Don Tai (Canada) Blog

[caption id="attachment_1244" align="alignright" width="350" caption="It is very dangerous to ride a bicycle in Toronto or Scarborough, Ontario"][/caption]Riding a bicycle is one of the simple pleasures that I grew up with. You need not go extra fast, just tool along at whatever speed you wish, admiring the scenery. Riding does not pollute, is good for your health, and transports you to wherever you want to go. I cannot think of a negative aspect of wanting to ride a bicycle. The big danger here in Toronto, Ontario, and specifically Scarborough in East Toronto, is that car drivers try to kill you. If they succeed they’ll get a slap on the wrist and a small fine for the pleasure of running their two ton weapon over your healthy, sweat laiden body. It’s all legal, and so dangerously accepted.

Please bear with me for just a moment. So the sub-prime mortgage scandal in the US has precipitated a global credit crisis, where banks cease or curtail new lending and call in outstanding commercial and personal loans. Overdrawn Americans lose their houses to the banks and reduce spending. Companies cannot expand without loans, reduce their business, and lay off employees. US unemployment rates skyrocket and consumers put the brakes on spending. This effect goes around the world, precipitating reduced global spending. China and other predominantly export oriented countries get hit hard. Their factories lay off workers and close. It seems all is not economically well in the world.