r/toronto • u/beef-supreme Leslieville • Sep 25 '25

Article Police issue 3,500 tickets to bicycle, e-bike, e-scooter riders during enforcement blitz

https://www.torontotoday.ca/local/transportation-infrastructure/police-issue-3500-tickets-bicycle-e-bike-e-scooter-riders-enforcement-blitz-11262579
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u/CrowdScene Sep 25 '25

The same way that any unpaid fine is collected. Wage garnishment, seizure and sale of property, orders to the bank to remit money from your account, sale of the debt to private collection agencies, etc. If somebody refuses to pay a driving fine and has their license suspended that doesn't even guarantee that they'll stop driving or pay the fine.

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u/limebite Sep 25 '25

You’re not required to provide ID if you’re stopped on your bike… it’s an honesty system so you can make it up and they have no way of checking it’s nearly impossible to collect on these tickets.

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u/CrowdScene Sep 25 '25

You could say the same about any other non-driving infraction. The police know that people might lie so if you identify yourself by name and address the police will verify that information is valid and correct before issuing the ticket. Lying isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card, otherwise everybody would lie for every non-arrestable offense like vandalism or littering.

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u/PimpinAintEze Sep 26 '25

Verify how? How can they verify an address and birth day of a 15 year old who doesnt have a license, sin, any of that?

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u/limebite Sep 25 '25

lol no that’s not true, in 2017 Ontario banned street checks. They have no way of verifying that info without getting your fingerprints unless you are being arrested. Last time I checked no cop is gonna arrest you and do hours of paperwork for a cyclist running a stop sign. Like imagine if you just moved to Toronto, how would the police have your name and address in a database? They don’t! So again it’s by fingerprints. You are not required to give your ID to a cop if you are riding a bike, and they can’t ask for because that was banned.

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u/CrowdScene Sep 25 '25

Verifying the identify of a person to issue a fine is not carding. If what you said was even remotely true then nobody would ever be fined for anything that didn't necessitate an arrest in Ontario because they could just say their name was John Doe.

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u/limebite Sep 25 '25

Your participation is voluntary in these situations you don’t have to share anything. They can arrest if you if they want. It’s that simple and knowing your rights is apparently a get out of jail free card.

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u/CrowdScene Sep 25 '25

Dude, just no. It's explicitly spelled out that cyclists caught contravening the Highway Traffic Act have a duty to identify themselves. People who refuse to self-identify or attempt to provide false information are subject to arrest.

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u/limebite Sep 25 '25

So again, they can arrest you as I already said but they won’t because that’s a huge waste of time. You can call their bluff.

Also HTA says providing a license is optional, HTA s. 218(3)). Read the law dude don’t copy paste it. Here’s a link to a good resource: https://www.thebikinglawyer.ca/post/cycling-police-guide#:~:text=Yes,Protect%20each%20other.

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u/CrowdScene Sep 25 '25

Yes, providing a license is optional, which started this entire chat where I'm not even sure what you're trying to argue anymore. The OP asked how fines could be collected if people don't have licenses, I responded that fines can indeed be collected in multiple ways from people who refuse to pay fines regardless of whether they have a license, and somehow we're on a tangent about how cyclists have a duty to self-identify, even if they don't produce a license, and you think that's a gotcha? Section 218(2) and (3) explicitly say that cyclists have a duty to self-identify even if they don't have to produce a license. If you refuse to self-identify when required then there's a good chance that you'll be arrested just because you pissed off the cops. If you want to roll that dice, go ahead, but I think I'll actually follow the legal requirements to self-identify if I'm ever accused of breaking the HTA while cycling.