Over at TreeHugger.com, Toronto cyclist Lloyd Alter (himself an architect and prefab housing builder, as well as "green blogger) is having a bit of a dust-up with Air Canada. It seems that although his Strida folding bike compacts into a bag smaller than Air Canada's maximum dimensions for luggage, they will still charge you $50 because there is a bike in the bag. This "Excess Baggage Fee" is waived if you try to fly with hockey bags, hockey sticks, skis or snowboards (all of which is much bigger than a folding bike), but not if you have a bike.

After I was charged for the handling of the bag, I deposited it on the same belt as all of the other luggage, and it came down the same ramp and landed on the carousel with all of the other luggage. On my return flight to Terminal 3 on American Airlines, it hit the carousel in the midst of conventional luggage, so Pearson Airport luggage handlers appear to have treated it like conventional luggage. At least at the portion of its journey visible to me, it received no special handling.

Also, notwithstanding M. De Serre’s listing of the tariffs on other airlines for bicycle transport, I have travelled with this bicycle on American Airlines, Porter Airlines and United Airlines and not one of them charged me this tariff because they considered it baggage.

I was travelling with a bag that met all of Air Canada’s restrictions on size and weight and was packaged in a fashion that required no special handling and so far as I can tell, did not receive any. None of the conditions that merit special handling fees applied; there were no operational constraints, and no special handling requirements. It was a bag. The fact that it contains a special folding bike is almost completely beside the point.

Read the entire legal submission by Lloyd on his personal blog, and his post on TreeHugger from December about this.

Labels: news

Photo of the Day: Pastel BikePosts

posted by Joe on Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Photo by Stephen Young

Labels: photooftheday, photos

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BikingToronto Archives: March 31

posted by Joe on Tuesday, March 31, 2009

2006
Sunny Days, Sweeping The Clouds Away
Let's Get Critical

2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2008

Mar. 31: Cycling Events This Week
More Detail about Dedicated Bike Lanes if the TTC Strikes
Dedicated Bike Lane Discussion in City Council Today?
Photo of the Day: Black on White
Mar. 31: Photos of the Week
From The Archives: March 31st

Explore old BikingToronto with posts like this or the Archives Page.

Labels: archives

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Mar. 30: New in the Forum

posted by Joe on Monday, March 30, 2009

Stolen: very unique hybrid Heather added a discussion Stolen: very unique hybrid My bike was locked up with two locks in a location I foolishly thought was low risk (security everywhere). I'm an idiot. Date of theft: Friday, March 27 Stolen from: Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto (Bayview Ave. south of Lawrence Ave.)... (click to read more) Labels: forum Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Photos of the Week (Mar. 23 - 29) posted by Joe on Monday, March 30, 2009 Happy Monday! Just in case you missed one of the extremely popular Photos of the Day, here's a re-cap from last week. Photo of the Day: Couple Photo of the Day: Amber Photo of the Day: Spadina Skirt Photo of the Day: Bike and Streetcar Photo of the Day: Spadina Winter Commuters Photo of the Day: Phoning on Spadina Photo of the Day: Around the Corner Labels: photos, weekly Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Cycling Events This Week: Mar. 30 - Apr. 5 posted by Joe on Monday, March 30, 2009 What's on this week: View more than the next week on the BikingToronto Events Page. All Week: Does This Ring A Bell Photo Show (Opening Reception) Torontonians claim their own personal mobile space by "pimping out" their bikes with unique and whimsical bicycle bells. For the past year, Georgette Peters has been documenting these bells with her Pentax K1000 film camera. This show is an up-close-and-personal look at our huge urban bike culture. (click for more info) Mon, Mar 30: CBN: Wenches with Wrenches - Spring Cleanup Before spring gets into full swing, come on out for this two-hour workshop and find out what you should be doing to get your bike back into its smoothest running self (or at least as smooth as it'll get, if it's been badly neglected)! more info 2009041 2009041 TBN's Wednesday Wheelie Ride Wed, Apr 1: TBN's Wednesday Wheelie Ride The nature of the Wednesday day rides known as the "Wednesday Wheelies" might be the best-kept secret in the TBN. Wednesday Wheelies are social, tourist-level rides that cover routes similar to the popular Country Cruises, but which have the glorious advantage of roads, often busy with traffic on a Sunday, being nearly deserted mid-week. more info 2009044 2009044 HelloVelo Bike Mechanics Course - Crank, Bottom Bracket and Chain Sat, Apr 4: HelloVelo Bike Mechanics Course - Crank, Bottom Bracket and Chain We will do maintenance on your bike’s bottom bracket, take apart the crank and size a chain properly. Completion of unit 1 is a good idea, but not required. Covering external, bearing, cartridge and the new BB30 standard. more info Need to know what's happening in Toronto concerning bikes? If you haven't signed up yet, get this post in your email every Monday! Weekly Events Newsletter: Labels: events, weekly Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Photo of the Day: Rainy on Dundas posted by Joe on Monday, March 30, 2009 Photo by gbalogh Labels: photooftheday, photos Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum BikingToronto Archives: March 30 posted by Joe on Monday, March 30, 2009 2006 30 Kilometres, MAP, and History 2007 BikingToronto Photo of the Day Today is BikeFriday Toronto's Weekly Carnage 2008 Photo of the Day: A Ride in the Park From The Archives: March 30th Explore old BikingToronto with posts like this or the Archives Page. Labels: archives Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Photo of the Day: Couple posted by Joe on Sunday, March 29, 2009 Photo by mospin Labels: photooftheday, photos Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum BikingToronto Archives: March 29 posted by Joe on Sunday, March 29, 2009 2007 World Class Cities Have Bike Rental "Street Furniture" BikingToronto Photo of the Day Take the BikeTrain this Summer 2008 Photo of the Day: Getting Vertical From The Archives: March 29th Explore old BikingToronto with posts like this or the Archives Page. Labels: archives Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Reminder: "Does This Ring A Bell?" Photo Show Opens Tomorrow posted by Joe on Saturday, March 28, 2009 Anyone in Toronto posting photos of bikes (and probably submitting them to the BikingToronto Photo Group) on Flickr knows about Georgette Peters and her pre-occupation with photographing the funky bike bells of Toronto. Georgette is now putting on a month-long show of her photos at the Side Space Gallery (1080 St. Clair W. - just east of Dufferin): Torontonians claim their own personal mobile space by "pimping out" their bikes with unique and whimsical bicycle bells. For the past year, Georgette Peters has been documenting these bells with her Pentax K1000 film camera. This show is an up-close-and-personal look at our huge urban bike culture. At the opening, there will be a Cantastoria performance of "Bicycle Revolution" by Clay and Paper Theatre. Does This Ring A Bell? Side Space Gallery 1080 St. Clair W. (map) Show runs from March 29 - April 30, 2009. Opening Reception March 29, 3-6 pm Labels: events Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Photo of the Day: Amber posted by Joe on Saturday, March 28, 2009 Photo by andyscamera Labels: photooftheday, photos Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum BikingToronto Archives: March 28 posted by Joe on Saturday, March 28, 2009 2006 "The Bum Is In Good Shape..." Saturday's Ride, In Photos 2007 BikingToronto - Photo of the Day Have Your Say in the City's 2007 Operating Budget Process Make BikeFriday Your Own! Biking the Dundas Streetcar Reconstruction - Clarification 2008 Mar. 28: Weekly News Wrap-up Bike the TTC Strike - A Guide for Biking to Work Mar. 28: Toronto's Weekly Carnage Photo of the Day: September Sun From The Archives: March 28th Explore old BikingToronto with posts like this or the Archives Page. Labels: archives Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Reminder: Free Screening of "Tales of a Yellow Bike" is Tonight posted by Joe on Friday, March 27, 2009 Free Movie Screening: Tales of a Yellow Bike Join director Tina Hahn (Life’s a Twitch) for a trip—by bike—that takes us to Beijing, Amsterdam, Bogotá, New York, La Rochelle, South Bronx, Manhattan, Paris and back to Toronto. She’ll be at the Revue on Friday, March 27, from 7 p.m. for a free public screening of her film, sponsored by local MPP Cheri DiNovo. (click for more info) Labels: events Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Reminder: Toronto Critical Mass is Tonight posted by Joe on Friday, March 27, 2009 Critical Mass Toronto Join hundreds of cyclists for a group ride around downtown Toronto. Bloor & Spadina - meet at 6 pm, ride at 6:30 (click for more info) Labels: events Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Weekly News Wrap-Up: Get Your Bike Ready for Spring and Meet the new Cyclist-Friendly Waterfront posted by Joe on Friday, March 27, 2009 Happy Friday everyone. Time for the Weekly Wrap-Up. Below you'll find links to news posted to BikingToronto.com, links to headlines, recent events added to the Events Calendar (I've started adding a few BikeMonth events), and active topics in the Forum. News Posts: Waterfront Toronto Unveils Queens Quay Plan Waterfront Toronto has just released plans for the new "people-friendly" Queens Quay that we got a taste of back in 2006 with "Quay to the City" (photos at the end of this post). This of course includes the "connection" of the east and west portions of the Martin-Goodman Trail… News Headlines: CityNews: Is Your Bike Ready For Spring? If you're an avid cyclist - and Toronto boasts one of the world's biggest such populations - you've probably been tempted to get the two wheeler out during the last few weeks, as winter weather finally begins to retreat. Toronto Star: Quashing bike route angers activists A last-minute protest by a group of Markham residents has derailed years of hard work by other community volunteers, says the chair of Markham's Cycling and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Toronto Star: Map of the Week - Cycling Accidents That possibility emerges from the Star's online Map of the Week, where data blogger Patrick Cain plots the 1,068 bicycle accidents reported to Toronto police in 2008. Toronto Star: Getting ready for snow-free roads As the snow peels back on Toronto sidewalks, it is possible, finally, to dream of spring and of an alternative to trash-strewn and overcrowded streetcars rendered even smaller by commuters in their burly winter coats. New Events Posts: Janet Bike Girl: Open Studio Show & Sale on Mon, May 25 Guaranteed Bike Lane on Mon, May 25th Giro T.O. on Sunday, May 24 Active in the Forum: How To Get Your Bike Ready for Spring [open discussion] New to Biking! Krptonite U-Lock - Broken Key Overseas bike trips Stolen Bike Listing Sign up to get this post in your email, or forward this to a friend and get them to sign -up. Labels: news, weekly Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Headlines: Is Your Bike Ready for Spring? posted by Joe on Friday, March 27, 2009 CityNews: Is Your Bike Ready For Spring? If you're an avid cyclist - and Toronto boasts one of the world's biggest such populations - you've probably been tempted to get the two wheeler out during the last few weeks, as winter weather finally begins to retreat. Labels: news Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Photo of the Day: Spadina Skirt posted by Joe on Friday, March 27, 2009 Photo by ericparker Labels: photooftheday, photos Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum BikingToronto Archives: March 27 posted by Joe on Friday, March 27, 2009 2006 Let The Sun Shine In... 2007 Cyclists Suffer from Environmental Angst BikingToronto Photo of the Day We Can Help Toronto Pursue Green Goals 2008 Mar. 27: Recently in the BikingToronto Flickr Group Mar. 27: Toronto Stolen Bike Listings Update Tomorrow, March 28th is BikeFriday! Photo of the Day: Heels on Wheels From The Archives: March 27th Explore old BikingToronto with posts like this or the Archives Page. Labels: archives Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Janet Bike Girl: Open Studio Show & Sale on Mon, May 25 posted by Joe on Thursday, March 26, 2009 Date: Monday, May 25, 2009 Start time: 11:00 AM End time: 07:00 PM 401 Richmond St West Studio S-26 Basement Toronto Come and visit my studio! There is something for the whole family, from infant organic cotton onesies, infant and children's organic t-shirts, women's and men's organic t-shirts, all hand stenciled with various bike images. There will also be framed bike artwork for sale and a variety of my stencils will be on display. Web site: www.flickr.com/janetbikegirl Check the Events Calendar for more events. Labels: events Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Guaranteed Bike Lane on Mon, May 25th posted by Joe on Thursday, March 26, 2009 Guaranteed Bike Lane A team of ARC Cyclist Safety Ambassadors will be on hand to place safety markers around motor vehicles parked within painted bike lanes, to assist cyclists to safely navigate around the hazard. When: Monday, May 25, 2009 - 7:30 to 9:30 am Where: College Street West, somewhere between McCaul and Huron. more info Check the Events Calendar for more events. Labels: events Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Giro T.O. on Sunday, May 24 posted by Joe on Thursday, March 26, 2009 Giro T.O. Giro T.O. is a charity bike ride aimed at raising funds to help Villa Charities give more amore to the seniors who cared for us, provide more invaluable job training to young adults with intellectual disabilities and increase the cultural programming that enriches the lives of thousands annually. Sunday, May 24, 2009 Columbus Centre 901 Lawrence Avenue West Toronto, ON M6A 1C3 (click for more info) Check the Events Calendar for more events. Labels: events Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Reminder: Toronto Cyclists Union "Cinq à Sept" is Tonight! posted by Joe on Thursday, March 26, 2009 Toronto Cyclists Union "Cinq à Sept" This monthly event is intended to provide a space where bike union board, executive, management team, ward captains, volunteers, and members can come together and converse over a refreshing beverage. This event is not formal and is not a meeting. Rather, it is a space where the union can meet for the sake of meeting. (click for more info) Labels: events Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Waterfront Toronto Unveils Queens Quay Plan posted by Joe on Thursday, March 26, 2009 Waterfront Toronto has just released plans for the new "people-friendly" Queens Quay that we got a taste of back in 2006 with "Quay to the City" (photos at the end of this post). This of course includes the "connection" of the east and west portions of the Martin-Goodman Trail with a physically seperate two-way cycling path on the southern portion of the street (a good idea of how this will work is in the photos at the end of this post): Waterfront Toronto yesterday unveiled its lofty $192-million plan, which seeks to overhaul the lake-side road between Bathurst and Parliament streets. The transformation would turn Queens Quay into a European-style boulevard, with wide, tree-lined pedestrian walking lanes, an extended waterfront boardwalk, increased green space, more expedient public transit and a widened cycling trail. The proposed renovations would eliminate two traffic lanes south of the dedicated streetcar lane currently in place, allowing for increased walking room framed by two rows of trees next to the waterfront. The remaining two lanes north of the streetcar lane, both of which currently run westbound, will either be reduced to a single westbound lane with dedicated parking or converted into one lane flowing in each direction. Chris Glaisek, Waterfront Toronto's vice-president of planning and design, said the goal is to make Queens Quay more "Main Street" than main thoroughfare. "It should be local. It should be a retail destination. It should be the heart of a neighbourhood," he said... "It should be a place that you say, 'I want to go to Barcelona because I want to see the Ramblas,' or 'I want to go to Paris because I want to see the Champs d'Elysee,' or 'I want to go to Toronto because I want to see Queens Quay.' " Photos from 2006's Quay to the City: News Articles about this: National Post: Waterfront "grand gateway" proposed Toronto Star: Lakefront plan gives pedestrians top priority Globe and Mail: Group plans a facelift fit for Queens Quay Toronto Sun: Facelift for Queen's Quay Labels: infrastructure, news Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Photo of the Day: Bike and Streetcar posted by Joe on Thursday, March 26, 2009 Photo by ericparker Labels: photooftheday, photos Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum BikingToronto Archives: March 26 posted by Joe on Thursday, March 26, 2009 2006 Toronto HPV Dinner Tonight First 2006 Weekend Ride 2007 The March Issue of Cyclometer Is Out! BikingToronto Photo of the Day Bike Events This Week - March 26-31, 2007 2008 Judge rules against Sikh challenge of helmet law Getting Google Maps to pay Attention to Bikes Mar. 26: BikingToronto Community Activity Update Mar 26: Cycling News from Around the World Photo of the Day: Return of the Bikes From The Archives: March 26th Explore old BikingToronto with posts like this or the Archives Page. Labels: archives Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Free Screening of "Tales of a Yellow Bike" This Friday posted by Joe on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Parkdale High-Park MPP Cheri DiNovo is sponsoring a free screening of "Tales of a Yellow Bike" this Friday at the Revue Cinema: Day: Friday, March 27th, 2009 Time: 7:00 pm Location: Revue Cinema - 400 Roncesvalles Avenue (map) Cost: Free! Join director Tina Hahn (Life’s a Twitch) for a trip—by bike—that takes us to Beijing, Amsterdam, Bogotá, New York, La Rochelle, South Bronx, Manhattan, Paris and back to Toronto. She’ll be at the Revue on Friday, March 27, from 7 p.m. for a free public screening of her film, sponsored by local MPP Cheri DiNovo. Tales of a Yellow Bike, produced for OMNI Television, gives us an insider’s view of cycling promotion and bike-sharing programs around the globe. Hahn’s an experienced editor and filmmaker, and it shows. The crisp editing makes the most of fascinating interviews with both long-time cycling activists and municipal officials in various countries, punctuated with footage of the free-wheeling Maogosha Pyjor — former co-ordinator of the Toronto-based Community Bike Network’s now defunct Bike Share program — and dozens of others cycling their way around cities of varying degrees of bike-friendliness. The images aptly convey the tremendously liberating quality of biking at its best. Footage of cycling paths in Bogotá and other cities will make many Torontonians green with envy. This film will make you want to pedal your way home. Added to the Events Calendar, of course. Labels: events Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Photo of the Day: Spadina Winter Commuters posted by Joe on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Photo by Kaibot Labels: photooftheday, photos Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum BikingToronto Archives: March 25 posted by Joe on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 2007 BikingToronto Photo of the Day 2008 TCAT News Bulletin: March 25th How People Commute in Toronto Mar. 25: Weekly Site Category Digest Mar. 25: Weekly Site Daily Digest Photo of the Day: Slushy at Spadina From The Archives: March 25th Explore old BikingToronto with posts like this or the Archives Page. Labels: archives Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Reminder: U of T BikeChain Winter Recovery Workshop posted by Joe on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Tonight is the Bikechain Winter Recovery Seminar - from 6:30 - 8 pm. UofT BikeChain Seminar: Winter Recovery You have wounded your bicycle by riding through corrosive salty slush. Heal it! Is your bike encrusted with filth? Is your chain making angry noises? Are cables on your bike stuck? If you've said yes to any of these questions, you will find this seminar helpful. (click for more info) Labels: events Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Headlines: Cycling Accidents Map and Getting Ready for Spring posted by Joe on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Toronto Star: Quashing bike route angers activists A last-minute protest by a group of Markham residents has derailed years of hard work by other community volunteers, says the chair of Markham's Cycling and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Toronto Star: Map of the Week - Cycling Accidents That possibility emerges from the Star's online Map of the Week, where data blogger Patrick Cain plots the 1,068 bicycle accidents reported to Toronto police in 2008. Toronto Star: Getting ready for snow-free roads As the snow peels back on Toronto sidewalks, it is possible, finally, to dream of spring and of an alternative to trash-strewn and overcrowded streetcars rendered even smaller by commuters in their burly winter coats. Labels: news Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Photo of the Day: Phoning on Spadina posted by Joe on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Photo by Kaibot Labels: photooftheday, photos Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum BikingToronto Archives: March 24 posted by Joe on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 2006 Car Free Friday! 2007 Less Cars on Yonge Street and King Street BikingToronto Photo of the Day 2008 Mar. 24: Cycling Events This Week Photo of the Day: Wet Speed Mar. 24: Photos of the Week From The Archives: March 24th Explore old BikingToronto with posts like this or the Archives Page. Labels: archives Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum Photos of the Week (Mar. 16 - 22) posted by Joe on Monday, March 23, 2009 Happy Monday! Just in case you missed one of the extremely popular Photos of the Day, here's a re-cap from last week. Photo of the Day: Fenced Photo of the Day: Spadina Photo of the Day: City Hall Blur Photo of the Day: Honest Eds Photo of the Day: Red Rider Photo of the Day: Sunnyside Path Photo of the Day: Bike Watching Labels: photos, weekly Discuss this topic and a lot more on the BikingToronto Forum On The Blog New Events on the BikingToronto Calendar Update: Air Canada and Folding Bikes Photo of the Day: Pastel BikePosts BikingToronto Archives: March 31 Mar. 30: New in the Forum Photos of the Week (Mar. 23 - 29) Cycling Events This Week: Mar. 30 - Apr. 5 Photo of the Day: Rainy on Dundas BikingToronto Archives: March 30 Photo of the Day: Couple BikingToronto Archives: March 29 Reminder: "Does This Ring A Bell?" Photo Show Opens Tomorrow Photo of the Day: Amber BikingToronto Archives: March 28 Reminder: Free Screening of "Tales of a Yellow Bike" is Tonight Reminder: Toronto Critical Mass is Tonight Weekly News Wrap-Up: Get Your Bike Ready for Spring and Meet the new Cyclist-Friendly Waterfront Headlines: Is Your Bike Ready for Spring? Photo of the Day: Spadina Skirt BikingToronto Archives: March 27 Janet Bike Girl: Open Studio Show & Sale on Mon, May 25 Guaranteed Bike Lane on Mon, May 25th Giro T.O. on Sunday, May 24 Reminder: Toronto Cyclists Union "Cinq à Sept" is Tonight! Waterfront Toronto Unveils Queens Quay Plan Photo of the Day: Bike and Streetcar BikingToronto Archives: March 26 Free Screening of "Tales of a Yellow Bike" This Friday Photo of the Day: Spadina Winter Commuters BikingToronto Archives: March 25 Reminder: U of T BikeChain Winter Recovery Workshop Headlines: Cycling Accidents Map and Getting Ready for Spring Photo of the Day: Phoning on Spadina BikingToronto Archives: March 24 Photos of the Week (Mar. 16 - 22) Recently on Duncan's City Ride Blog RSS Feeds Main Feed News Feed Daily Photo Feed Weekly News Wrap-Up Every friday, BikingToronto takes all the bike news and sends it to your inbox. Bike Maps BikeShop Map BikeLanes Map Advertise on the GreenLiving Network Advertise on BikingToronto Upcoming Events Get a Weekly Events Email every Monday Advertise on BikingToronto Advertise on BikingToronto Advertise on BikingToronto

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