Diary of the last 10 hours and years. You cannot change the laws of physics, but you can wonder how it could take so very very long to get to this point
Jeepers, get clicking on that bridge vote peeps, its currently running 75/20 agin us bikers. Maybe its all them poor folks in their cars stuck in traffic and reading the news who are currently clicking.
Loving the train theme, having heard the lonesome whistle of the Blue Streak through childhood. Travelling the US for several months in 1989, the best conversations I had with strangers were in Amtrak dining cars. One was a professor of death, travelling with his daughter (that's how the academic studying grief, etc, described himself. He looked like Donald Pleasance playing a Bond villain). And a fellow in his 40s with a fabric business, who turned out to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Southern Culture. It helped pass the time on a 30 hour journey from New Orleans to New York. But thanks especially for recommending John Egenes. I had a farming uncle who rode horses from the age of 2 into his 80s. He was a non stop story teller. I once had an idea to go on a long ride with him, from Ohakune to Waverly, and just listen, to write the stories down. Too late.
The phonetic sound from two...oo Soother? But I wouldnt trust someone driving a red Merc to be very soothing. Or the owner is Scots from Soothland and cant spell, or is taking the piss. or its
S Toother some kind of injoke , or the owner is just wanting people to ask so they can smile, not tell you & drive off with an air of smug superiority. Kinda like Waka Kotahi as they say 'No bikes sonny so on yer way Im smelling the tarseal.'
Great leisure day out, biking or strolling over Harbour bridge west side then back around via loop tunnel. Should be very popular as well as for workers.
What pisses me off is this is the same strategy they used to kill the light rail line. The arseholes in AT and NZTA (sorry but they don’t deserve to use the Maori name) just hate the idea of anything other than their beloved cars and truck living in our city - no people just cars and trucks preferably without drivers.
I’m going with a nickname - there’s a Stoother on LastFM (with dodgy musical taste...) and another from the Land of Oz on Fuelly (mpg and service tracker) who drives a Commodore. Best one I’ve come across? “2THDR” on a 911 in reserved parking for a dentist in Sausolito.
Worth remembering, for reasons of balance, that Waka Kotahi also rejected the Basin Reserve Flyover in Wellington, thwarting the dreams of vehicle drivers in much the same way as you mention of "bike hippies".
Also, if you were to take a straw poll of 50% of the population, I'm not *entirely sure* many would be carefree and unmolested users of a long, underwater tube, on foot, scooter or bike. Way too much yikes!
Oh yes, “the folk you encounter in the dining car.”
We Amtraked from San Francisco to Grand Junction, CO. We shared a table one meal with a “Dancing extra” with the SF Ballet. He was on way to the New Orleans Jazz Festival which he did every year by train using a different route. This time he was going all the way to Chicago and then from Chicago down to New Orleans.
What is a Dancing extra? Well, those classical scenes often need someone to stand there holding a spear and just add a bit of character to the background. He did whatever the walk-on role required - and when it wasn’t the ballet season, he painted houses.
That bridge survey is f$%king depressing. Those poor Aucklanders and their cars, will nobody think of them the same way they think about themselves?
As for the number plate, I have no idea. I do remember that at one of our sons' notable (and thus rather public) birthday parties my wife thought it was a good idea to run a game putting up some personalised plates she'd seen and asking the audience (mostly straitlaced and not very worldly) to guess what they meant. Trouble was, for a few of them she hadn't any idea #ReallyWasn'tTryingToBeRudeSorry
Jeepers, get clicking on that bridge vote peeps, its currently running 75/20 agin us bikers. Maybe its all them poor folks in their cars stuck in traffic and reading the news who are currently clicking.
Loving the train theme, having heard the lonesome whistle of the Blue Streak through childhood. Travelling the US for several months in 1989, the best conversations I had with strangers were in Amtrak dining cars. One was a professor of death, travelling with his daughter (that's how the academic studying grief, etc, described himself. He looked like Donald Pleasance playing a Bond villain). And a fellow in his 40s with a fabric business, who turned out to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Southern Culture. It helped pass the time on a 30 hour journey from New Orleans to New York. But thanks especially for recommending John Egenes. I had a farming uncle who rode horses from the age of 2 into his 80s. He was a non stop story teller. I once had an idea to go on a long ride with him, from Ohakune to Waverly, and just listen, to write the stories down. Too late.
The phonetic sound from two...oo Soother? But I wouldnt trust someone driving a red Merc to be very soothing. Or the owner is Scots from Soothland and cant spell, or is taking the piss. or its
S Toother some kind of injoke , or the owner is just wanting people to ask so they can smile, not tell you & drive off with an air of smug superiority. Kinda like Waka Kotahi as they say 'No bikes sonny so on yer way Im smelling the tarseal.'
S To The Rescue (apparently)
Now that just raises more questions that it answers
Hell is S2THER people.
Close Curran St on ramp, Stafford Rd off-ramp to vehicles and open to bikes, Ped and 50cc scooters (not allowed on motorway) , no ramp build needed :)
Great leisure day out, biking or strolling over Harbour bridge west side then back around via loop tunnel. Should be very popular as well as for workers.
Sent the TGV letter to a TGH journalist via twitter. TGH will not use it given 1/4 of its advertising income is from that industry.
#BeNiceToAdvertisers
Stoother or stoot her, whatever they may mean, according to my 1337 5p34k D1ct10n4ry. Soonding a wee bit Scottish in mae heed.
Good column but I'm awfully sick with cold or maybe Covid - waiting for results - and I can't think about anything... #brainfog
What pisses me off is this is the same strategy they used to kill the light rail line. The arseholes in AT and NZTA (sorry but they don’t deserve to use the Maori name) just hate the idea of anything other than their beloved cars and truck living in our city - no people just cars and trucks preferably without drivers.
I’m going with a nickname - there’s a Stoother on LastFM (with dodgy musical taste...) and another from the Land of Oz on Fuelly (mpg and service tracker) who drives a Commodore. Best one I’ve come across? “2THDR” on a 911 in reserved parking for a dentist in Sausolito.
Worth remembering, for reasons of balance, that Waka Kotahi also rejected the Basin Reserve Flyover in Wellington, thwarting the dreams of vehicle drivers in much the same way as you mention of "bike hippies".
Also, if you were to take a straw poll of 50% of the population, I'm not *entirely sure* many would be carefree and unmolested users of a long, underwater tube, on foot, scooter or bike. Way too much yikes!
Oh yes, “the folk you encounter in the dining car.”
We Amtraked from San Francisco to Grand Junction, CO. We shared a table one meal with a “Dancing extra” with the SF Ballet. He was on way to the New Orleans Jazz Festival which he did every year by train using a different route. This time he was going all the way to Chicago and then from Chicago down to New Orleans.
What is a Dancing extra? Well, those classical scenes often need someone to stand there holding a spear and just add a bit of character to the background. He did whatever the walk-on role required - and when it wasn’t the ballet season, he painted houses.
I'm going Easther, there may in fact be some MTAF Easther readers here perhaps.
That bridge survey is f$%king depressing. Those poor Aucklanders and their cars, will nobody think of them the same way they think about themselves?
As for the number plate, I have no idea. I do remember that at one of our sons' notable (and thus rather public) birthday parties my wife thought it was a good idea to run a game putting up some personalised plates she'd seen and asking the audience (mostly straitlaced and not very worldly) to guess what they meant. Trouble was, for a few of them she hadn't any idea #ReallyWasn'tTryingToBeRudeSorry