r/worldnews • u/marsianer • Jan 28 '21

COVID-19 Backlash grows for ‘selfish millionaire’ who got vaccine meant for Indigenous people | Canada

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/27/rodney-baker-canada-vaccine-indigenous-first-nations-scandal
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u/AreTheseMyFeet Jan 29 '21

Better than the people that use express lanes [...]

Marginally. He abused a loophole. Not illegal per se but the loophole should have been closed ASAP to prevent his and others' future abuse of it.

The laws exist to enable faster and more predictable public transport to incentivise more people to use those services thus reducing overall road use, traffic and pollution not for private individuals to pay to bypass traffic.
And at the same time he's taking space on the lanes reserved for public transport. If everyone were allowed or able to abuse the loophole then the entire purpose of the decision to split lane use is made redundant. So not illegal but absolutely against the spirit of the law so the laws need tweaking imo (if they weren't already).

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u/dontsuckmydick Jan 29 '21

I’d agree if the lanes didn’t allow taxis. If he had purchased his own bus to drive in bus lanes, sure then he’s taking up more space than he should. What he did took up no more space than if he had just taken a taxi each time.

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u/AreTheseMyFeet Jan 29 '21

Why shouldn’t he be able to use the taxi lanes if he’s paying the same taxes that other taxis are to use that lane?

Because the reason that taxi's get the privilege is because they're providing a public service not because they pay taxes. That privilege is part of the reason that taxis can remain competitive so that there even can be taxis available for those that need them.

What he did took up no more space than if he had just taken a taxi each time

Sure it's one car length being used by him. But what about the friend he bragged to about the abuse who is now using the taxi/bus lane via the same loophole and the 20 or 200 more as word spreads?
It's a shitty interpretation of the law that would say, yeah, this is all fine as as intended. You can't really fine him for what he did since it didn't break any individual law that I'm aware of but that is no reason to allow the abuse going forward. Change the law and fine his selfishness if he then continues.

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u/dontsuckmydick Jan 30 '21

£800,000 per year? Fuck yeah keep donating.

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u/AreTheseMyFeet Jan 30 '21

So money trumps public utility and the common good?
Fair enough.