Saturday 29 April, 2006
Inconvenience
As part of the preparations for 2010 Olympics, the transport system in Vancouver is being upgraded. Following from this they are building new and enhancing old Skytrain stations (that's the automatic local train system we have here)... and starting from this week until "further notice" all the busses on Downtown end of Granville Street have been redirected to other routes.
Which means my bus routes. I got used now and again having to use alternative bus stops because they sometimes filmed for days on end on my stop on Granville, but this is far beyond that little inconvenience. It used to be that when changing busses from Davie to Granville I just had to step around the corner, the traffic lights worked for my favour so that the busses had to wait while I strolled on to the stop. Now the busses are on Howe, and I have to cross a street and walk - or so far run - about 100 meters to catch the next bus. And the traffic lights work against me: I have to stand and wait while my buss goes past, then run as fast as I can hoping they'll wait for me.
And going to yoga after work, I haven't quite figured exactly how the busses work for that - the busses come back on Seymour, but because that's one way, 5 and 6 are redirected to Richards which is one way other direction. So instead of just walking to the other side of the road to catch my connection, I have to walk a block and find a stop... Also - on Granville there used to be a stop every block, but on Seymour they come far apart much to people's surprise and distress.
And according to my sources, "further notice" means two years. So I better get used to this. I know this doesn't make any sense to anyone else reading this, but I had to get it off my chest... thanks for listening.
Posted by kolibri at 29 April 21:33, 2006A complaint can excelent material for a work of art. A just listened a radio program of a performance given in Kiasma (Museum of contemporary art of Helsinki) called "Helsingin valituskuoro" ("complaint chorus of Helsinki"). It was a part of the ARS 06 exhibition. What a hilarious experience it must have been to the original audience. I wish you luck and courage to bear this trying time ;D.
link: http://typo.kiasma.fi/index.php?id=467&FL=1&L=0
# 2 - Sean W (on May 2, 2006 01:58 PM):
First day of the changes I was heading into work and happily did remember to walk up to Howe instead of Granville.
I was nice enough to tell the 8 or 9 people at the bus stop on Granville that there were no busses. Two people immediately started following me, the rest looked at me like I'm a weirdo (how did they know?).
Sure enough, the traffic crossing Howe is a pain, the lights are stupid on that particular corner, and on the way back to Granville Skytrain along Seymour, you wind up having to get off an extra block away.
Honestly it wouldn't have been a big deal if I wasn't use to the convenience... but I am, and I feel your pain.
S
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