2008/08/28

Funny Quote About The New Pedestrian Scramble

From City News:
It's that kind of pronouncement that angers drivers, who will now be forced to wait a lot longer at the lights, increasing their already simmering impatience and their feeling that City Hall is at war with the car.

"You've got to keep traffic moving somehow, and to hold up traffic just so a few pedestrians can cross wherever they want doesn't make sense," moans motorist Bryan Lawrence about the four way stop.
I love their choice of words, particularly "moans" and "simmering impatience." The hyperbolic words clash with the triviality of the situation and make the motorist's concerns seem entirely inconsequential.

2008/08/15

Darkiversary

Last night was the 5th anniversary of the blackout. I was not living in Toronto when the original blackout occurred. The event wasn't a celebration of the lack of electricity in the city; it was a celebration of a day that people were in general nicer to each other. The fact that it coincided with a day of greatly decreased energy usage is just a bonus.

Check out everyone's friend Martino's photostream Blackout Anniversary Party.

2008/08/07

Notch One Up For VC

I just biked home from an office barbq north of Sheppard. I took the right lane for almost the whole way home and "biked vehicularly." (Note to VC advocates: your jargon is awkward.) I had a very smooth ride home with surprisingly few interactions with asshole motorists.

I am still an advocate for bike lanes, of course. VC is great if you are comfortable doing it, but n00bs and couriers alike prefer bike lanes. VC extremists hate bike lanes, but extremists are always wrong.

I also broke a personal speed record on the way home, clocking 59 Km/h. If only I could go so fast on an even grade...