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Transit Adventure Du Jour

It started snowing a little before 4:00. I left work at UBC at 5:00 and walked to the diesel-bus loop. It was already a tragic shit-show. One articulated bus as stuck at one end of the loop. There were multiple "transit supervisor" vehicles, but no actual supervision and a lot of chaos. I walked over to Bay 1a for the 480 and there were already enough people to fill an articulated bus waiting in line. I waited for a bit and watching what was going on with the other buses. A 43, a 49 and 41 went by, all stuffed past the red line.


A line was crossed today: unbidden and without visible sign of injury, a courtesy seat was sacrificed to me on the #bus this morning.


Why Are Buses So Strange?

Documentation of my 1992 video installation, Why Are Buses So Strange?


The Daily Colonist, May 11–17, 1915

#dailycolonist1915 - The news out of Victoria, British Columbia, 100 years ago:

This is the largest post in this series to date, with 85 "clippings". There are huge Canadian casualty lists from Ypres, anti-German rioting throughout the British Empire, lots of news about the sinking of the Lusitania, fighting continues at Gallipoli, and local news about transit and "ride-sharing" that has a striking relevancy today.


The Daily Colonist, May 4–10, 1915

#dailycolonist1915 - The news out of Victoria, British Columbia, 100 years ago:

News from Ypres continues to dominate the news this week, with Gallipoli taking second seat until another huge milestone of the war, the sinking of the R.M.S. Lusitania, takes place on the 7th, with the news reaching Victoria on the 8th. It seems the endless grim lists of casualties punctuated by the sinking of the Lusitania is too much for some, and anti-German riots break out in Victoria.


Looking Local

So today is one of those typical Vancouver late-Spring/early-Summer days where the forecast is room-temperature warm with rain and sun and then rain again and then maybe more sun. An impossible to dress for day, too warm for a coat, too wet to leave the umbrella at home.

Normally I am just another anonymous commuter at the bus stop. Today, in short sleeves with an umbrella I may as well have had "Lifetime Local" tattooed on my forehead and was everyone's first choice for directions and transit information.


Too Hot to Go To Bed

Tomorrow's puzzle will be getting to a 4 p.m. interview in North Van in the heat, on transit, wearing a suit, and not turning into a puddle.

I will  cross that bridge when I come to it (literally, since I'll be going over the Lions Gate.)

For now, the "15 books" meme:

Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. They don't have to be the greatest books you've ever read, just the ones that left a lasting impression. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.


Just when you think you are big-shot, karma jumps up and bites you in the ass.

This morning as I was waiting to cross the street a commonplace scene played out with a better-than-usual ending. The second vehicle in line for the light was an SUV loaded up for an extended weekend at Whistler. The SUV was honking at the car ahead for not leaving enough room for the behemoth to inch past and make a right turn on the red. The extra 30-seconds of waiting was clearly cutting into the poor SUV driver's recreation time.


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