Never have I been so ashamed to live in this city, when the needs of so many are put on hold because of the egotistical, selfish greed of the people who control one of our cities vital lifelines. This is no longer a union fighting for “what they’ve earned”, it’s a fucking pissing match and the HRM deserves better. The public transit system we have, with all its faults and its sub-par functionality, is the sole option for this municipality’s working class, the people who can’t afford to own a car because they can barely afford to pay rent, the people who work 7 days a week to afford food for their families and the students who pay the some of the highest tuition rates in the country just to attend our universities and institutions, just to name a very few… Maybe those greedy people have forgotten, but the last time I checked this was still Halifax, Nova Scotia, strike or no strike we find a way to get the job done because we give a shit about our lives and this community, we are better than this. Halifax means more to us then who our mayor is or how this unionized transit system thinks it should operate, it’s this community that has the power to keep this city alive… and those people’s lives are being fucked with. It’s time to stand up and say enough is enough… Put those buses back on the road, let us get to work and school and while you’re at it… get the fuck out of our province, the both of you. Clearly neither of you are fit for your postions and more so, neither of you deserve the honour of living among the fine people of the HRM let alone our province. —We Need Public Transit
This article appears in Feb 23-29, 2012.
Golf clap.
Is it just me, or did anyone else hear Stan Rogers’ Fisherman’s Wharf playing in the background when they read this??….I swear, I’m fookin’ losin’ it…!
I heard “Anarchy in Fogarty’s Cove” by Stan Rotten but that’s just cuz I’m currently tweaked on Ex and Nyquil and I’m violating a cartoon canary at my work station. Most inappropriate.
Ah shaddup
Nyquil..lol..(gotta love any medicine that comes with it’s own shot glass!)
Poor Tweety! Ohhhh, the SHAME of it Ivan!..
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-smwiNSafpVA/TWxQ…
LOL Vastie. >: )
That little yellow fucker reminds me of former Minister of National Dicklessness, David Collenette. Bitch has it coming, old testament style.
“…we give a shit about our lives and this community, we are better than this”
there’s your mistake right there.
you can’t start with a fallacy and derive a proper conclusion.
why are students so impacted?
why wouldn’t they live in walking distance of school if they don’t have cars?
that just screams moronic right from the get-go.
when I went to acadia I didn’t even remotely ponder living in new minas or kentville…
that’d just be stupid.
you’re setting yourselves up for a big reality check if you continue through life making decisions that ultimately make you dependent upon others.
Wow what are you rambling on about? It doesn’t matter if its Halifax or Toronto, when unions and management have a dispute sometimes a strike happens. And no one in those closed-door meetings is crying about the poor people who don’t have transportation. It’s all about the Benjamins, big city or small town.
As a driver the strike is making me mental. People seem to have lost their wits on the road. Doing all kinds of foolishness, trying to sneak in and what not. Lines are long, traffic is worse, we’re all going to have to wait.
Any forecast on when the strike could potentially be over? Or is is pretty much up in the air since their last vote?
Union delivered a counter-offer to the city yesterday. When/how the city responds is anyone’s guess.
I’m thinking ‘crumpling it up into a little ball and firing it back at the union with their poop chute’ is leaning on little to no progress.
“when I went to acadia I didn’t even remotely ponder living in new minas or kentville…
that’d just be stupid.”
Really? You’re comparing Kings fucking Transit to Metro Transit?
I agree that a back up plan is important, but c’mon. Metro Transit is generally a whole lot more reliable than Kings Transit.
By sheer scope, it’s huge and more comprehensive than that fuckbag of a bus system.
And no one who went to Acadia lived outside of Vegas unless they were a local and lived at home. Kthx.
It’s A LOT more common for students at MSVU or Dal or Kings or SMU to live in dartmouth or Clayton park… it’s just….. different than comparing wolfville to New Minas or Kentville. Or even Grand Pre/Avonport/Hantsport/Windsor.
And when you have a U-pass and direct routes (the 42 goes straight from Lacewood to Dal, for instance, as does the 18 (to msvu, smu and dal), the 41, 17, etc…, you should assume a reliable vehicle to school.
I think you’re comparing apples to oranges here, zed.
do we really need public transit, as bad as it is? can we be held basically a prisoner in our homes because they go on strike.if we have no money, or other means to get to doctor’s, grocery shopping, or even just out for a burger? if you answered at least one yes,then halifax, is truly one fucked up town.
as to the strike, you know my take on it, and the suggestion i put forward a few times here, and elsewhere.and yes, it would work. how about we all get a big bike, and mass ride where we want to go? no, it’s winter, and that won’t work either.
what we really need, is someone with a modicum of brains at the table. wilson rejects another offer. how about making him an offer he can’t refuse. like get it settled, or get the fuck out of town, TODAY. how about just letting the driver’s have the vote, instead of some asshole union shithead, that will get his full pay anyway. bet he don’t give a cent to his union.
and then there is the city assholes, give it the fuck up already, you made your point, give them one final offer, either they accept, or they start looking for other jobs. because the city will seel the buses aand find another carrier, like greyhound,from the u.s.
“why are students so impacted?”
Agree 100% with PK + Sales Rep.
One other thing about students that no one’s mentioned: a number of kids that go to public schools in “urban” areas (Spryfield is incl in this) rely on Metro Transit to get to school.
Example: Cunard Junior High – the school/school board has some kind of contract with Transit and students use the public transit buses that say “Special” on them to get to and from school.
A lot don’t have parents who can drive them, and it’s too far to walk (I think 1+ hours to walk to school is pushing it). Some of you may disagree, but let’s look at it this way: if you had to walk an hour or more to get to school and back (and you’re a young child or a teen), would you go to school?? It’s that extra incentive to NOT attend that’s the killer.
Not to mention after-school programs that are affected (kids & volunteers can’t get to them) or those seniors with limited mobility who can’t get out, whether it’s for doctor’s appts, grocery shopping, whatever.
Any way you look at it this strike sucks. Period.
Actually, you make a good point kelifax!
A few years back I had a boss who moved into the Halifax West High district mid year… the school was full so they had to enrol in Citadel High for the remainder of the year (jan-june). They relied on Metro Transit as their parents both worked early mornings in Dartmouth.
Besides, there are 17k students that go to dal alone… I DOUBT there are 17k spots for students to live within walking distance… don’t forget, Dal’s spread out over three campuses (Studley, Carleton and Sexton). Carleton and Studley are pretty close together, but it’s a bitch having to walk from Studley to Sexton if you’ve got classes on both campuses (often engineering students will have engineering classes at Sexton then have electives on Studley).
On top of that, parking at Dal is a nightmare at the best of times… more so now with the interruption in transit services. In Wolfville, you could walk to Acadia no matter where you lived within town limits…. even as far as greenwich and grand pre would be doable.
You try humping your arse to Dal or SMU or Kings from Clayton Park.
And don’t forget the students who live at home in bedford and Sackville, etc… who go to SMU or Dal.
One friend of mine who works in the SUB for food services walks 1.5 hours to work then another 1.5 hours home after work every day. 🙁
To the Union. Go over behind Bayers Road Shopping Centre and get some free thown out sofas and recliners to sit next to your fire barrels. Bring in a generator for your DVD and TV to watch movies. Hook up a microwave for little dinners.
Oh wait…I forgot, you’re suppose to be on strike.