Patterson Station

Note: this week I've been using the Skytrain to get to and from work. I'm pretty sure that the streets that I use to bike to work are covered with ice, since they are not Arterial Automobile streets. Part of me wants to do the 15km trip just to see what it would be like, but another part of me does not want to fall repeatedly or subject my nice new bike to the dirt etc. I should buy a junker mountain bike for these situations. Patterson Station is where I sat on a MK I Skytrain car for an hour (more?) yesterday evening. I left work at around 1700h and the Skytrain arrived at my station almost immediately. The platform was crowded but that's not unusual, especially in exceptional weather. The train left as usual, but only made it one station down the line before stopping for at least an hour. Fortunately I had a book to read. And read it I did. About 80 pages. So I can't wait for this snow to disappear from the city. I do not want to ride the Skytrain anymore.

Things I saw on my commute VI

• On the Cambie St. Bridge, in the evening (so it is dark), in a light drizzle. I see one of those electric scooter things coming in the opposite direction WITHOUT ITS LIGHTS ON. It could be argued that those things should not be on the bike/pedestrian path at all. But if you're going to ride your electric scooter at night on a bike path then maybe you should turn your headlight on?
• One day on the way home I noticed that the rain, which had just started, had become particulary painful and stinging on my face. It turned out to be hail. It didn't last long. The normal precipitation that followed stopped my front brake from squealing. This is unusual; the rain made my last set of brake pads squeal even harder.

Turbidity

OK so the boil water advisory is still in effect, and it will likely remain in effect for a few more days. Some people are not taking it very well. The CBC described it as a "boil water battle". Huh? I boil a few litres of water and put it in a jug in the fridge. I do this once per day. It takes about 5 minutes of attentive effort. It's less trouble than making a pot of tea. GET OVER IT.

Stuff like this just makes people lose their minds it seems. A cow-orker of mine saw someone purchase 4 or 5 cans of Coca Cola from the vending machine and wipe the condensation off of a can before opening it. Huh? Maybe this guy does that all the time, though.

Things I saw on my commute V

• Last night on Central Blvd. the car in front of me was slow getting started when the light turned green. I looked through the rear window and saw the driver fumbling with something on the dashboard which I thought was probably an MP3 player. At the next light I take another peek and it is actually a Sony PSP (not sure) displaying a movie or a music video. Yes, this dumb sh*t is watching movies while he drives.
• A guy labouriously riding a tandem bike by himself (Ontario near 37th).
• Two separate near-collisions with other cyclists on two separate occasions. The only explanation is that the other cyclist blew a stop sign (in one case) and blew a stop light (in the other case). WTF man, if you're in such a fecking hurry that you can't be bothered to slow down and take a look maybe you should get a car. I love how the stop-sign-ignorer looked back and gave me a withering glance.

I rode to work today despite the dire weather forecast. My feet got absolutely soaked. Riding in the rain was fun, though.

Things I Saw on my Commute IV

Here are a few from last week and this week:

• Lots of people with flashing white lights on their bike helmets. Reminds me of a toy I got from my aunt and uncle for Christmas in 1978. It was my favourite toy for the entire time I possessed it, which was for all of about 2 hours (max) before my parents took it away from me. It was a red fireman's helmet with a battery-powered siren. Awesome.
• Northbound cambie bridge in the evening. It's raining, and the clouds are really low. Two guys canoeing in False Creek. The guy in the rear of the canoe has a red blinkie on his back.
• Beach Ave. turning up onto Thurlow. There's a cyclist in front of me on a sweet looking road bike. His left leg is prosthetic below the knee. He's clipped into the pedals of course. He went up the hill like it was nothing and turned East.