Driver parked on sidewalk outside Holdom SkyTrain draws RCMP ire and public mockery
A run to Starbucks ended with a ticket and online ridicule for a Burnaby driver after a Tesla Model 3 was photographed resting completely on a public sidewalk near Holdom SkyTrain Station.
On Sept. 1 Burnaby RCMP shared images on social media showing the vehicle occupying the pedestrian corridor. Police said the driver had stopped to pick up coffee and was issued fines totalling $190 under the BC Motor Vehicle Act.
“This was grounds for $190 worth of fines. That’s a rich brew!”
The RCMP post referenced the legislation that bars driving on sidewalks except in limited circumstances: entering or leaving a driveway or lane, or land adjacent to a highway, or where a bylaw permits it. The force’s tone — part reprimand, part online humour — prompted dozens of comments from local users.
Enforcement, safety and street behaviour around transit nodes
Burnaby residents and transit users have long expressed frustration about drivers who treat curb space and sidewalks as short-term holding zones. Photos shared with the RCMP post included critical remarks like “That’s very Tesla” and observations that drivers often park awkwardly near the Starbucks entrance, sometimes impeding other road users.
Sidewalks are intended for pedestrians and people using mobility devices. Vehicles on sidewalks create hazards, reduce visibility at crosswalks and can force pedestrians into the roadway. The Motor Vehicle Act gives police a clear basis to ticket motorists who drive or stop on sidewalks outside the narrow legal exceptions.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Holdom SkyTrain Station (near Starbucks) |
| Vehicle | Tesla Model 3 |
| Fine | $190 |
| Legislation | BC Motor Vehicle Act — driving on sidewalks prohibited except in narrow cases |
Not an isolated impulse — wider pattern of sidewalk incidents
The Burnaby incident arrived amid a clutch of widely shared photos and videos across Metro Vancouver and beyond of vehicles on or alongside pedestrian routes. A Tesla Cybertruck was recently photographed on a public walkway near Granville Island, and a separate clip from Edmonton showed a Cybertruck on a pedestrian path there. Earlier this year a vehicle was captured driving on Vancouver’s seawall near Sunset Beach.
Those episodes, like the Burnaby ticket, highlight a collision between car-centric short-cuts and growing pressure to keep public walkways safe and accessible. For busy commercial corners and transit hubs, the temptation to stop close to businesses can be high, particularly during morning rushes. But the legal and safety consequences are real.
- Drivers can be fined for driving or stopping on sidewalks under the Motor Vehicle Act.
- Sidewalk parking endangers pedestrians and may force people into traffic lanes.
- Enforcement posts by police can deter repeat behaviour but also draw public commentary.
Local authorities, transit agencies and business improvement associations face the ongoing task of balancing short-term convenience for drivers with the long-term safety and accessibility of public spaces. Enforcement — as in this $190 ticket — is one tool; clearer curb design, signage and neighbourhood education are others.
As Burnaby continues to grow and its SkyTrain-accessible neighbourhoods intensify in commercial activity, small decisions about where to stop a car ripple into daily life for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users. The RCMP’s social media post underscored the message: sidewalks are for people, not parked cars — and a coffee run is no exception.
