Category Archives: Vancouver Island

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It’s Driving Me Crazy!

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In the last few months I’ve been chauffeuring a family member to and from work, one day a week. It’s been a real eye opener to say the least.

Granted, I haven’t commuted for a long time because I worked from home for the last 35 years of my working life. And even when I did work elsewhere before that, I often just took the bus because it was a lot easier.

I mean, I drive, obviously. But usually just to get groceries and stuff. So let’s just say I’m not used to this driving-during-rush-hour thing. At all.

It’s been a shock to say the least, and exacerbated by all of the road work going on right now. The four-lanes-down-to-two, or two-lanes-down-to-one, or complete road closures. The stops and long waits for massive dump trucks or noisy tractors to s-l-o-w-l-y pass. And then there’s the Bay Street Bridge which was only open in one direction for a period of time. It has now re-opened, but what a mess THAT was. What could be next?

I’m so grateful I don’t have to drive every day. But there are so many people who do.

I was reading a story in the paper recently which stated that this summer commuting is going to get worse in Victoria. Worse?

Well, apparently the city has gotten behind in resurfacing existing roads, which is supposed to be done every 35 years or so. Never mind the damaged roads that have to be repaired and the infrastructure that has to be replaced. That’s on top of all of the new construction happening right now. EVERYWHERE.

And there are SO many more people on the roads compared to when we first moved here. The population of Greater Victoria has ballooned, especially, it seems, over the last 5 to 10 years. Add to that the fact that we have so many bike lanes now, taking up a lot of road space.

I know, I know. Everyone complains about bike lanes. Personally, I’m grateful for them when I’m cycling. And occasionally annoyed by them when I’m driving. What’s a girl to do??

Actually, I see a lot more people cycling to and from work and/or school now. And they are definitely beating car traffic! No wonder they have those smug looks on their faces…

The biggest shock for me is how people drive these days. Sure, I can understand the frustration with everything that’s going on. But making up rules just for you isn’t how it works.

Just so you know:

  1. You can’t use a left-turn lane just to pass the guy in front of you. It doesn’t work that way. I saw a motorcyclist do this twice on the Pat Bay Highway recently.
  2. Look up what a double yellow line means. That’s right! No passing. Again.
  3. That turn signal on your car? It’s not just there to add a splash of colour to your exterior. It’s to SIGNAL your intentions.
  4. Oh, yeah, and on that note, signally AFTER you’ve starting turning doesn’t count. Duh.
  5. Last but not least, tailgating isn’t going to make me go any faster. It isn’t. I’m stubborn that way. So back off.

Oh, sure, I can think of at least 139 more stupid driving stunts I’ve seen lately. But I don’t want to come across as one of those “nearly dead”s.

While we’re on the subject of commuting…how about taking the bus? Sure, you might have to leave home earlier and get home a little later. Okay, I can already hear you sputtering your excuses for not busing.

But it has become so convenient in so many ways.

You can pay your fare with your debit card now. And there’s an app that helps you keep track of when the buses are coming and going. How cool is that? Plus, the only person who has to worry about those other idiots on the road is the bus driver. You can chat to the guy next to you. Or watch YouTube videos all the way home. If you must.

As for my once-a-week commute, I’m definitely grateful for the polite and gracious drivers out there. They DO exist. In fact, I think I’m going to work on being more like that myself. As should we all.

Otherwise, we’re literally going to drive each other crazy!

IJ

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Put The Ballot In The Box, Eh?

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I was in my early 20’s when someone I worked with convinced me to volunteer for a provincial party in an upcoming election. I had no idea what that really meant, but it sounded simple enough. Answer some phones, knock on a few doors.

So I went for it. A little bit of training as to how to approach people and what to say, and I was on my way.

I liked working in the campaign office, it was simple enough. The knocking on doors part was, well, a little more of an eye opener.

A lot of people weren’t home or didn’t answer, so I just pushed a leaflet through the mail slot. Easy. And of the ones who did answer the door, most were polite and at least took my leaflet.

But then there were the ones who had to, let’s just say “share” their ideas about the election and the candidates. There were a few who called me nasty names. And there were those who basically just slammed the door in my face. Yep, sometimes it’s rough out there for volunteers.

As I was growing up, whenever my my extended family got together for some occasion, the adult’s conversations would almost always centre around politics and current events. I can still hear the voices of my uncles rising and interjecting, not so much in anger, but maybe in small disagreement and definitely with passion.

One of my uncles ended up being an Associate Professor of Political Science at UBC, so it certainly ran in our blood.

That influence always encouraged me to vote, starting with the first election I was old enough to vote in. In my family there was nothing more important than filling out that ballot and stuffing it in the box. Even if you weren’t particularly inspired to do so, you just did it.

It almost feels like an understatement to say that this federal election has felt like no other in my lifetime. In our lifetimes. A couple of people I know have been volunteering for the first time ever. Here’s a toast to all of you election volunteers, by the way. You’re the best.

The advanced polls actually had line ups where I voted last Friday. I’ve never, ever seen that. There was a higher turnout for advanced voting than has ever been recorded in our country. That’s saying a lot.

Because of all of the unpredictable moves and threats from our neighbour to the south, suddenly Canada is united in a way that we’ve never experienced before. I see lots of people checking the labels in the grocery stores for Canadian products. Or Mexican or Italian. Anything but you-know-who.

“Elbows Up” t-shirts and “Proudly Made In Canada” signs are all over the place. The Canadian flag is flying everywhere while the American wine section in my local liquor store is proudly empty.

I’ve always felt the good fortune of being Canadian. Sure, we have our faults (sorry), and we don’t always agree. But that’s the whole point of being a democracy! We’re ALLOWED to disagree!

And, most importantly, we’re allowed to vote. Just imagine if we couldn’t do that.

There are a lot of other countries in the world rooting for us, supporting us, flying our flag. So on April 28th, as Canadians, all we have to do is one simple little thing: if you haven’t already done so, go and vote. Hop on this momentum and take it to the polls.

Because now, more than ever, it means everything.

Let’s put the ballot in the box, eh?

IJ

Walkers and Cycles and Scooters, Oh My!

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This time of year always brings the fair weather cyclists like me out into the fresh air for a spin. Having been e-bike enthusiasts since our retirement a couple of years ago, my husband and I have enjoyed a lot of the trails and try to get out for a good ride at least once a week.

The pedestrians and dog walkers are out in big numbers at this time of year too. It’s getting crowded out there, and that leads to the occasional “situation”.

It was no surprise to me when I saw the story about an accident between a pedestrian and a cyclist on the E&N Rail Trail recently. We’ve witnessed a few incidents on the bike trails that could have lead to more serious consequences.

When my husband and I ride up behind a walker or a slower cyclist, we ring our bike bells to let them know we’re coming. Just common courtesy. When cyclists who are a lot faster than us quickly come up behind us, many of them will say “coming up on your left”, or something like that, so that we are forewarned. (I’m guessing they think bicycle bells are for babies.)

I always thank them for warning me. Although sometimes they’re going so fast, they might not hear my reply.

But then there are those who don’t have any sense of courtesy. Or even common sense.

I have a rear view mirror on my bike and I do keep my eye on it. But sometimes I’m coming around a bend and can’t possibly see them approaching from behind.

I’ve been startled a few times. How do they know I won’t suddenly swerve to miss a pot hole or a branch or something else? Or lose control of my bike? I’m not exactly 20 any more. Or even 30.

The truth is that they don’t know. They just carry on at their unbelievable speeds, heads down, elbows back, eyes straight ahead, trying to outdo themselves or something. I’d like to have some kind of radar unit to measure exactly how fast they’re going.

Their exercise apps might love them for their speed, but I don’t. As the cliché goes, it’s an accident waiting to happen. And of course, it has.

I also like to walk twice a day 4 or 5 days a week, and have experienced not only speeding cyclists but also scurrying scooterists (is that a word?) whizzing past me. Stand up scooters, called LSM’s, are supposed to be licensed but sometimes I wonder if they are. Some models are capable of reaching speeds of up to 145kmh.

They seem to be mostly driven by young males with the need for speed. And no helmet. What drives me nuts is when I see them riding on the sidewalk, trying to skirt traffic.

Then there are those electric unicycles. They’re not as common as the other modes of transport, but they go insanely fast. There used to be a fellow in my neighbourhood who I regularly saw riding an electric unicycle. He didn’t have a helmet on, which didn’t surprise me. But one day I saw him carrying his little girl in his arms while riding it. She didn’t have a helmet either.

That should be an absolute no-no.

One of the trickiest parts of being a cyclist can be interacting with vehicles. I would say that MOST drivers are careful and courteous, but every now and then…

I’m a driver too, so I know how difficult it can be to navigate around cyclists in some places. The new rule is that there should be at least 1.5 meters between us, but if a cyclist decides to ride in the middle of a lane, then it can get contentious.

Let’s face it, we all have to find ways to live with and respect each other on the roads and trails. In July a campaign begins where park rangers, bylaw officers and police will be out in force on the trails keeping an eye out. I’ll be happy to see them.

Otherwise, forget lions and tigers and bears…it’s walkers and cycles and scooters we’ve got to worry about. Okay, maybe a couple of bears.