You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? Now with 3x more gears...

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Titan2

NOT CRITICIZING T5R. I do this myself. But... I have been thinking about this a bit. Most Calgarians characterize the NE as a less desirable area to live or 'be' in.

In as delicate a way as possible, is this a form of systemic, endemic or subconscious racism?

A lot of non-white people live there, along with a lot of white people. Are people casting aspersions because of this? If so, is that not pretty awful?

Alternatively, or coincidentally, the area has lower home values, and individual earning power is generally lower. Is this not a form of classism that is also pretty bad?

Am I out on a limb here?

I'm reading a book by Max Foran about how Calgary's urban sprawl came to be (particularly the developer-city relationship). CMHC was actually a super important player in the 50s...I'll have to see if I can find the page with the details, but I believe CMHC put a lower limit for potential mortgages in Calgary's NE compared to other areas. So even if the NE was already a bit less desirable at that point for whatever reason, that policy essentially ensured it would be the quadrant with the cheapest homes, which has perpetuated itself.

[CliffFletcher]

The NE has always been the ugliest (prairie, few trees, no rivers or lakes, no mountain views, the airport) quadrant of the city, which means it’s the cheapest, which means it has always been regarded as lower class. This goes back to when the city was 95+ per cent white. There’s no doubt an ethnic association with “Northeast” today, but it was the poor cousin of Calgary quadrants long before that.

Historically, the reputation of the SE wasn’t much better. In every city, the areas with railyards and meat rendering plants tend to be regarded as rough. The reputation of the SE has improved as nice middle-class suburbs have been built down in the south.

[Engine09]

The nicer part of a lot of cities were usually built upwind from the cattleyards and industrial areas, hence the term "wrong side of the tracks" when everything developed around train station.

[btimbit]

That's why the SW is best.

No airport, dumps, or industrial areas filled with stinky distilleries and treatment plants

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

In this case it's "wrong side of the river".

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by btimbit

That's why the SW is best.

No airport, dumps, or industrial areas filled with stinky distilleries and treatment plants

There’s a dump in the SW, they just didn’t bother putting a fence around it or burying any of the garbage.

Looking down on you literally and figuratively from the NW.

[btimbit]

I tried the NW for a bit. It was fine, better than everything east that's for sure. Couldn't stand the weather though

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by btimbit

I tried the NW for a bit. It was fine, better than everything east that's for sure. Couldn't stand the weather though

The weather? What are we talking about here, Kincora? Royal Oak? Because I think the NW weather is better than down south by a fair margin, provided you're not too far out in the boonies.

You went full suburbs, man. Never go full suburbs.

[iggy_oi]

Westjet customer service

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

The weather? What are we talking about here, Kincora? Royal Oak? Because I think the NW weather is better than down south by a fair margin, provided you're not too far out in the boonies.

You went full suburbs, man. Never go full suburbs.

More snow and the soul sucking wind! Ugh the wind, it drove me nuts

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Westjet customer service

Call us.

All our agents are busy at this time. Please try again later.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Westjet customer service

You could remove Westjet and still be correct. Customer service is treated like an afterthought by all large businesses these days.

[JD]

The underrated part about the NE is the views. Its elevation is slightly higher than the rest of the city and naturally downtown lies between it and the mountains so there are spectacular viewpoints there. Got to see lots of amazing sunsets from our balcony growing up. Also, it's a pretty quick commute to downtown if you're not too far up 52nd Street.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Westjet customer service

Its just Westjet. There is no Customer Service so we'll just strike that right out.

Just...Westjet.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Call us.

All our agents are busy at this time. Please try again later.

They sent me an email saying my upcoming flight has been cancelled and that their are no other flights they can move me to. No big deal, I get it with all the planes that got hail damaged last week. So I rebook my departure flight with a different airline and about an hour later I get an email from westjet saying they’ve now moved my departure flight to the following day(which I can’t do) and that if I don’t want to accept the change to call them to cancel it. So I call and of course I get the automated message that they’re too busy to accept any more calls. Can’t make this stuff up.

Edit: just got into the customer service queue. Any bets on the over/under for how long I’m going to be on hold? Lol

[Titan2]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

They sent me an email saying my upcoming flight has been cancelled and that their are no other flights they can move me to. No big deal, I get it with all the planes that got hail damaged last week. So I rebook my departure flight with a different airline and about an hour later I get an email from westjet saying they’ve now moved my departure flight to the following day(which I can’t do) and that if I don’t want to accept the change to call them to cancel it. So I call and of course I get the automated message that they’re too busy to accept any more calls. Can’t make this stuff up.

Edit: just got into the customer service queue. Any bets on the over/under for how long I’m going to be on hold? Lol

something, something, if only the customer service people had a union, rabble, rabble.

Actually, that would probably significantly help the problem but our ticket prices would be much higher.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

They sent me an email saying my upcoming flight has been cancelled and that their are no other flights they can move me to. No big deal, I get it with all the planes that got hail damaged last week. So I rebook my departure flight with a different airline and about an hour later I get an email from westjet saying they’ve now moved my departure flight to the following day(which I can’t do) and that if I don’t want to accept the change to call them to cancel it. So I call and of course I get the automated message that they’re too busy to accept any more calls. Can’t make this stuff up.

Edit: just got into the customer service queue. Any bets on the over/under for how long I’m going to be on hold? Lol

I check in, then 13 hours before the flight, I get a message I was rebooked to a flight that was 37 hours later due to maintenance. It wasn't going to work as I'd be flying after the event would be over. No other flight options on other airlines on the day I needed to leave (even called a travel agent to verify at 9 PM). Agent found nothing, then one that was barely passable (one ticket only, not two), but like 3x what I originally paid and flight lands 16 hours later than originally intended.

Within 2 hours, it was obvious. We're driving 13 hours to stay on schedule in making this event.

Self serve options inadequate. I'm sure they're going to play the "uncontrolled maintenance due to weather" card. I've tried calling in 2 times a day for the last 5 days and couldn't even get into a queue.

Meanwhile the phone is going off for 24 hours for like 8 meal tickets and hotel vouchers (I don't need that and I think they know that), but I can't contact them. I try another method and I get a message saying the flight was rebooked and I'm not allowed to contact them about a flight until 72 hours has passed from the flight departing (not 72 hours from when it was actually supposed to depart). That's stupid. Call Westjet again this afternoon and I'm also going to sit down tonight and do a quick check to see if they'll do anything and if no written promise for a resolution tonight (ie: Thanks for info, we will check it in X hours.) I'm going to check some details and put up placeholders on travel insurance.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Titan2

something, something, if only the customer service people had a union, rabble, rabble.

Dare to dream!

Actually, that would probably significantly help the problem but our ticket prices would be much higher.

I don’t know about that, they’ve been automating a lot of their customer service for years and it’s the darnedest thing but the prices haven’t gone down

(I know you’re just kidding but had to get that one in lol)

[getbak]

Just a couple of weeks ago, I discovered WestJet has a callback option on their website. It will probably be a few hours away, but you can choose the time that works for you. At the chosen time, it calls you and connects you immediately.

It's not perfect by any means, but it's better than sitting on hold for an unknown amount of time.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by getbak

Just a couple of weeks ago, I discovered WestJet has a callback option on their website. It will probably be a few hours away, but you can choose the time that works for you. At the chosen time, it calls you and connects you immediately.

It's not perfect by any means, but it's better than sitting on hold for an unknown amount of time.

I'm going to have to scour their website and my Westjet card for these numbers later this afternoon, but we didn't find any other phone numbers when we first looked. Honestly though, we were kinda focused on sorting out other stuff before sorting this out though, so we may have overlooked that phone number.