A buck thirty-three may not sound like a whole lot nowadays. But back on May 1, 1941 -- when these cyclists lined up to pay that much for a permit giving their wheels access to Montreal streets -- average wages were south of a buck an hour.
Still, if you had a bike to ride, $1.33 was cheaper than riding streetcars eight months of the year. But if your license wasn't up to date, a flatfoot had the right to nail you for a fine. Hence the annual permit-buying ritual. At the head of this queue outside City Hall stood Jacques Dube of 1403 Gouin Blvd. West. His reward for being first was the honour of having bike license No. 1. You see, just as many Chinese motorists spurn the unlucky digit "four" in their licenses, old-time Montrealers wanted to sport the lowest possible plate numbers on their leg-cranked machines. It was kind of a status symbol. So congratulations Jacques, whever you are! Now before you go dismissing bicycle taxes (oops, licenses) as a thing of the past, remember that it was as recently as 1991 that ex-mayor Jean Dore floated a trial balloon about reinstating mandatory bike licenses. It would be good for us, he said. Licence plates on every bike would make it easier for cops to bust us when we did what only comes naturally to cyclists: burn lights and stop signs. Party pooper. Even bicycle activist Bob Silverman was for licences, saying it would help tackle the problem of bike theft. (Only hacksaws to thieves' hands can do that, Bob.) All Coolopolis can say is, with all the talk of automobile tolls coming back, and with highways collapsing, don't be surprised if more people start pedaling. Then it's only a matter of time before Montreal will mutter about bringin' bike licences back again. So keep your folding chair ready if you plan to be Number One.
When did they stop requiring bike licenses?
ReplyDeleteBeaconsfield always required licenses, just that unless one had a bike, and openly yelled "up yours, you Donut Chomping Lardass!" beside a cruiser, would any of the MUC coppers raise an eyelid from their Journal de Montreal to enforce a piddly municipal bylaw. And "Public Security" seems to think its job is to drive around and make its presence felt, but rarely get out of the van. It would be fun to see if any members of Council actually have a bike license.
ReplyDeleteSomething tells me not many members of Beaconsfield's council have bikes.
ReplyDeleteMontreal police stations issued bicycle licences up until around the mid-60s, as I recall, and possibly a little longer.
ReplyDeleteThe metal plate was similar in size to the ones currently seen on motorbikes and generally bolted to the front wheel's axle nut.
Some suburban bicycle licenses, however, were usually a simple, printed plastic tag which identified the owner's name and address along with the bicycle frame's serial number. It was attached to the seat bracket just above the rear brake by a thin, locking metal band.
The downside to the latter design was that a large saddle bag could obscure the license from view.
Not sure if Montreal bicycle licenses were officially discontinued or simply left to the discretion of those cyclists who bothered to renew them every year.
In the end, it was likely not cost-effective for the police to maintain the "service".
On the subject of bicycle safety, see this interesting news item from overseas:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25043437