MONTREAL—A Montreal cyclist was slapped with a $651 fine for warning fellow riders a police operation was in effect.
Chris Lloyd was pulled over by police after running a red light at the corner of St. Urbain and Duluth Streets, and slapped with a $40 ticket. Lloyd decided to hang around the corner and warn others of the misfortunes that breaking the law would incur.
“I was standing at the bus stop and when the light would turn red, I made eye contact with a cyclist who looked like he wasn’t going to stop or give a wave,” Lloyd explained.
But police were not amused and told him what he was doing was illegal, was obstructing a police operation.
“I said ‘you can’t be serious?’ Me, standing here at the red light, how can that be against the law?” Lloyd said.
When Lloyd asked for proof of the law, the police slapped him with the bloated fine and, he alleges, told him to move or he could end up being arrested.
Lloyd will pay the $40 ticket but plans to contest the 'obstruction' fine.
CTV legal analyst Jordan Charness said Lloyd's case has a good chance of swaying the judge.
“In fact there was a judgment a couple of years ago which said that flashing your lights to warn motorists that there are police around is not considered obstruction and the person was acquitted,” the lawyer said. “So, really, it's going to depend on what exactly happened here.”
Montreal police would not comment.
Lloyd called the whole thing “ridiculous.”
“I think they were just hoping for me to go away so they could meet their quota,” he said.
