It's called 'common sense' yet not everyone has it

[Eagle Eye]

I saw something on the news a while ago comparing transit prices throughout Canada, and Calgary I think came in at second place.

I can't remember the costs of other cities, but CAlgary was quite a bit cheaper. I think that the thing that drives people crazy is not the higher prices but the fact that if you are not on the train by the first 4 stations you will have a hell of a time getting on (during rush hour).

Even me leaving at 6:45 Am there are usually no seats by Fish Creek Station.

[albertGQ]

I work downtown and just park in 2 hour parking. I check my car every break. I've gotten $145 in tickets in the 25 months I've worked downtown. Thats an average of $5.80 a month. Not a bad deal at all if you ask me

[KevanGuy]

Originally posted by 'Eagle Eye'@Mar 7 2005, 11:23 AM
I saw something on the news a while ago comparing transit prices throughout Canada, and Calgary I think came in at second place.

I can't remember the costs of other cities, but CAlgary was quite a bit cheaper. I think that the thing that drives people crazy is not the higher prices but the fact that if you are not on the train by the first 4 stations you will have a hell of a time getting on (during rush hour).

Even me leaving at 6:45 Am there are usually no seats by Fish Creek Station.

I live around Heritage and when I used to take the train I couldn't figure out why they didn't start a fresh train at Southland or Heritage. It would still fill up. Standing around in -20 like a moron as 4 trains go by was insulting. We all paid the same amount to ride the train. Eventually I just started taking the train south to Anderson and then taking it back north. It would add 1/2 an hour but at least I got a seat.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally posted by fotze+Mar 7 2005, 10:40 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (fotze @ Mar 7 2005, 10:40 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

I thought the same thing earlier up in this thread. I guess it's that people feel that recycling is less of an intrusion on their lives rather than stinky people and pukers on the trains.

Calgary Transit keeps raising the monthly pass rate, not realizing that if a couple both work downtown, two passes more or less equal the cost of parking downtown. I think we all know which one they're picking.

Electing to drive to work downtown is one thing that I understand but it does drive me nuts when I see a humongous Ford Expedition or GM Suburban carriying the driver only during rush hour downtown. Did you really need the 6.2L V8 and 4x4 to navigate Bow Trail at 30 km/h? That's the kind of waste that even gets to me, a self described non environmentalist.

Once our gas prices reach levels near what Europe pays, I'm sure we'll see that go down.

Most people that do that are not paying for their own gas though, i.e. company vehicles.

People who don't turn off their cars while parked and it isn;t even cold out. i.e. cops or city workers since they could give 3 shinguards about how much gas money is being wasted by filling out paperwork for a half an hour with the car running. [/b][/quote]
Most of the time police officers are regulated to have their cars running. Although I do see what you are getting at. I know at my old job people would just leave their truck running when it was remotely cold out, no real reason behind it other than it was warm when they got in.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by I-Hate-Hulse@Mar 7 2005, 10:34 AM

Electing to drive to work downtown is one thing that I understand but it does drive me nuts when I see a humongous Ford Expedition or GM Suburban carriying the driver only during rush hour downtown. Did you really need the 6.2L V8 and 4x4 to navigate Bow Trail at 30 km/h? That's the kind of waste that even gets to me, a self described non environmentalist.

Yeah that drives me crazy as well. I used to cross Macleod Trail @ 25th Ave (Erlton Station) at both rush hours every day so I got a full 5 minute look at the driving habits of Calgary's citizenry and holy crap it's bad. Maybe 1 car in 8 had more than one person in it and many many many of those cars were large SUVs.

I can understand the need to drive a Ford Exhibition if you often find yourself with 11 passengers and you need to get over a speedbump, but are they necessary otherwise?

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

The large vehicles have their purposes but very rarely do they have a purpose in a city enviroment (sometimes when the streets are ice rinks the 4X4 would be handy if people knew how to use it)....

[browna]

Train free as of last Tuesday, after the majority parts of the last 8 years. Express Bus now.

The most annoying things to me, and there were many, on the packed train are:

a)Cell phone conversations that announce to the train what stop you're at now and what time you'll be at station X. Even more pathetic are the ones that scream "hello" into the phone when going through the tunnels, then looking dumbfounded at their phone. Then the pathetic return phone call "ohh..sorry, I went through a tunnel". Idiots.
CT shoud find a way to charge for cell phone use on the train...like $5 for the first minute and $4 for each minute after that.

b)Those people who perfer (usually its only one, and a quiet friend who just listens) to divulge everything about their little boy Timmy's soccer game and soccer team to the train, or, the talk about their boyfriend/girlfriend/roomate/family/night at the bar, loud enough again, so that everyone can hear. Not just for 5 mins, but hte whole 35 train ride.

[Ironhorse]

Originally posted by I-Hate-Hulse@Mar 7 2005, 10:34 AM
Electing to drive to work downtown is one thing that I understand but it does drive me nuts when I see a humongous Ford Expedition or GM Suburban carriying the driver only during rush hour downtown. Did you really need the 6.2L V8 and 4x4 to navigate Bow Trail at 30 km/h? That's the kind of waste that even gets to me, a self described non environmentalist.

Uh oh, that describes me... I hope that wasn't me that you saw then! :boh:

Seriously, it's only once in a while that I have to drive downtown for a breakfast meeting or something. My office is near the airport. I can drive to work from home in 24 minutes during rushhour, or I can take CT, hop on various busses and/or trains, and spend 90+ minutes. Hmmmm....

I've spent a good portion of time on the bus & train in the past while going to school, but I don't miss it one bit. I'll take my son on the bus / train sometimes, but that's because he's 3 and thinks it's cool.

Transit service in this city sucks unless you're fortunate to live and work near major routes (and even then it doesn't always work out).

[Superfraggle]

the day they found a pipe bomb at the university, I ended up riding the bus behind this idiot who was calling everyone he knew to tell them about it. Not only that, he had his facts wrong...I never heard the full story, but one of the things he was saying is that they evacuated all of residence, which just isn't true: I was there! I wanted to smack the fool. I'm sure everyone else around did too, I caught a few entertaining dirty looks thrown his way.

[Ironhorse]

Originally posted by RougeUnderoos@Mar 7 2005, 11:57 AM
I can understand the need to drive a Ford Exhibition if you often find yourself with 11 passengers and you need to get over a speedbump, but are they necessary otherwise?

Well, my Expedition is my usual daily winter driver and also the family & vacation mobile. I would have settled for an Escape or Explorer, but they can't safely pull the travel trailer (a 23' Airstream). I don't have the $$ to pay for and maintain an extra commuter car on top of the truck; it is still a lot cheaper to just buy a bit more gas instead. It was a choice that we made. Don't want to start a environmental gasoline MPG flame war, it is just the way it works out sometimes...

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally posted by Mean Mr. Mustard@Mar 7 2005, 01:03 PM
The large vehicles have their purposes but very rarely do they have a purpose in a city enviroment (sometimes when the streets are ice rinks the 4X4 would be handy if people knew how to use it)....

And that's the irony, I know a lot of people that get get 4x4 just for icy roads in the winter. A set of good ice tires for $500 or so would almost do as good in the driving department, if not better overall because of the benefits to braking. So that little Honda Civic can jet around town in the winter about as well as a 4x4 Explorer does overall.

Ironhorse: you're towing that torpedo around so there's a valid reason for you to do so. I guess my irk is more directed towards someone who has no legitimate need to drive something that big for nothing more than commuter purposes, like my neighbor who has a Hemi equipped Durango for a grocery getter.

I used to work with a guy who drove in from Red Deer every day to Calgary. His choice of vehicle: a Chevy Avalanche. I think he said he paid $400 for gas every 2-3 days. OPEC thanks you.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by I-Hate-Hulse@Mar 7 2005, 01:01 PM
Ironhorse: you're towing that torpedo around so there's a valid reason for you to do so. I guess my irk is more directed towards someone who has no legitimate need to drive something that big for nothing more than commuter purposes, like my neighbor who has a Hemi equipped Durango for a grocery getter.

Yeah, what he said.

Some people have legit uses. The majority, I'd say, don't.

[Yellefan]

Originally posted by fotze@Mar 7 2005, 02:18 PM


First of all lady, the rest of society should not in ANY way support your choice to have a glut sexcessories. There are 6 billion people in the world, having kids does not make you special.

:tup: :tup: :tup:

[Looger]

all i have to say is,

try riding the skytrain with the brainwipes that pass as commuters in vancouver and you'll be DREAMING of the C-train!

[4X4]

I read teh letters in the to local papers regularly also, and I also see the SUV complaints. I happen to have a 4x4 explorer (V6 4.0) which may be a little more power than I need for everyday usage, but my job & my weekend activites necessitate this vehicle. I suppose since I don't fit in the behemoth SUV category, it may not be appropriate to defend them so I won't.

What I will do is deflect blame. Why are the SUV guys the evil ones when their engines & vehicle masses are relative to an old man's Crown Vic, or the young punk's Camaro? These vehicles are just as horrendus on gas and also very heavy, yet the SUV owners are always the evil ones.

I suppose that the Excursion/Suburban guys are the worst of the worst, but as Ironhorse already illustrated, there is quite often a legit use for these vehicles. Its just not viable for some people to have a selection of vehicles. Actually, I was on the verge of buying an Accord for around town use & keeping my 'sploder for camping & crappy weather, but insurance deterred me.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't convince my insurance company that I cannot drive two vehicles simultaneously. I offered stipulations that no one else was allowed to drive my spare etc., no dice.

[Kidder]

Did anyone see that global news is soon going to air a mini-series about the conjestion of Calgary's C-trains?

Perhaps we have some global news employees lurking on this site looking for story ideas.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by 4X4@Mar 7 2005, 07:41 PM

What I will do is deflect blame. Why are the SUV guys the evil ones when their engines & vehicle masses are relative to an old man's Crown Vic, or the young punk's Camaro? These vehicles are just as horrendus on gas and also very heavy, yet the SUV owners are always the evil ones.

The Crown Vics and Camaros are just as bad, but how many of those do you see? The big SUVs are everywhere.

I don't know. It's sort of a pointless battle in these parts. The Monster SUV is here to stay.

Most of the "excuses" are so lame though. "I have kids", "plenty of room for groceries", "it gives me confidence", "I have two dogs", "I need room for the stroller".

"I call bullshinguard on all that".

Don't even get me started on the Hummer. Talk about a wank-job.

[4X4]

Ohh ohh.... The Hummer... What a waste of space...On Saturday, I was almost smoked (in my puny SUV) by a Hummer. I was pretty ticked off, so I pulled up beside it to shoot a dirty look. Lo & behold, (no offense to tiny little women) a tiny little woman who could barely see over the wheel.
She can't merge, she could hardly stay between the lines, and she was too scared to change lanes in traffic so she pretty much slowed to 30 on anderson so that all the traffic would pass and she could switch lanes.
What the hell business does she have in a Hummer?


Edit... Maybe there aren't too many camaroes running around anymore, but there are plenty of crown vics, caddillacs and lincolns burning fuel. Its a status symbol as far as I can tell. Many men just feel more manly when they take up that much space.

[BlackArcher101]

While we are complaining about larger SUV's and how they are useless, I'm going to swing it the other way and complain about cars. I mean, how useless can they possibly be? They can't tow anything, you can't haul anything more than a few bags of groceries, moving your residence is a big problem, and you can't go off-road (ie real camping).

And the most useless vehicles ever... fast bikes and cars. Who needs a lambo or porsche or riced up car on the city streets? If you aren't gonna race em, then what's the point?

Anyways, rant mode off and back to the subject at hand. I guess I haven't had any real good experiences on the 'c' to warrant a story. All that's happened to me was a few fights which I tried to break up (Between flames fan I might add). What really p*sses me off though are the kids who think it's funny to keep the door from closing, even after the driver comes on the PA to tell them to stop. This results in the driver coming all the way to the back car and resetting it. It's a real treat when this happens after a flames home game.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by 4X4@Mar 7 2005, 09:08 PM


Edit... Maybe there aren't too many camaroes running around anymore, but there are plenty of crown vics, caddillacs and lincolns burning fuel. Its a status symbol as far as I can tell. Many men just feel more manly when they take up that much space.

Yeah that's true -- SUVs probably do get a bad rap compared to the rest of them. For most people though they are an easy target because you can spot 'em so easily. Probably not fair but oh well.

A Cadillac or a a Lincoln cruising along look pretty much like a regular car that fits in with the rest of the Intrepids and Taurus (Taurii?). An Expedition on the other hand looks to the untrained eye like a school-bus with a nice paint job.

Also, it's much easier to say "I hate SUV's" than it is to say "I hate 4-door American luxury sedans".

Funny story sort of re: Expeditions

One time I was strolling down the sidewalk in downtown Lethbridge and a shiny new Expedition came roaring out of an alley and almost turned me into a viscous red paste. I immediately gave them the worst glaring of their lives and said many loud swearwords in their general direction.

Before I even finished my verbal barrage I noticed that the passenger compartment of the vessel was filled with roughly 6 teenaged Hutterite girls. A very old Hutterite man was driving and his equally ancient wife was riding shotgun (probably without the gun though).

Anyhow, these old Hutterites had it in there mind to teach me (and I suppose the youngsters in the car) a lesson for glaring/swearing. So they drove around the block and passed me very slowly and everyone in the truck gave me a great big toothy smile.

I thought that was a little odd and then he went around the block again and they did exactly the same thing and I got 7 or 8 more big smiles. I had to laugh/grin myself by the third pass so it was Mission: Accomplished and they went on their way.

Quick Bonus Question For CPers in Lethbridge: What day of the week do you think the above story happened on?