Vancouver,BC -no fun city-: Kindergarten children no touching policy

Y'know, I've been in this city now for just over 10 years. I come from the prairies where snowmobiling at night after a few drinks is considered the norm, beer gardens in city streets celebrating Canada day or any long weekend, rock and folk festivals with a long running 40 year tradition at Bird's hill park, back yard campfires and beer stores open till 2 am. Sigh...the good ole days...

Vancouver (and surrounding cities) on the other hand, picturesque with its mountainous terrain, beaches, magical rain forests and oceanic views has been dubbed the "no fun city". Why you may ask?

Over the last few years there has been a string of ridiculous city bylaws seemingly catered to the "holier than thou" class citizen. For example:

1. You can not busk without a permit. Sure, it keeps those horribly out of tune guitars from panging away on the corner but seriously?
2. You can't juggle fire on the beach (you'll hurt yourself)
3. Summer patios shut down at 11. Yup, go inside if you want to drink and enjoy the weather
4. Liquor store shut down at 11. ( city hall says you've had enough)
5. Smoke 6 meters away from any door, window, air intake, blah blah blah ( put you in the street)
6. Can't smoke outside in a park (its offensive to those condo owners, and birds)
7. All ages events can not be held in establishments with alcohol.

I could go on but my point is this. Besides the rich nagging condo owners worried about noise pollution stamping out pretty much any form of musical entertainment or venue, there seems to be an anal retentive city council hell bent on protecting you and me from what they consider "harmful".

A Langley elementary school has banned kindergarten students from touching each other at recess, a policy some parents think is both unnecessary and unworkable.

Read more: bc.ctvnews.ca...

No hugging, holding hands, playing tag, etc etc.

“We will have a zero-tolerance policy with regards to hands-on play, resulting in the missing of playtime and trips to the office for those who are unable to follow the rules,”

Read more: bc.ctvnews.ca...

Source

What's next? I feel like I'm a two-year old the way the moderators of my city slide out ridiculous rules like sh!t through a goose. People here are way too concerned with trivial bylaws/rules/expectations and really need to get out of this city and go live somewhere else for awhile. I really could go on about the entertainment bylaws which have practically forced a once proud an industrious musically talented city into obscurity. Sure, we've got the jazz festival and Shakespeare in the park. However nice that is, clearly you can see musical diverseness is not on any agenda. And...remember, don't let your kids play.

Meh, how plastic is this city?

One final thought before I go...

Stripping away more and more everything that makes us human. If you are sick of being told what to do, then simply ignore.

All of those city ordinances/bylaws seem pretty standard for a city of that size.

I went to a restaurant in Oklahoma and was blown away that I could smoke at my table. Indoors! I can have a cigarette while I wait for me food! What the...?!

It's 10 feet from any door where I live, and pretty soon they'll probably ban it from parks too. What I don't understand is they push an "anti-smoking" agenda so hard, but rely on the tax revenue from it.

If everyone that smoked quit, my city would be facing some serious budget problems. I pay over $9.50 a pack here!

The liquor stores also don't open before 11am on weekdays/Saturdays and noon on Sundays. They've also eliminated beer/wine from the grocery stores. If you want beer/wine you have to go to an actual liquor store to buy it.

I remember seeing beer/wine at an Albertson's in Montana for the first time -- right next to the cheese. I was blown away. I can buy all my groceries and get a bottle of red wine to go with it all in ONE store?! Yay!

Of course, if you wanted anything distilled, you had to go to a State-owned liquor store or a casino. I found that a little odd.

Because they've taken the beer/wine out of the grocery stores, there's a liquor store on every corner here pretty much. When I have visitors from out of state visit, they're blown away at just how many there are. And we all wonder why we have such a bad homeless problem here...

1. You can not busk without a permit. Sure, it keeps those horribly out of tune guitars from panging away on the corner but seriously?

What the heck is busk?


#2, Seriously, how many people is this hurting? The three people that juggle with fire? Unless this is a strange word like busk and has a different meaning. Darn, I was thinking about learning how to do this today.

#3, sorry, I agree with this one. Nothing more annoying than being kept up by partiers.

#4. in some areas of the US, this is considered very late.

#5, I am a smoker and I agree with this.

#6. Depends on what kind of park.

#7. Maybe the only one that seems a little strict.

As for the no touching, I don't see kids doing a lot of touching anyways. This also seems a little extreme.

reply to post by MystikMushroom


This is my umpteenth attempt to quit smoking. It's near 12 bucks a pack now for premiums. I don't mind the no smoking indoors policy, it makes sense but they really push it (everything) too far

I was raised there. Burnaby, North Van, Langley, Surrey...

Dog bylaws, cat bylaws, firepit bylaws, gardening bylaws, parking bylaws......etc

I tried out the Okanagan, and east of there as well, you really need acreage to avoid most of the BS bylaws

I moved away from BC completely (BC = bring cash), it's ridiculously expensive
Saskatchewan is nice - it was like going back in time before so many laws. Although, in towns and cities, bylaws are also way too many. I still feel like I need to be rural to have any freedom.

In Alberta now for husbands work, rural, north. It's a little less free than Sask, but I still like it way better than BC.

reply to post by nixie_nox


Busking is doing anything entertainment wise for money. Playing music, magic acts, juggling. The permit thing was put in just before the 2010 winter Olympics.

This reminds me of a George Carlin bit I heard the other day.

NSFW

FlySolo
reply to post by nixie_nox

 

Busking is doing anything entertainment wise for money. Playing music, magic acts, juggling. The permit thing was put in just before the 2010 winter Olympics.

Ah ok, the doing things on the street corner for money, people.

reply to post by nixie_nox

What the heck is busk?

Buskering is entertaining on the street (usually guitar ?) for money



I type way too slow.

FlySolo
reply to post by MystikMushroom

 

This is my umpteenth attempt to quit smoking. It's near 12 bucks a pack now for premiums. I don't mind the no smoking indoors policy, it makes sense but they really push it (everything) too far

If you don't mind, I quit successfully once, by getting a yo yo. Anytime I felt the urge, I would distract myself until it passed. Didn't care where I broke it out, even standing in line at the bank. It was helpful.

Second, note the places where you habitually smoked, and learn distraction methods. Sometimes if you don't notice, you get a trigger out of nowhere. For me it was talking on the phone. Others, driving in the car, after meals, etc. So make note, have a distraction plan in place or at least acknowledge it as a trigger, a mental one. E cigs are good for these.

Third, get a calendar and mark off each day you make it without smoking. Gives you something to look forward too. My friends would notice and ask what the red X was for. So they would start counting and participating everytime they came over. It gives you incentive.

#2, and # 3 also work well for breakups. lol

snowspirit
I was raised there. Burnaby, North Van, Langley, Surrey...

Dog bylaws, cat bylaws, firepit bylaws, gardening bylaws, parking bylaws......etc

I tried out the Okanagan, and east of there as well, you really need acreage to avoid most of the BS bylaws

I moved away from BC completely (BC = bring cash), it's ridiculously expensive
Saskatchewan is nice - it was like going back in time before so many laws. Although, in towns and cities, bylaws are also way too many. I still feel like I need to be rural to have any freedom.

In Alberta now for husbands work, rural, north. It's a little less free than Sask, but I still like it way better than BC.

---

Vancouver, "Bring Cash", Canada

where gas is anywhere from $4.78 US a gallon on Monday ($1.26/litre)
to $5.17 a gallon U.S. on the Weekend!

Where BREAD is $4.00 to $6.00 a loaf

A pound of butter is over 5 bucks!

A gallon of milk is $4.86

Monthly Rent for a one bedroom apartment is between $900 to $1100 per month!

The AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE in Vancouver proper is NOW $922,600 (CBC News)

Bachelor suites START AT $700/month

Bus rides for a 30 km (20 mil trip) are $5.50 (3 zone)

Movie tickets are $12.00

Parking downtown is $26.00 a day at the major hi-rise lots (Royal Centre)

or

$3.50 PER HALF-HOUR at the parking metre!

Car insurance ON AVERAGE is between $800 per year for basic insurance
up to $1600 to $2000/yr for comprehensive and extended liability.

Cable: $60/mth Premium: $120/mnth

Internet: $40/mth for 10 megabits/sec Rogers High Speed: 250 megabits/sec = $130/mnth

Cell phone: Voice + data plan = $70/mnth for 5 gigabytes download a month (Telus)

$3.50 Bridge Toll to your 600 square foot $300,000 condo with the 45 minute
on a good day drive to work downtown and the 1.5 to 2 hours on a bad day commute!

a 1 ounce drink at the bar $7.50 (Cactus Club) 2 oz ($9.00 to $12.00)

Glass of wine: $6.00

12 pack of beer $22.00 for a decent beer


---

Vancouver has 15% HIGHER basic groceries and consumer living prices than New York!

While our rent is a bit cheaper, Transportation, basic living costs, and hard consumer goods
are ALL HIGHER THAN EVEN NEW YORK!!!!

It's Crazy Expensive to Live Here!!!!!

reply to post by StargateSG7


Yeah I'm happy I left too. As well as the "bring cash" policy, Vancouver seems to have an identity crisis. There are so many Asians there who don't give a sh#t about Canada or the English language. Lots of Yuppies, rich people, and gays DT. The diversity doesn't mesh. A lot of the people aren't that friendly.

But it does have the great outdoors..lots of beautiful women as well.

reply to post by Tucket


---

I still live here and have no intention of moving...I bit the bullet and
decided to JOIN the Rat race and become a Cement Condo Sucking Urban
Vancouverite and EMBRACE the Fashionaista lifestyle and shallow but
VERY PRETTY and thin outer shell of vapidity, rampant narcissism,
overt consumerism and absolute NAKED G-R-E-E-D !!!!

I've BECOME ONE OF THEM! The now over-educated, soon to be
WAAAAAAY overpaid urban professional inducing overly impressionable
hotties in massive partying of all forms and eventually ensuring that
my DNA and alimony will be passed onto pretty but vapid offspring
and a pouty-lipped botoxed but extremely LITHE AND HOT first wife!

NAAAH It sucked being some local yokel looking IN from the outside
when it's faaaaaaar better (and a lot more comfortable!) to just
BEEEEEEEE ONE OF THEM!

Screw the goody two-shoes of the LIGHT side...I'm embracing the
DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE !!!! Life's too short to be poor but good
when you can be RICH and COMFORTABLE, showering in the easy
glory of nearly-naked Hollywood North Starlets, cash coming
outa da wazoo, warm winter parties in South Italy/Spain
and refreshing summer shindigs in Vancouver!

Bah Humbug on the Poor Saps who won't compromise their principles!
In Vancouver, If you wanna get ahead, ya gotta break some heads!

:-) ;-)