Rob Ford

Robert Bruce "Rob" Ford (born 28 May 1969) is the Mayor of Toronto and businessman, formerly a city councillor.

Sourced

• Those Oriental people work like dogs. They work their hearts out. They are workers non-stop. They sleep beside their machines. That's why they're successful in life. I went to Seoul, South Korea, I went to Taipei, Taiwan. I went to Tokyo, Japan. That's why these people are so hard workers (sic). I'm telling you, the Oriental people, they're slowly taking over.
  • 5 March 2008, in council. Ford suggests he made the statement as a compliment.

On cyclists

• What I compare bike lanes to is swimming with the sharks. Sooner or later you're going to get bitten... Roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks, not for people on bikes. My heart bleeds for them when I hear someone gets killed, but it’s their own fault at the end of the day.
  • March 7, 2007
• It's no secret, okay. The cyclists are a pain in the ass to the motorists.
  • May 25, 2009

As a citizen

Attempt to purchase parkland

• "In his letter (to the TRCA), Ford said the land was a ‘vacant’ parcel; a TRCA official told me it was actually a sliver of city-operated parkland that had mature trees. I decided that I needed to visit the property to see what it actually looked like. I also wanted to see if Ford’s home already had a fence. And I wanted to see where the land was actually located; the TRCA’s map was confusing."
  • Daniel Dale, in response to allegations of trespassing.

• "You know, it's over the top. You may not agree with my politics, don’t start taking pictures of my family. My wife's home, my kids are home."
  • Ford, on his front lawn, after the confrontation.

• "I was controlling myself. My 75-year-old neighbour said he would have grabbed a stick and hit him in his head or something. Anybody would."
  • Ford, to CP24