Speed

Cycling back from our regular movie night (it’s cheaper on Tuesday), I passed this speed sign a few blocks from our house, which showed the speed of passing cars… and bikes. I clocked 34 km/h myself, but of course I couldn’t take a picture of that.

The whole contraption is free-standing and solar powered, there are no cables. It’s just steel beams attached to a block of concrete. I guess they can easily move it around that way. There’s also no camera, so you don’t run the risk of getting a speeding ticket. In the Netherlands there are speed camera’s attached to almost every stop light. It’s very easy to get a ticket there, a bit too easy as I found out recently. On the way back from Switzerland to the Netherlands, we got lost somewhat (read: Alison misread the map) and a speed camera took a picture of of our rental car speeding exactly 8 Kms over the speed limit. Fine: 75 euros, which is about 100 Canadian dollars. What a waste of money.

Anyway, in Québec the chances of getting a speed ticket are quite low. Which is too bad because cars really speed in Montréal. At times I do as well, I have to admit. And on the highway almost everybody speeds. As long as you don’t drive 140 I think you’re fine.