Random Thoughts – Old Country Transit, Brian Bowman, Grande Parade and More
September 23, 2017
1. I was astounded to read that Winnipeg Transit, cash-starved to the point that they’re faced with having to cut back on routes, will be spending a whopping $300,000 on a pilot project to put Wi-Fi on a dozen of their buses. Judging from just a sample of the comments I’ve been seeing on my Twitter feed, I’m not the only one who feels that way.
Obviously, Transit remains as unreliable as ever with schedules acting as little more than rough guidelines, a source of much frustration for me when I lived there. Yet such serious problems along with mounting driver and passenger safety issues get nothing more than lip service from City Hall as they instead plough ahead pouring tons of cash into that silly Rapid Transit and other boutique projects. As Winnipeg Sun columnist Tom Brodbeck once put it, it’s like building a pool in the backyard of a house with a crumbling foundation.
2. No incumbent Winnipeg mayor since Unicity has been defeated at the polls, but as he piles on debt with reckless spending while allowing core services to deteriorate, it sure sounds like Brian Bowman is trying awfully hard to become the first.
3. This morning, I spotted a cyclist headed north on Merritt Street with a helmet strapped to his handlebar. His skull might get cracked open if he gets into an accident, but at least his handlebar will be well protected.
4. I know some people like to gossip, but I never saw anyone proud enough to put it up on a sign before.
5. I’m sure the neighbors appreciated the homeowner on Powerview Avenue who was blasting his radio so loud this morning that I could hear it from a block away.
6. Call me a skeptic, but I get the feeling that these bikes may be a little, shall we say, warm. Not just because of the heat.
7. “Your” not an English major, are you . . .
8. They don’t seem to get the “pictur” . . .
9. I spotted this interesting character/”community resident” downtown today. I was particularly intrigued by the plastic bags he was using for shoes and a shirt.
10. “Coorlight.” For the taste of the Rockie.
11. From the St. Catharines Department of Redundancy Department:
12. I know the Grande Parade is a big deal around these parts, but I never realized how big of a deal it was until I saw people laying out towels and chairs more than two hours before the first float. It’s just a parade, folks.
13. An older gentleman on Carlton Street genuflected as I passed by. Have I suddenly become the sign of the devil?
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