Toronto Mayor Rob Ford caught reading documents while driving Special

Toronto - During the morning commute on Toronto's Gardiner Expressway Tuesday, a driver took a photograph of Mayor Rob Ford, who was seen both driving his Cadillac Escalade and reading documents. The photo was later posted to Twitter.

At around 11 a.m., Twitter user @RyanGHaughton published the photo of the distracted mayor driving. In another Tweet, the user said the image was taken at around 10 a.m. when traffic was moving at about 70 km/h close to the Jameson Avenue exit on the Gardiner. Hours later, the photo and Tweets were removed by the original poster and the Twitter account was shut down. During Tuesday’s press conference, which started about a half hour late, the mayor was asked about the photograph and if he usually reads while driving. Ford responded abruptly that he “probably” was reading during his commute to city hall. “Yeah, probably. I try to catch up on my work and, you know, keep my eyes on the road, but I’m a busy man,” stated Ford. He then reiterated he’s “busy” when probed if he saw a problem with reading and driving at the same time. “It is ridiculous questions sometimes, seriously,” the mayor added. This isn’t the first time that the mayor’s driving habits have made headlines across Toronto. Last year, a lady accused the mayor of talking on his cellphone and driving at the same time. When the woman informed the mayor that it was illegal, he allegedly gave her the middle finger. Ford was also accused of driving past the open doors of a Toronto Transit Commission streetcar earlier this year, which allegedly led to choice words between the mayor and the tram operator. A driver who is distracted while driving usually faces a fine of $155, but police say they do not retroactively chase offenders because it takes too much time and many resources of the police department. Councillor Doug Ford bought the mayor, his brother, a Cadillac Escalade as a birthday gift last month, which made the news for about an entire week.