Anthems

What really is the purpose of playing the national anthems at a hockey game? I can fully understand when it is the Olympics and you're playing for your country. But yesterday for example, when O Canada was being played, one of the Pittsburgh Penguins players was saying to it. And good for him. I can't remember who it was but obviously he is a Canadian. Just because his team is based in the States doesn't mean he can't be patriotic to his homeland. And I'm sure if any American-born players on a Canadian team would feel pride when the Star Spangled Banner is played. Maybe they should just have a generic "hockey anthem" and go with that.

Pedestrians

I complain a lot about drivers but sometimes pedestrians are just as bad. People who don't even look when they cross the street. Weren't they taught to "look both ways" when they were young? And is it that hard to wait when "flashing hand" lights up? It doesn't mean you can still cross at a snail's pace because chances are you're not going to make it across before the other light turns green. And there are the idiots who don't even feel like using the sidewalk, thinking that it's a lot more fun to walk along the road.

Driving Pet Peeves of the Month

1) If you're going to change lanes in order to turn right, could you please do it within a reasonable amount of time? Just because you put on your right-turn signal to come into my lane it doesn't mean you can just go right in. These double lane-changing SOB's should be shot.

2) Are you turning left? Please have the courtesy to turn on your left signal before the cars behind you start to bunch up.

3) It's not a law but please, if you're a bit slow could you PLEASE move over to the right lane so people with reasonable driving skills could pass you? This especially applies on the highway. I wish they would have the American law of "drive on right, pass on left" here.

4) HOV lanes are for cars with 2 or 3 people who WANT TO DRIVE FASTER. They are not for cars with 2 or 3 people who WANT TO DRIVE SLOWER.

5) See those left-turn or right-turn only lanes? They don't mean you can drive through the intersection; they mean you have to turn, nimrod. This applies especially on the corner of No. 3 Road and Bridgeport Road where people don't really know anything.

6) The River Rock parking lot should save money and take away all their "Exit" and "Parking" and "One-Way" signs because nobody ever reads them anyways.

Dumb Parents

So yesterday Amy and I were driving back home after our trip when we dropped by the Starbucks on 54th and Kerr. While looking for a parking spot I had to avoid a little girl (about 10?) who was debating whether or not to cross from one side of the lot to the other. I assumed that her parent was somewhere nearby and she was catching up with them. But when I had parked and took a look behind me I didn't see any parents. She was standing beside a car which had the back window open. So I assume she'd been told to wait in the car or something and she got impatient. Either way, it's pretty foolish and stupid to leave your child unattended in a parking lot. It really irked me.

Coffee

Handy tip for the Tim Horton's guy that I got drive-thru from last week: If I order two coffees and ask for a tray, put the cups diagonally into the tray so the tray isn't tilted on one side possibly resulting in the spillage of the said coffee. If it helps, next time I will order three coffees so you really can't screw it up putting them in the tray.

The Other Casino (not that one)

Even though the Edgewater Casino is a different company from mine, I really feel bad for them during this Olympic thing. I could be an impolite fool and laugh at their misfortune but instead I'm going to shake my head and once again question the worth of all this. As in my last post, businesses have been lost. People trying to make ends meet must put their lives on hold while road closures and lack of parking take over their lives. I have a lot of friends who work there who I hope can make it through this rough time for them.

News

I'm not trying to make a joke out of a tragic situation, but I was just wondering. If Michael Jackson had died on the same day that Haiti's earthquake hit, what would the networks be showing?

2010

The Olympics are less than two months away, and based on the traffic problems I've experienced as of late, it's only going to get worse. Both Vancouver and Richmond are so obviously unprepared for 2010. Right now a drive to work with no traffic takes less than 10 minutes. I estimate that figure will increase threefold (fourfold?). The option of Skytrain is pointless because the lineups at the stations will be just as worse. And what if it snows? We all know how bad the drivers are during snow. Well, to all those that voted for the Olympics, your wish has come true. Enjoy.

Communication

I don't know if this is really a Pet Peeve but it's more of an annoyance. It's how Facebook and other forms of communication has taken over many people's lives. Remember not too many years ago when if you wanted to talk to someone you would pick up the phone and then call them? And if they weren't home you had to leave a message? Then came call waiting, and people could decide who they wanted to talk to. Cell phones got popular and people didn't even have phone lines at home. Then email became the main form of communication. And then eventually text messaging overtook emails.

And then came Facebook, now nobody seems to talk to people anymore. Pretty soon I won't need my cell phone.

Rules of the Road

Many automobile drivers are portrayed as reckless people who break rules. While there are a lot of these bad drivers everywhere, it is not them that break the most rules, but rather those cyclists who think it is OK to ride wherever and however they want.

Don't get me wrong, I do feel sorry for them. There are many roads that do not have space for cyclists to ride. But as long as they are on the road with the cars, then they should follow the rules. Follow the direction the cars are driving. Ride on the road instead of the sidewalk. But most of all, respect traffic signals.