RANT/RAVE (Week of June 25)

Buses make old lady swear!
I’m a senior in the West End — there are a lot of seniors living here. Now they have No Car Day (sic) on Denman and part of Davie. I applaud that. I think it’s a great idea. I don’t have a car — I gave mine up and I use the bus. So, to my surprise, I go down to Safeway and load up with a bunch of groceries and try to take the bus home, but I guess No Car Day means No Bus Day, too. Go figure. How can a load of people standing around, leaving their cars at home, get home with no bus? And no bus for the seniors or anybody who doesn’t have a car. It really pisses me off — pardon my French, but that’s the way it is.
Anonymous Rantline caller

Beach bums
Frank complains about the beaches closing at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., and the VPD enforcing this bylaw [“Life’s a beach,” June 18]. Well, Frank, I can tell you if the beaches weren’t closed at these times and the police weren’t enforcing same, our beaches would be crawling with drug addicts, bums drinking mouthwash, derelicts of all sorts defecating, urinating and whatnot all over the place. They would be setting up camps, and guess what, Frank-o? You wouldn’t dare venture to the beach at night or during the day, for that matter. Our wonderful, world-famous, safe, beautiful beaches would become the campground for the Downtown Eastside. I really don’t think we want to go there. Gee, maybe we could set up a needle exchange at English Bay and a soup kitchen at Second Beach.
Love Your Beaches

..And the horses they rode in on
I was working on my balcony this morning, doing my flowers, and I heard a clip-clop of horses going by. And I looked down and there, to my surprise, were two of our police officers riding ponies down the street to English Bay. I was surprised to see horses down here, and it was just a gorgeous sight. I loved it very much.
Anonymous Rantline caller

I was just wondering if it’s too much to ask for the Vancouver Police that ride horses in the West End to clean up after their horses when they shit all over the ground. I mean, come on, I know that shitting on Vancouver residents and neighbourhoods is pretty much an innate characteristic of the VPD, but do they have to bring the fucking horses into it, too?
Anonymous Rantline caller

So’s your mother
A hell of a lot of people must be feeling guilty about the way they treat their parents, or the lack of interest they have in their parents, because every Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, these sanctimonious people yell at everyone around them, “Have you called your mother?” “Have you called your father?” “She’s your mother — she loves you!” Well, the fact is people are people. Some women are horrible people. Some men are horrible people. There’s this idea that women who produce a child are some kind of holy creation. They are not! They’re people like anyone else. Good parents are good parents, and bad parents are thoroughly bad parents. Please, do not tell all your coworkers and friends [that they have to] call their mother and father: “You’re a bad son.” “You’re a bad daughter.” That’s bullshit. There are bad people in the world; as it turns out, my parents were very bad ones, and I don’t like people nosing in on the fact.
Anonymous Rantline caller

Sidewalk invasion
So, this morning I’m walking to work on THE SIDEWALK of Thurlow Street when this big behemoth of a guy on a bike yells “Excuse me!” then cuts past me on my right and scares the bejesus out of me. He then continues riding down Thurlow, crosses Robson, and continues on Thurlow, ON THE SIDEWALK, weaving in and out of pedestrians. Good grief, what kind of man are you? I am a 56-year-old woman with osteoporosis, and I nearly fell when you scooted by me ON THE SIDEWALK. A big, strapping guy like you, all healthy and fit-looking, on your big, fancy mountain bike, riding ON THE SIDEWALK. I would expect that from a small boy, but not a grown man. SHAME ON YOU!
Anonymous

The art of the sale
Hey, bitch. Yeah, you! The one who makes such beautiful art but insults people when they ask a question. Last week, at Granville Island Public Market, I took some time to look at your products, which were very attractive, with an attention to detail. If you remember, I said to you, “These are lovely. Do you have gift boxes for them?” You answered, “I do, if you can afford to buy one.” Ignoring your put-down, I had my wallet out and was about to inquire about one product, which I actually wanted to buy, and again you answered, “I don’t know if you can afford it, so please don’t touch”.

I don’t know how much of your shit you sell on Granville Island, but I can tell you this: Even if you had the most beautiful products in the world, I wouldn’t buy any of them, because all I’d remember when I look at them and use them in my home would be that nasty, upper-crust, crème-de-la-phelgm asshole attitude that some people use in Vancouver like some honour to show how important they are. Art comes in many different forms, but treating others with some respect and kindness is one talent you have yet to master.
Leslie