Non-Profit Drupalling, A view from the inside

I wouldn't call Montreal that bike friendly.
At least that’s what it seems. Although the city invested millions in its first all-season bike path downtown cheap travel insurance, in every other gesture it sends a strong anti-bicycle vibe. You would think a city with such narrow streets and high car density would encourage cyclists, for the health of its citizens and the environment, and to reduce gridlock and wear and tear on city streets which ultimately costs the city big bucks in repairs.
However, last winter the city was so slow to clear snow off the all-season bike path that most cyclists with any sense didn’t dare try to use it. And since the city didn’t stop its annual ritual of removing all bicycle parking in the fall, winter cyclists still had nowhere to lock up their bikes. Nowhere that was safe from the sidewalk plow that is mortgage payment calculator.
Winter cyclists faced even greater dangers this year. Take the story of Richard Abderrahmane, a winter cyclist who was run over by a snow blower this winter. Luckily his bicycle jammed the blades before it chewed him to bits. Drivers who witnessed the incident followed the snow blower, honking and pointing until finally the operator stopped. Miraculously the cyclist walked away with only cuts and bruises, but his bike was mangled beyond repair and the city refused to replace it.
This spring, as usual, the roads deteriorated to the point where they were unsafe even for cars and the city opened up its pothole hotline again. I’m sure I’m not the only person who wonders how you call in the location of a pothole (Hello operator? You know Queen Mary Road? between Decarie and Cote-des-Neiges short term health insurance? It’s gone. Just a series of potholes now connected by patches on last year’s potholes). Of course this service might be useful to drivers (in theory, if your car is damaged by hitting a pothole the city knew about, the city has to pay for repairs). But for cyclists, the patches on the potholes don’t really make the streets any more even.
This spring the city also dealt cyclists another blow by shutting down the Official Montreal Bike Sale. Of course there was nothing really official about it, but after 4 years of Thursday night bike sales each spring and fall, many Montrealers, especially students, had come to rely on it as a place to get a cheap, reliable ride. It was started by a local businessman who prefers to remain anonymous and is referred to as The Bike Guy. He happens to enjoy cycling and repairs bikes in his spare time. Each week The Bike Guy would fix up a dozen bikes and park them outside the main gates to McGill University on Thursday night. At 09:00 pm he would unlock them, let anyone interested in buying take them for a test ride, and sell them at rock bottom prices (most bikes were priced at 60$ or less). He even offered a guarantee. Most bike sales were over by 9:02. He has helped hundreds of students get around town, providing them with bikes that are less likely to be stolen since used bikes are often not the most attractive ones in the rack. Campus security was aware that the sales were taking place and even told the Bike Guy they thought he was offering a great service to the students. However just before last weeks sale 2 police officers real estate listings arrived and asked the crowd of people waiting around the bikes what they were doing. When officers Joly and Ouellet learned that there was a sale about to take place they left and came back just after nine. The sale was already over but the police gave the Bike Guy a formal warning and promised to return weekly to ensure that no more sales take place. R.I.P. Official Montreal Bike Sale.