That anguished groan coming from the south that many of you have been hearing over the past few days? That would be the auto-addicted of Surrey and the Fraser Valley, trying to cope with life after the closure of the Pattullo Bridge. The bridge was closed by the Mounties and the Ministry of Transportation after a fire which is alleged to have been started by homeless people living under it.
This page says that among the estimated 80,000 commuters facing a few weeks of 'hardship', many are getting exactly what they deserve for spreading the pathogen of urban sprawl in the Lower Mainland, failing to pay the true cost of their Big Box freeway lifestyles, and screaming like spoiled children that every transportation planning and policy decision must be tilted in their direction. The Kevin Falcons and Gordon Campbells of the world do nothing to discourage them while visions of 16-lane superhighways flattening East Vancouver dance through the heads of a B.C. Liberal party bankrolled by contractors and auto dealerships. *NOTE TO GREEN PARTY SUPPORTERS - THIS IS WHY MARKET-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY FAILS: WHO'S GOING TO STOP DRIVING WHEN OIL IS $25 A BARREL?
Many of these zealously selfish patrons of the Church of the Traffic Report, as result of the Pattullo's prolonged closure, are now finding themselves boarding a SkyTrain for the first time. Translink has already bent over backwards to calm their fears of the unknown by banning cyclists throughout the SkyTrain system indefinitely, as opposed to a reasonable response, like prohibiting bikes during rush hour between Columbia and King George stations. Let's not forget that many of these new riders are people who think that anyone who doesn't own their own vehicle doesn't exist, or simply doesn't matter. They make the sweeping turns at intersections without slowing down and looking for pedestrians who have a 'walk' light. They yap on their cellphones while driving over the speed limit. They routinely push cyclists to the curb, even on streets clearly marked as designated bikeways. They're also the ones who cheered on the 2001 transit strike because those "ugly" and "stupid" buses weren't in front of them on Vancouver streets.
This page encourages any and all readers who use SkyTrain and the connecting buses to keep an eye out for your new fellow passengers. If you hear them barking about great it will be to twin the Post Mann Bridge, whining about how living without a bridge for a month is a tragedy but living under a bridge is not, and insisting the rest of us should 'shut up' and not stand in the way of 'progress', by all means, feel free to give these people the welcome they so richly deserve.
2 comments:
Although I agree with much of what you have to say here I feel the need to dis a few of your cyclists.
When living in Vancouver I had two incidents with cyclists that almost cost them their lives. Their reckless regard for a 2000 lb vehicle was nothing short of amazing.
I maintain that if these commuters want to use the paved roads they should be licensed (both vehicle and persons) like the rest of us. Then maybe, just maybe there would be fewer problems on the roads with the few who think they own it. And those few are wrecking it for the many who are riding their bikes in a sane manner.
sarcasm on/
Sure... license cyclists.
It's worked so well for others... suddenly having a driver license prohibits everyone from doing anything stupid, careless, or criminal with a vehicle.
I'm sure once criminal gang members have firearm licenses all the street shootings will stop too.
/sarcasm off
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