I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Dear Santa, for Christmas I want a fat bank account and a thin body. Please don‘t confuse it as you did last year.

Unknown

I couldn’t be happier that it’s been unseasonably warm and we appear to be on target for a green Christmas. I’ve never understood the big deal about a white Christmas (although I’m sure that Bing Crosby would take objection to that statement if he could). After all, Christmas is celebrated indoors – in Churches, in homes and in shopping malls (where Santas must really sweat under the weight of the suit) – so it really doesn’t matter if there's snow outside or not.

In fact a green Christmas will actually make it possible for people to celebrate.

• Flights won’t be cancelled due to snow or ice storms.

• The roads will be nice and dry making it easy to take a road trip or get from place to place in your own city.

• The maximum number of parking spaces will be available instead of losing them to snow banks.

• Traffic jams won’t be caused by snow removal trucks.

• Seniors will be able to walk outside without fear of ice underfoot.

• The number of traffic accidents will be greatly diminished. 

• There will be fewer heart attacks as a result of shoveling snow.

• People who don’t have the good sense to put winter tires on their cars won’t cause havoc on the roads.

• Public transit buses and streetcars will be able to travel unobstructed.

Now, aren’t you dreaming of a green Christmas?

Christmas is a baby shower that went totally overboard.
Andy Borowitz

Make someone smile today.

Geri

Public Transit Stupidity

Money may not buy happiness, but I’d rather cry in a Jaguar than on a bus.

Francoise Sagan

I must confess that I’m not a regular public transit user. I’m fortunate enough that I can walk to and from the office which takes me 40 minutes each way. And, I love starting and ending my day with a walk. However, there are some days that the weather is downright inhospitable, so I take public transit, which can be an adventure in indigestion.

The thing that drives me absolutely crazy is the sight of 2 or 3 streetcars in a row, following each other along the route, leaving a huge gap before the next streetcar comes. In the first streetcar the folks are packed in like sardines, needing a snorkel to get any air. In the second car there are a few stragglers who couldn’t fit into the first car, or had the door slammed in their faces. The third car is completely empty, carrying phantom riders along the route.

Someone needs to explain this stupidity to me. The entire transit system is electronically monitored. I have an app that will tell me to the minute when the next streetcar or bus is coming. So, if the information is readily available why the hell aren’t these idiotic drivers keeping to a schedule, or at least a proper distance, instead of sitting on each other’s tails like lovesick puppies? They’ll even follow each other through a traffic light instead of holding and waiting for the next light in case, God forbid, a few more transit riders appear. And, what are all of these transit supervisors, supervising? Surely they can see the same things that the transit users see. What are we paying them for?

I recognize the need for people to drive less and use transit more, especially in a big city like Toronto; but PLEASE use some common sense and serve the public instead of this ridiculous practice of the streetcar drivers playing “follow the leader”. Remember that the public transit system is for the public, not the drivers.

The only thing wrong with public transportation is that it involves the public.

Maxine

Make someone smile today.

Geri