To Quote every Idiot Waiter in Town - "Enjoy!"
I have seen the face of the Olympics and it isn't a pretty sight.
Yesterday morning, I was walking to my car, which was parked deep in the heart of the West End. Beside me was my friend, who is elderly and infirm and riding his electric cart.
At a residential intersection, we paused. My friend headed his cart towards the wheel-chair accessible curb.
Along came Lady Day.
Blond-haired, blue-eyed, 45ish and driving a huge white expensive late-model SUV.
The signage on the doors proudly proclaimed : "Official vehicle of...etc."
Adorable little Upchuck was there in all his Stonehenge glory.
Of course, Lady Day was far too important, far too burdened with a mission far too urgent, to consider for even a moment stopping to let an old man in a wheelchair go by.
She drove on.
My happy, healthy series of thoughts went something like, "Whose cousin is she? What is she being payed, $120,000? For what enormous task? How did she get this gig? Was it advertised?"
My friend and I said our goodbyes and we parted.
A few moments later, I was heading down Nelson Street towards the Cambie Bridge. Georgia would have been a better route, but given the Event that looms ahead I didn't dare risk it.
Just as this morning I will go all the way over to the Second Narrows to get to Lonsdale because I fear the potential gridlock in the Park.
Anyway...Nelson Street.
Look!
All these lovely new red leather hoods on the parking meters.
Also on the parking meters on East Broadway.
Whose cousin got the contract for these things?
Over lunch my son told me that when the meters are working again they will all be in effect to 10 pm, not 8, as they have been for so many years.
As I write this, Vietnam is being replayed overhead.
A helicopter hovers.
Can they see me in my pajamas?
4 comments:
David, here goes my rant.
Olympdicks 101
One mountain is bankrupt
One mountain is an oasis of lush green meadows.
One athletes village needed bailout
One cruise ship hotel gonzo
People of Vancouver in one hour line ups to get to work
50% of the people not supporters but will rot in traffic mayhem so that some rich people can have a mid winter party.
How many business along the no parking routes will suffer.
Maybe Lui Passaglia doent want anything to do with the torch
A huge lavish party in the midst of the worst economic downturn in decades
Spin doctors telling us to get excited
Truck loads of snow being hauled in from Manning Park.
I hope that this doesnt impact idiot mayors greenest games ever.
Wait a minute the games are green just look at Cyprus
This whole deal seems to be falling apart like a very expensive suit.
13
Ha, ha, ha - I like that.
VANOC has turned the Olympics into a dismal 2 week fête, with 3rd rate sponsors and 2nd rate politico vying for as many freebies they can.
It has turned into a disgusting show of power and corruption that only Canada's 'elites' can provide.
I can't wait till the show is over and the whole lot move on to the next rubes who what to put it on.
The whole thing is high farce and the truly sad aspect is, the truly amateur sports people are being screwed by the professionals. It is so so sad.
God, I can't wait until march.
Talk about your confederation of dunces! The powers that be from the feds, to the provincial, to the civic governers have tried to con us until thinking that this event will nudge us into being a "world class city". Nothing could be further from the truth as "world class cities" evolve over time and when they become world class....the whole world knows. Do you ever hear New Yorkers, Londoners, Torontonians, Montrealers or Parisians discuss how world class they are?.....NEVER! Because it's a given. This whole fiasco will set Vancouver back as it will kill so much that is good here. We will become an empty shell of a city rather than an affordable, vibrant and cultured city. Sad and tragic.
David,
Nice yarn ... sounds like the real Vancouver.
I note that there's backlash building against the journalists who start talking about real things, the way they really are. Backlashers say that disgruntlements or protests are a Conspiracy to thwart the premier ... or some such thing.
But y'know what? In B.C., and in Vancouver especially, we've had a long headstart on being pissed off.
It's true, we are mad as hell ... and no amount of Games will make us feel better about the things which hurt so much. And you know what I mean ... starting with BC Rail, then BC Hydro, the rivers, the forests, the wild salmon, even honesty itself.
If the absolute hypocrisy of these Games allows British Columbians to express the righteous anger in our hearts, well ... that's gotta be a good thing.
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