The Busy and Oblivious Mayor's Guide to Multi-Tasking

[Anbarandy]

Mayor Rob Ford caught reading while driving, says ‘I’m a busy man’

Toronto Star August 14, 2012

Daniel Dale Urban Affairs Reporter



Mayor Rob Ford was photographed reading a document while driving on the Gardiner Expressway Tuesday morning, prompting questions about his behaviour behind the wheel for the third time in just over a year.

The photo was posted on Twitter. Ford unapologetically acknowledged its authenticity when asked about it at an unrelated news conference later in the morning.

“Yeah, probably,” he said flatly. “I’m busy.”

When a reporter followed up by asking whether he reads while driving, he said, “Yeah, probably. Trying to catch up on my work; you know, keep my eyes on the road, but I’m a busy man.”

When the reporter asked whether he doesn’t see a problem with reading on the Gardiner, he said again, “I’m busy.”

Check the photo that our idiot of our mayor cannot escape: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/cit...ght-reading-while-driving-says-i-m-a-busy-man

Caught distracted driving while talking on his cellphone numerous times. Caught distracted driving while flipping the bird a couple of times. Caught distracted driving while plowing thru opened streetcar doors and now this.

Get him out of the driver's seat now.

 

[james t kirk]

Ford continues to dig his own grave.

What if he killed someone, or hit a kid? Would he continue to make excuses.

The man needs to be charged, and he needs to get a driver already.

 

[fuji]

What do you expect from a guy with a DUI conviction?

 

[basketcase]

And the excuse that 'I'm busy' is a freakin joke.

You know much of the OP's posts are pretty ridiculous but this one does show a real issue.

 

[james t kirk]

Does he not realize that people are just watching him? How stupid is he? (Rhetorical Question I know.)

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2012/08/14/li-ford-car.jpg

 

[blackrock13]

This is even too much, even for me.

 

[capncrunch]

"... but I'm a busy man."

I almost hope he tries to use that excuse when speaking with the family members of one he killed.

I don't live in Toronto so I've got no horse in this race, but still... how do you always end up voting for these types?

 

[Moviefan-2]

When it comes to mayors behind the wheel, Ford is probably less of a threat to public safety than 91-year-old Hazel McCallion. But that's not saying much.

They both need to get drivers.

 

[oldjones]

He shows all the signs of a guy who knows he's out of his depth, and well aware everyone around him also knows. So he spends as much time as he can alone, hiding out, trying to keep up in the ways that sorta used to work for him before, while his staff tries to cover for him, and wishes he'd use them effectively rather than leaving them to figure out where he is and what he's up to on any given day. It's sad and pitiable.

But do we really want our subways planned, or our City run by a guy only half-skimming his paperwork while pretending he's a competent driver? Aren't we paying him the full salary? Why doesn't that entitle us to his full attention?

I wouldn't want him humiliated—although he seems to take care of that himself—but he's almost daring Council to formally demand he behave like a responsible adult and do his job full-time while a competent, cheap professional driver does hers and keeps him and the rest of us safe on the road.

 

[great bear]

Olivia Chow was in the car directly in front of Ford's car.

 

[fuji]

But do we really want our subways planned, or our City run by a guy only half-skimming his paperwork while pretending he's a competent driver?

The problem is that he doesn't just completely hide out, and tries to get involved in things. If he just disappeared--stayed home, showed up at meetings and looked busy, it wouldn't be so bad. Council could work effectively without him. They have the power to strike committees, make decisions, request reports. Staff can competently run the city.

There's a town in Alaska or somewhere as I recall who elected a cat as their mayor. They say he's the best mayor ever because he doesn't raise taxes, doesn't judge people, doesn't interfere in people's lives. A mayor who stays out of the way is sometimes an effective mayor!

The problem is that Ford doesn't want to just stay out of the way. He wants to be involved, but he's not up to speed, doesn't know what's going on, doesn't have a plan, so he creates chaos around him.

 

[james t kirk]

He shows all the signs of a guy who knows he's out of his depth, and well aware everyone around him also knows. So he spends as much time as he can alone, hiding out, trying to keep up in the ways that sorta used to work for him before, while his staff tries to cover for him, and wishes he'd use them effectively rather than leaving them to figure out where he is and what he's up to on any given day. It's sad and pitiable.

But do we really want our subways planned, or our City run by a guy only half-skimming his paperwork while pretending he's a competent driver? Aren't we paying him the full salary? Why doesn't that entitle us to his full attention?

.

Quite correct.

He also coaches high school football - which probably eats up about 30 plus hours a week. I don't see how the Mayor of the City of Toronto possibly has time to coach high school football. (Or constantly call back citizens, or fill in pot holes, or spray graffetti.) He needs to get his priorities straight.

Does he want to be Mayor of Toronto, or a High School Football coach?

 

[larry]

and they say it's not illegal. really? ok. let joe citizen try driving beside a police car reading a magazine. he'll be stopped right away. not only our mayor looks silly, the police further lose credibility.

 

[oldjones]

and they say it's not illegal. really? ok. let joe citizen try driving beside a police car reading a magazine. he'll be stopped right away. not only our mayor looks silly, the police further lose credibility.

Why? Didn't they find out the same way we did? Or are you suggesting they should pick on the Mayor and follow him around as a sure-fire offender?

Rob looks like an incompetent driver, a bad Mayor, and a guy without the mental acuity to answer questions at a press conference, let alone to make responsible decisions about truly simple things, never mind civic policy.

But the Police actually went quite far towards outright calling him foolish and dangerous on the web (cited in other threads on the topic), although that was later toned down.

 

[Anbarandy]

He shows all the signs of a guy who knows he's out of his depth, and well aware everyone around him also knows. So he spends as much time as he can alone, hiding out, trying to keep up in the ways that sorta used to work for him before, while his staff tries to cover for him, and wishes he'd use them effectively rather than leaving them to figure out where he is and what he's up to on any given day. It's sad and pitiable.

But do we really want our subways planned, or our City run by a guy only half-skimming his paperwork while pretending he's a competent driver? Aren't we paying him the full salary? Why doesn't that entitle us to his full attention?

I wouldn't want him humiliated—although he seems to take care of that himself—but he's almost daring Council to formally demand he behave like a responsible adult and do his job full-time while a competent, cheap professional driver does hers and keeps him and the rest of us safe on the road.

It was the announced Tuesday that Mayor Rob Ford will “lead” a two-day business mission to Chicago next month.

It was made by the mayor himself — in a more dishevelled and unprepared state than is normally the case. Ruffled by the kerfuffle after being caught reading while driving and unprepared as usual.

He read from his speaking notes just fine — considering he’d reviewed them, evidently, while driving himself in on the Gardiner Expressway.

Asked about the costs of the entire trip, Ford responded: Depending on the flights, for a couple of days it might be $1,000 or a couple thousand dollars,” he said. “You can’t even put a price on it — it’s money well spent.”

Asked what kinds of jobs he expects to attract, Ford responded: “There’s so many — there’s a lot of manufacturing and technology,” he said, insisting they’re getting hundreds and hundreds of calls from business leaders wanting to pay their own way and be part of the mission.

Asked whether he hoped that businesses would relocate here, Ford responded: “absolutely”, but he didn’t elaborate.

When asked what meetings were lined up, he was pulled away to avoid further embarassment.

Would this be something akin to what you are stating?

 

[oldjones]

Yeah. There's a reason the family's primary business went to Doug, and Rob got the side-business. Then when Doug had arranged the succession at the label plant, he pushed his younger bro' into Peter Principle territory. "Don't worry kid. I'll have your back. What could go wrong?"

Like in the olden days, when they were kids in the ravine behind the family home.

 

[larry]

Why? Didn't they find out the same way we did? Or are you suggesting they should pick on the Mayor and follow him around as a sure-fire offender?

Rob looks like an incompetent driver, a bad Mayor, and a guy without the mental acuity to answer questions at a press conference, let alone to make responsible decisions about truly simple things, never mind civic policy.

But the Police actually went quite far towards outright calling him foolish and dangerous on the web (cited in other threads on the topic), although that was later toned down.

it's obvious that if you read a magazine beside a police car, even at a stop light, they'll wave you over. they have a pic of their boss reading while driving and his own admission. they could charge him with careless driving. what's strange is someone actually defending the tps. they really should step aside and ask the OPP to investigate. there is a super-conflict of interest here.

 

[oldjones]

it's obvious that if you read a magazine beside a police car, even at a stop light, they'll wave you over. they have a pic of their boss reading while driving and his own admission. they could charge him with careless driving. what's strange is someone actually defending the tps. they really should step aside and ask the OPP to investigate. there is a super-conflict of interest here.

They have a pic that an anonymous Twitter user claims he took at a certain time and place while the Mayor was driving. He could initiate a complaint, and eventually give sworn testimony, but all the pic on the web amounts to is suspicion.

When we're paying enough taxes to hire enough cops to turn every suspicion of bad driving into a charge, we'll actually be the overtaxed paupers Rob's crowd would have us believe we are already.

Your examples are of a cop seeing the offence. Quite different, and irrelevant to this incident.