Apparently I am an angry person who complains a lot. These are direct accusations from more than one person. So today, instead of complaining or being angry, I will do the opposite. I will be a thankful person counting all my blessings. And first and foremost on my list of blessings is the fact that I only have to live in Winnipeg for approximately 5 more months. And following is a list of why I will be happy to leave. That's not angry or complaining, is it??
-The roads in Winnipeg suck.
-It is ridiculously cold in the winter. The high tomorrow is -22 C, and that isn't even close to what it was last year when the high was around -30 C for a month.
-The roads suck.
-It is ridiculously hot and humid in the summer. Humidex around 40 C.
-The snow-clearing is terrible. Obviously there is a lot of snow here, and when they clear it (which is rare) they pile it up around the intersections and in between major routes and merge lanes so nobody can safely enter another road.
-The roads suck.
-The city is horribly designed. There is no explanation for it, other than maybe that the first mayor gave 5 guys a blank piece of paper each and they all walked away from downtown, designing as they went. Streets are not square, there is no sense to the numbering, there are no block numbers, being on an avenue or a road or a street doesn't mean you are travelling in a particular direction, there are no driveways (instead there are alleys which don't get cleared in the winter), the lights are 100% uncoordinated and not set to respond to traffic volume (or lack thereof)...
-The roads suck.
-Everyone thinks the Jets are coming back.
-A lot of people who live here don't even like it.
-The roads suck.
-I saw part of a show on TV the other day, on the Shaw Cable channel, where the guy was going around asking people if Winnipeggers had enough civic pride. Basically, the answers indicated that people here should be proud because it is so cold and so hot and sucks so much and they live through it. Should that really make me proud? It's not working.
-The mosquitoes are terrible in the summer, because the whole province is basically a swamp.
-They don't have any money to do things like, oh, I don't know, fix the roads or clear the snow.
-The drivers are terrible. I know I am not the greatest driver who ever lived, but here are the Winnipeg driving habits that irk me: Turning left at an uncontrolled intersection, pulling across one direction of traffic and waiting for the other direction to clear before merging, thus blocking people moving in the first direction; turning left out of traffic but not moving out of the way of cars behind, despite ample room; driving 70km/h down Portage Ave in a snowstorm and 40km/h on a sunny summer day; parking in the right lane of arterial roads.
-The roads suck.
Now, I know I am supposed to say two good things for every bad thing I say. But I am afraid my list of good in Winnipeg cannot compare. They have awesome outdoor hockey rinks, I will give them that. Unfortunately, that also means that they are usually booked for minor hockey so that doesn't help me very much.
There. I am glad I made it through the day without complaining. And I can't wait to get out of here.
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Go ahead...read it. I won't tell anybody.
5 comments:
"Everyone thinks the Jets are coming back."
That was funny. I'm sure that is top of the to-do list for Gretzky/Phoenix team.
I have a lot of the same complaints about Edmonton's infrastructure planning, even more now that the Low Level bridge is closed until November. Calgary still takes the cake, unless there is an accident on the Deerfoot.
Hang in there Matt, it can't be as bad as some unnamed Middle Eastern country. Can it?
I used to think it was pure stereotype when people were like "drivers in Vancouver are bad."
It's not, although I wouldn't say they're bad, as much as they just seem ignorant of everything going on around them: "Hell, I don't need to check my mirrors when I pull out of this parking space on a busy street and do a u-turn in the middle of traffic."
I don't know how Winnipeg compares with the desert. I know that its infrastructure is much worse than Edmonton's, though. It isn't even in the same ballpark. In terms of condition, there are few side roads in Edmonton that are as bad as main roads here. Winnipeg has millions of dollars less for snow removal. And the design is far worse.
As for Fort Mac...well, you can make lots of money there. I don't think anyone moves there to raise a family.
And yes, driving like you just described in Vancouver does indeed make you a bad driver.
Matt, have you heard this song? If not, download it.
The Weakerthans
One Great City!
Late afternoon another day is nearly done
A darker grey is breaking through a lighter one
A thousand sharpened elbows in the underground
That hollow hurried sound of feet on polished floor
And in the dollar store the clerk is closing up
And counting loonies trying not to say
I hate Winnipeg.
The driver checks the mirror seven minutes late
Crowded riders' restlessness enunciates
The Guess Who suck, the Jets were lousy anyway
The same mood every day
And in the turning lane
Someone's stalled again
He's talking to himself
And hears the price of gas repeat his phrase
I hate Winnipeg
Up above us all,
Leaning into sky
Our golden business boy
Will watch the north end die
And sing 'i love this town'
Then let his arching wrecking ball proclaim:
I...hate...Winnipeg
I TOLD you I wasn't the only one. I will get it ASAP.
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