Re: 鈥淗orse carriage firms threaten to sue,鈥� May 22.
Regardless of how emotionally attached some people are to horse-drawn carriages and regardless of how well the horses are treated, this tourist attraction remains a serious car and bicycle hazard in James Bay.
I have seen as many as four cars with frustrated, risk-taking drivers waiting to pass a carriage.
Also, one day last fall, I was riding my bike east along Michigan Street behind a carriage when the driver lurched right in front of me, cutting me off. In order to avoid a collision, I tried to get around her. Unfortunately, a car was heading toward me and I became squeezed between the carriage and the oncoming car.
Luckily, I came out of the encounter unscathed. However, what might happen next time? This carriage driver was too busy talking to her passengers to (1) see that the lane she was in had cars parked there and (2) to notice that she was cutting off the bicyclist behind her.
My solution to the problem is to have the horse-drawn carriages move to the large parking lot in front of the cruise ships at Ogden Point. Then, require that the carriages avoid the busy streets in James Bay, particularly where there is ongoing construction.
Jennifer Hastie
James Bay
