Breakfast options
That little box Adria Young wrote about breakfast places in Halifax for the Back to School issue (“Breakfast specials,” August 29) was missing a pretty stellar breakfast option. Norbert’s Good Food is down in the Seaport Market building. It uses great local ingredients and organic produce from its farm Selwood Green. And it makes super-tasty food all week. I think it’s easily the best breakfast place in town.—Trevor Cervelli, via email
Optional bus stops
I am a cyclist, a pedestrian, a driver and occasionally a transit user. Recently, I made arrangements to leave work early so that I could catch a bus to Bayers Lake. I was at the bus stop 15 minutes early, to be sure to not miss it, as the schedule was tight to meet my appointment. Several buses used the route and I stood back on the sidewalk for the ones I did not need. When the bus I needed was coming, I stepped up to the curb, and watched it fly by without even hesitating to stop.
I was shocked ( stunned, angry…). I then proceeded to hail a cab as I did not have much choice to get where I was going at that point.
A call was made to HRM to file a complaint, which I followed up on August 20, having not heard from anyone since August 6. The answer was not satisfactory so I spoke with the Metro Transit representative directly. At the end of the conversation I felt the situation was even less resolved. I want to know that this will not happen again to another passenger. I want the driver to have an incident on their file. I was told that it is not the responsibility for the driver to stop at every stop (pardon me?) and that it was my fault that I did not wave at the bus.
I did state that as an occasional user, I was not aware that I was supposed to wave a bus down when at a bus stop.
I have always promoted the use of walking/cycling/transit to anyone who has listened. There has been more negative feedback for using Metro Transit than any of the other methods of travelling. If this is what happens on a regular basis, why would anyone want to use it? This has become an unlikely option for my trip-planning unless there is no time constraint–how likely is that?
Our transit system is a mess: many duplicated routes, not enough geographical coverage, not enough buses on the routes and drivers who decide whether they feel like stopping or not. I suggest the routes be overhauled entirely to many local loops, running at least every 30 minutes. The loops will meet up with other loops for quick transfers. Something similar to the Olympic circles. People do not want to wait, so if you know you can catch a bus every 15 minutes, it will be much more reliable.
That is, if the drivers actually stop for you.
—Shari-Lynn Hiltz, Halifax
A cig in my beer
I am from Nova Scotia and reside in Alberta. While I was home for a visit I attended Weir Rockin’ in Upper Sackville. I am 52 years old and could not believe what I experienced.
I went to have a cigarette in a designated fenced-off area and I had a can of beer with me. The security guard stopped me and she said I had to leave the beer outside of the smoking area. I found this very odd–others could bring in bottled water and coffee. So I set my beer can down on the table outside of the smoking area along with hundreds of others. When I came out of the smoking area I picked up the can and felt something in it. Lo and behold someone put a cigarette butt in my beer. (Thank goodness I did not take a drink.)
I asked the security guard why we had to do this she said it was either the Tobacco Law or the Alcohol Law that says you can’t bring your beer in with you when you have a smoke, and added that Nova Scotia was the only province in Canada that enforces this law. This is absolutley ridiculous for many reasons (sanitary being a big one). The Nova Scotia government should pull their heads out of their ass and review this.
—Darlene, via email
This article appears in Sep 5-11, 2013.
I found Shari-Lynn’s letter about her transit experience to be very interesting- I used to live in the only European city that has bad transit (it felt like that, anyway!) where I learned that in order to get a bus to stop, one must step into the road, stare down the driver of the bus I wanted to get on as it barreled down the road towards me, and wave my arms as if trying to capture somebody’s attention while trying to escape a serial killer. When I came home to Halifax I used a much lesser version of this battle tactic: I just leaned in towards the road and waved my arms at them. Bus drivers here are irritated that I do that to alert them that I want to get on the bus. So what are we supposed to do? When I do what Shari-Lynn was instructed to do over the phone, they tell me not to do that!
I agree with Shari-Lynn’s letter as I am an avid transit user and have been for years. I agree our transit system is a mess and has been for a very long time. It caters to passengers that work 9 am to 5 pm. After 6 most buses run every hour and some stop at 8:30 pm. I have complained so many times to Metro Transit for various reasons, like waiting for a bus at night in January which was 30 minutes late only to have the driver drive right past me at a well lit bus stop. I didn’t have a chance to flag it down nor should I have had to. That has happened to me more times than I can count. I work in downtown Halifax and it takes me one hour to get home after 6 pm. I live in Clayton Park. I have to go to Dartmouth to get a # 16 bus to get home. That to me is unacceptable but the only route that takes me home. The #4 and #2 routes run every hour. It’s great to have nice looking terminals but we need to have better service in the HRM. Fares are increasing September 30th. Knew that was coming after the strike. Metro Transit get your act together. Make transit more accessible and user friendly.
I agree with Darlene re Weir Rockin’. Ridiculous rule especially as they are selling the beer and you are still on the concert grounds. She neglected to mention the security line up – 3 lines: one for men, one for women without purses and one for women with purses. The security guard actually opened up my sister’s compact and held up the sponge! I saw women having to explain their medication. It was over the top. Not only was your purse checked but you were then subjected to a pat down. Yet no cigarette packages were searched. So what were they (over-zealously) looking for? Guess not a joint – didn’t check the cig packages. Liquor not found or a handgun – so what – anthrax in an Avon compact? We missed the entire opening act waiting like sheeple for our security check. Considering the demographic (middle aged), it is security overkill.