Sunday, October 17, 2010

I Have Seen The Death Of Newspapers....


....And It Is Not Pretty


The sun rose high in Lotusland today.

And at first glance all was right with the world.

Even the fact that I had to climb into the goldarned cigar tube didn't get me down.

Why?

Because I can now get to the Vancouver Airport from my house with ease.

Without driving.

It was a most pleasant trip....Stroll down to King Edward to catch the #25, west, to the Canada Line Station....Get directions from a most helpful attendant who explained that you only pay the Airport tariff when you leave the airport.

Which means that, because it was a Sunday, it only cost me the price of a '1 Zone' faresaver ticket.

Which is precisely $0.14 more than a tall dark at the empire of the evil green goddess who, I am quite convinced, does not even live in Seattle anymore.

Anyway......

The train trip itself was most pleasant and efficient, and on the way there I read a nice review of Philip Roth's latest as well as the inspiring DIY story of a kinghell story-teller named Marc Levy. I also read Doug Saunders column about the empty suitcase that is the Harper government policy of everything and finished it wondering if Mr. Saunders is now considered an 'unfriendly' who must be got.

But here's the weird thing.....

I was the only one on my entire train who read any of these things.

Or even read about the latest from Canuckleheadlandia or even the Leo's latest loss at Empire.

How do I know this?

Because I was the only person in the entire car with a newspaper in my hand.

Seriously.

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ahhhhh, now RossK you have to step into the modern technological world, not just traveling on the Canada Line, but put the buds in your ear and "listen".... no reading needed..... to the latest in news.

RossK said...

Anon--

Ha!

Actually....

I checked for plug-ins and hand-helds as well (I was standing, so it was easy to scan the surrounding folks in the car)...All I saw on screens was junk...Case in point, well-coiffed lady in front of me with 'elite'-tagged bags piled high kept Kelly Kapooring with stuff like "Ohhhhhhhh myyyyy God!!!!!", etc....

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Mr. Beer N. Hockey said...

You ought to be more careful Gazz. In the near future people who show off their literacy in public will be asking for a good sound ass kicking.

BC Mary said...

RossK,

You've been walking around inside my head, the past while. I can tell ...

The widespread obtusity got to me recently and I started feeling as if I'm on an ice floe drifting out to sea ... alone. Like when pundits proclaim that British Columbians are 100% ticked off because they don't like taxes ... as if the previous 9 Campbelloid years were all peaches and cream. Like that.

Thank goodness for commenters.

Hurry home.
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theo said...

hey girls and boys, it’s crappy poetry time:

If you can’t read it,
If you can’t read it,
Oh, oh, oh what a world.

If you can’t see it,
If you can’t see it,
Oh, oh, oh what a world.

in-for-mation. it’s not for you or me,
in-for-mation. You have to dig to see,

Because the ass-wipes, who have the controls,
Are the scum sucking, below the bridge trolls,

in-for-mation. it’s not for you or me,
in-for-mation. You have to dig to see,

If it’s not there,
Goodness gracious me,

If it’s not there,
It’s time to take a pee,

On the shit-heels,
Who despise that we are free,

And if we give up,
That hard fought right,

Oh, oh, oh what a world.

West End Bob said...

As for the Canada Line/Airport run, RossK:

Upon leaving YVR, if you use one of the pre-paid fare passes, you don't pay the airport add-on fee, either. (See "Exemptions")

Sweet deal . . . .

North Van's Grumps said...

However, if you're like me, a senior, during the week days, going to two zones to get to the court house from North Van I need to pay $2.50.

Translink will not allow me to use a single zone fare saver card worth $2.50 because I'm a senior. What I have to buy is a ONE zone concession fare saver card worth $1.75 and then carry with me, at all times, seventy-five cents in coinage to make up the difference........ WHY? because Translink abolished the 2 and 3 zone concession tickets because they weren't making enough money in 2009. They've now told me that by 2013 the Smart Card will be in place.

Oh, and if I've been told by Translink that if I were to use the single zone $2.50 and it's got the info stamped on it from a North Van bus, the Vancouver bus driver would not allow me on his bus because its for one zone, not two. I'd had to pay another seventy-five cents.

Its worth two zones, but its not stamped by the machine for a senior.

DUH! No wonder Campbell is so low in the polls.

Alison said...

Oh, FFS!

Basi and Virk have to spend some time at home in exchange for no one else being investigated.

West End Bob said...

Un-'f'ing-believable, isn't it, Alison?!?

Can't wait for RossK's belated post on this after his travels . . . .

RossK said...

Aaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhh!

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