people who are most affected want, nope can't do that.
Not to mention changing plans and not bothering to tell the residents and businesses. Taping a piece of paper to a door does NOT constitute consultation, but hey it's ok cause it's only the people who live there, nobody who matters. And that's how the residents are feeling.
As for the Sherbrook bike counts I did in June, yes I sat at Sherbrook and Ellice for an entire week, not just one day, and counted bikes and vehicles. I counted a total of 613 bikes in an entire WEEK, not a day, but a week. How does Jeremy Hull justify a 1000 bikes a day? I couldn't get that number in a week. At no time did I add any numbers to my counts. I counted only what came by me.
By the way if I remember correctly we even invited those from the bike lobby to join me on Sherbrook. There was no secret as to where I was sitting, met lots of folks from the area in that week. Funny nobody from the bike lobby showed up.
And I counted on the Monday and Friday which according to Jeremy Hull are not good days to count bikes as they tend to be light days. I counted on those days and every day. Seems my counts are more accurate because I never added to them and I sat for an entire week in the same spot, counting only what came by me.
I have comparison days, I have both morning and afternoon counts, Hull does not.
A comment was made that Marty posted these results as his own. At no time has Marty ever done that, in fact if you look at the wording, Marty gives full credit to me being the one doing the count. Absolutely Marty read the report and posted it on the TGCTS blog, but not once did he ever take credit for doing the counts. Were these counts done on behalf of The Great Canadian Talk Show? Well hello people I am their traffic reporter, did you think I was sitting out there for the Winnipeg Sun or Free Press? Honestly, come on people think about it for a moment, Kick FM reporter, TGCTS is on Kick FM..do I have to draw you a map to reach the proper conclusion?
Anyone who wants to discuss my integrity with me is free to do so, in fact I would relish the debate.
Marty is quite correct in saying that I took my oath as a peace officer seriously, in fact I take any oath seriously, when I give my word it means something to me and I am not in the habit of breaking my word. One problem with lying is you have to remember that lie, my memory is not that good. I had nothing to gain from issuing a false report, truth be told I had everything to lose had I done so, in the end it would be an incredibly stupid thing to do.
Again, you want to challenge my integrity, have the courage to do so with me directly, contact can be made through the show. I would be more than happy to respond. If you want to debate other issues involved with the bike lobby, I would be happy to oblige. Disagree with what I write? Not a problem and not an issue for me, I fully expect not all will agree with what I report and that's ok.
You want to challenge me that's fine but bring something more than platitudes and rhetoric, bring something more than useless poll/surveys where the numbers can't be verified. Bring me more than counts that are inconsistent, no comparisons, bring me hard data. Sadly, to date that has not occured.
Now there's a thought, an open forum for the bike lobby and those who have been affected by their actions. Anyone care to bet THAT will never happen?
