Friday fun post: have you thought about your Olympic travel plans?
Friday fun post: have you thought about your Olympic travel plans?
If you like, skip to the end of this post to answer the Olympic travel question.
Last week’s post: 1937 Buzzer trivia
Last week’s fun post asked you to solve six picture puzzles from the Buzzer in 1937!
The answers were all Vancouver street names, and here they are:
1. Granville
2. Grandview
3. Pender
4. Sasamat
5. Hastings
6. Columbia
Number 2 and 3 seemed to give people the most trouble, especially since the guy is saying “Swell!” in number 2. (He means what a swell view, which equals Grandview. Hey, it was the 1930s.)
But congrats to CJ Stebbing and zack for getting the right answers anyway!
And CJ and zack, since you guys did so well, I can mail you a set of transit buttons as a prize if you like. Just e-mail me your address and I can send them out to you.
By the way, there are more of these puzzles in the 1937 Buzzers, so I’ll put a few more up in a later fun post!
This week: have you thought about your Olympic travel plans yet?
So, Phase 2 of the Olympic transportation plan was released last week, and in light of the extraordinary travel situation that we’re going to be in, has anyone started thinking about how you’ll get around the region during the Olympics?
Feel free to use the comments if you have strategies or any other insight to share!
[…] The Buzzer blog » Friday fun post: have you thought about your Olympic travel plans? buzzer.translink.ca/index.php/2009/10/friday-fun-post-have-you-thought-about-your-olympic-travel-plans – view page – cached Last week’s fun post asked you to solve six picture puzzles from the Buzzer in 1937! — From the page […]
Haha…I haven’t thought of it yet to tell u the truth. I have 1 event in whistler on day 1 and the rest are in the city…..but I do have to go online to get the $25 package (I think that allows you to ride the whole transportation grid for the 2 weeks so long as u have ur tix.). Cn smeone confirm that or correct me?? Lol
And jhen…its the thebuzzer@translink.ca e-mail right?? Yay! I win a pin! Illadd it to my collection! Lol. I have some from clean air week in 2001/02 when the Communities started running in White rock….lol
Well, as I live on the North Shore, and I won’t be attending any of the Olympic events, my plan is to stay on the North Shore and not venture into town for the entire month of February. If there is something urgent, I can travel to Vancouver by SeaBus. I don’t think I would want to rely on a bus to get me over either of the bridges, with the extraordinary amount of vehicle traffic they are predicting. Then I could SkyTrain it out of the downtown core and transfer to a bus further east to get wherever it is I need to go.
Otherwise, I don’t plan to change any travel plans when it comes to just taking the bus around the neighbourhood for groceries, library, etc.
“Swell” meaning excellent (or “grand”) was apparently considered ill-mannered back then: two references that I can think of and get the exact quote thanks to the Internet.
From The Music Man’s “Ya got Trouble” (1950s, set in 1912)
Mothers of River City
Heed that warning before it’s too late
Watch for the tell-tale signs of corruption
…
Are certain words creeping into his conversation?
Words like… swell?
And… ‘so’s your old man’?
and this classic exchange from the 1950s sitcom I Love Lucy
English tutor: “Now besides ok, I want you to promise me that there are two words that you will never use. One of these is “swell” and the other one is “lousy.”
Fred: “Well give us the lousy one first.”
English tutor: “May I have a glass of water, please?”
Lucy: “Ok… I mean yes… I would say ok, that’s a swell way to get off to a lousy start!”
So perhaps the ass of Sasamat wasn’t the most risqué part of the puzzle :)
I haven’t really thought about it, but I don’t really plan to change my travel plans during the Olympics. Public Transit has been my main and only option and I don’t drive (so there’s a benefit there). And I also live comfortably right next to the SkyTrain.
Btw Jhen, thanks for the trivia question and the offer, but I think CJ deserves the best of the credit and for the pins :) I already have a couple of SkyTrain pins. :)
Olympic travel plans?
For me it’s either: get the hell out of Metro Vancouver during that time period. Maybe visit my family.
or
Lock myself in my room for that time period.
I haven’t really read up on this yet, I am mainly concerned about getting to/from work. At least I have options, work remotely from home or if I really have to go in to the office just avoid downtown – luckily I have plenty of route choices despite them adding another 30-45 minutes to my journey. My office is usually flexible about these issues anyhow.
I personally don’t think I’ll be too affected. I’m switching to a motorcycle for those two weeks. If you can’t find a parking spot with a motorcycle, may as well turn in your licence.
There’s a few ways around the roadblock for the truly determined. The whole point of the roadblock is to keep traffic off the Sea to Sky, so I figure posting these isn’t spoiling anything.
1. The obvious circle route through Pemberton and Hope.
2. Old logging road from Powell River to Squamish suitable only for 4x4s.
3. Trail out from Coquitlam to Squamish suitable only for dirtbikes and bikes.
Cliff, there’s also the Harrison Lake west-side route…but I can’t remember if its open.
Ooh, I’ll check it out and see if it’s any use.
I re-checked the Powell River one. Doesn’t seem to actually exist! I think my old boss was putting me on now.
Not sure how practical motorcycles are when it’s wet, windy or sub-zero.
I’m grateful the Canada Line was built this year and plan to maximize its use. Makes me wonder if Skytrain will be used to escort the flame from BC Place Stadium to Canada Place as Global speculates possible flame locations.
In Vancouver the temperature rarely gets to a point where a motorcycle can’t be used. It’s mostly condition dependent, so in that regard, I’m hoping for clear roads and clear skies! (For Whistler, I’m hoping for record snowfalls)
It’s going to be neat seeing public transit between Vancouver and Whistler. It’s hardly a proper trial, but it would be nice to see this as a lead-up to commuter service into Squamish.
The Olympic Lanes are an interesting concept. How will their proper usage be enforced? Won’t buses in the Olympic Lanes clog everything up?
I don’t think there’s anything stopping one from using Stanley Park as a parking lot. It’s $4 a day or YEARLY for $250. Considering the gong show it’s going to be, that seems like the most hassle free way to park for the Olympics.
can i have a button to? for collecting issues of the buzzer including both canada line brouchers?
Time to put snow tires on my bicycle…
zack: It’s not a problem to get you some pins too! So if you find you’d still like some, feel free to e-mail me your address and I’ll send them out.
CJ: yes, it’s thebuzzer@translink.ca!
I work downtown and normally get there on SkyTrain. I also have the option of taking a bus. Either way I expect some pretty heavy crowds so I’m hoping my company will permit me to work from home at least once a week.
The extra West Coast Express trains will make my Mission to downtown Vancouver commute very convenient! Too bad it’s not going to be permanent. :(
Daniel: e-mail me your home address and I can mail you a set of buttons. Write to me at thebuzzer@translink.bc.ca!
[…] Last week’s fun post asked you about whether you were thinking about your Olympic travel plans already. […]
[…] Last week’s fun post asked whether you had ever forgotten to buy your FareCard at the end of the month, then boarded transit without valid fare. […]