felis_ultharus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
felis_ultharus) wrote2005-12-24 05:25 pm
felis_ultharus) wrote2005-12-24 05:25 pm
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Various things, before I forget everything in the festivities of Sol Invictus/Saturnalia/The-Thinly-Disguised-Birth-Of-Zoroaster called Christmas.
First of all, thank you again to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jc2004 and snowdaemon for playing host. I apologize again for falling asleep at the party. No one was boring -- just a combination of Montreal time and an erratic sleep schedule lately.
I managed to finish my shopping at the zero hour, though I had to use my credit card for the first time for credit, rather than convenience. The only time I've ever borrowed against theoretical future sums has been my student loan.
In spite of always being on the go, I did manage 12 pages yesterday. I finished a major section today -- a background that is, unfortunately, better than the rest of the novel. Today is something comparable, though the mixture of editing and original writing makes it difficult to figure out how much.
And while we're on the subject of things likely only of interest tomontrealais, I was mildly amused to discover that Mcloughlin Bay borders on the Hakai Recreation Area. Yes, I realize neither of those words are spelt the proper way, but I still thought it was funny.
First of all, thank you again to
jc2004 and snowdaemon for playing host. I apologize again for falling asleep at the party. No one was boring -- just a combination of Montreal time and an erratic sleep schedule lately.I managed to finish my shopping at the zero hour, though I had to use my credit card for the first time for credit, rather than convenience. The only time I've ever borrowed against theoretical future sums has been my student loan.
In spite of always being on the go, I did manage 12 pages yesterday. I finished a major section today -- a background that is, unfortunately, better than the rest of the novel. Today is something comparable, though the mixture of editing and original writing makes it difficult to figure out how much.
My admittedly unexpert opinion of public transit in Vancouver: the technology is marvellous, but the transit authority is in desperate need of some basic common sense.
The buses appear to be fully electric, running on overhead cables. No surprises for a city as eco-conscious as Vancouver (though, oddly, for all its eco-consciousness, Vancouver is really bad at recycling). But there are no bus maps or schedules posted at the stops that I could see -- nor even any mention of what buses stopped at those stops. You have to find this information online.
And speaking of online, Vancouver's Translink (which sounds like an advocacy group for trans people) will tell you exactly how to get from one place to another, including to and from many of the city's important landmarks -- but not how to get to the city's main bus and train terminal. You have to find out that's at Station and Terminal Street by searching online yourself.
The skytrain is quiet and clean-running. Fewer cars, but they come far more often. And you can walk from car to car. Where the lines converge, both sets of trains run on the same line -- which is very confusing, since unless you check the sign at the front of the train, you may get on the wrong line.
Additionally, these trains appear to stop at a different set of stations along the converged lines -- which stop at which is not marked on the map.
And speaking of maps, there was only one simplified map of the stations that I could find -- on the train itself. There was one huge city map with the skytrain poorly marked on it in the station itself.
Mostly, the whole system seems to assume that you already know how the skytrain works and which line you want to take, and how to distinguish cars from one line from cars from the other. Which is silly.
Along with the city's almost total lack of payphones, the skytrain and bus system seem designed to drive off even the hardiest tourists from ever visiting the city again.
The real tragedy is that they're obviously pouring massive amounts of money into the technology, and then forgetting the little things that would cost them comparatively nothing, but which would make the system much more accessible.
There are a lot of things I love about the city -- its queer village, its green spaces, its eco-consciousness, its dozens and dozens of locally-owned businesses. But its public transit system is awful.
And while we're on the subject of things likely only of interest to
montrealais, I was mildly amused to discover that Mcloughlin Bay borders on the Hakai Recreation Area. Yes, I realize neither of those words are spelt the proper way, but I still thought it was funny.
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*fanboy*
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Victoria publishes a book of maps. I'll see what I can do about getting one :)
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To quote a cheesy song....
Re: To quote a cheesy song....
So I shall have to have a raincheque until New Year's Next :/