Urban Vancouver

You're in my personal space: EcoDensity Meeting Part II

By samanthaorwell on February 28, 2008 - 4:33pm

read full post here: http://thevancouvermanifesto.blogspot.com/

February 27th, 2008 EcoDensity Talk #2

This morning I took the bus out to UBC. I used to do this commute daily during my undergrad and had no problem with it since it really was my only option. Now that I have to have a car for work purposes I’ve gotten used to my own personal space. I like personal space. Anyhow, back to the bus. Taking transit it always the same during peak hours. The two qualities that remain constant are 1) Busses are always at least 10 minutes late, and 2) The late bus is picking up slack for the other late bus so its packed- the dozens of people waiting at the bus stop won’t fit.

…I’m so glad transit responds to increased ridership with the exact same amount of busses that still arrive late.

But let me tell you two more trends that I am beginning to see.
The first, and completely irrelevant point, is that bus drivers are getting hotter. Yep, I said it, the days of ugly old fat bus drivers are over. I’ve seen QUITE a few cute guys and a couple nice lookin’ gals sitting in the drivers seat. And I must say it does make it quite a bit easier to smile as you get on the bus and leave that “thank you” as you get off.
Secondly, you CAN get onto that late packed bus. Because even though those busses are full, they manage to pack you in there until you can’t breathe. And they have stopped respecting that red line that apparently you “must stay behind” at the front. In the old days we’d call that bus driver super nice. Good on ya for accepting more kids so we can get to school on time. Now I know translink is just being sloppy and cheap.
The days of zero personal space on the bus is gone. Now we’re in negative personal space territory and seriously hip to hip.
Unless you can provide a bus experience with me in a sea of incredibly attractive men, I want my personal space back.

Not only that but today I saw the first of what I bet will continue. A woman leaving the bus came running back andknocking on the bus door- she told the bus driver that some guy on the bus just stole her wallet. Bus driver sort of shrugged like as if to say “what can *I* do? He’s right..what can he do? Nothin.
I can see this happening a lot…we’re rubbin up against eachother on a packed bus- you can’t say anything because that’s just how packed the bus is and it’s not like the person next to you WANTs to be in your personal space. The road is bumpy so you fee no invasion of bag zippers opening or pockets being picked. And there. You just lost your wallet.
I experienced this way back ago one summer on a bus trip to UBC. The bus was absilutely packed, hot sweaty..disgusting. And there was this gross perve that would rub up against girls on the bus. I was one of his victims. You can’t really say anything at first because on packed busses you can’t help but be in other peoples space and touch them. So his hand would conveniently hit up against me anytime the bus would jolt. And then I finally knew he was a total perve when he decided to become bolder on the rocky road and just go for my chest. I freaked out and pushed his hand away but you didn’t’ hear a peep out of me because I didn’t’ want to make a scene! He quickly jumped off the bus after. To this day I still feel sooooo dirty and taken advantage of. Disgusting.

So what.. is THIS ecodensity? We get a smaller ecofootprint if we pack more people on transit. Well if this is ecodensity I don’t want it.

The comment to be made here is that EcoDensity won’t work without the proper amenities and infrastructure. You can’t zone for high density housing and do shit all with the rest.
These are points that the EcoDensity Charter does touch upon but in these EcoDensity meetingsI don’t think council is speaking enough towards it. And specifically, how council will guarantee funding for the amenities and infrastruc. There is this assumption that the larger tax base will take care of it all. But we need that tax base to also create supportive social and affordable housing too.

Highlights of tonights EcoDensity meeting- second meeting:

read rest of post here http://thevancouvermanifesto.blogspot.com/