I am a public transportation kind of guy. You see, I was traumatized for 25 years in Los Angeles traffic before I moved to Montreal permanently. The first thing I did when I moved was get rid of my car. Whereas once “wheels” meant freedom, I learned over time that “wheels” meant teeth gnashing traffic at all hours. So for the last six years, I have been carless by choice.

Still, a car comes in handy at times and so I rent one every few months to do some “big shopping” and to visit friends who reside in the remote suburbs. I rented a car this weekend to do just those things. Before winter entrenches itself, I stock up on heavy things: big sacks of dog food, laundry detergent etc.

Every time I rent a car, I get slapped in the face by driver behaviour. Not mine. Everyone else’s. I’m used to public transportation where if you “cut someone off”, you do not have the luxury of hiding within your metal shell. Honestly, the aggressivity and hostile behaviour on the road is flabbergasting. Time and again I have been cut off, honked at, and had lights flashed at me for going too slow, fast, whatever.

Anyway, it seems to me that (sure are there rude people on the metro/bus at times) public transportation actually teaches civility. Or maybe I’ve just come up with a million dollar idea. A personal horn for honking when the people in front of you decide to stop and chat in the metro doorway or on the stairs.

Are you a different person behind the wheel than when you’re taking the train?

Okay, the title is a bit melodramatic, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall notice for Hershey’s chocolate products. Apparently some may contain salmonella which is potentially fatal. Although they assure the public that Halloween and Christmas bulk packages are not affected, if you have purchased any regular Hershey’s chocolate bearing a date code between 6417 and 6455, don’t eat it.

What a bummer. When I went, I mean when my DAUGHTER went trick or treating at Halloween, she scored a lot of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and after she went to sleep I hid most of them in my desk drawer so I could snarf them down in the evenings after bedtime. I had forgotten how much I loved them and I intended to get some more from the store. I think I’ll wait a few more weeks before giving in to my cravings, just to be on the safe side!

Although I don’t like that it gets dark so early these days, one thing that makes it better is all the lights that go up around town this time of year. Last weekend I was on St. Denis and they had little blue lights strung up on all the trees. I didn’t have my camera with me then but today I did and I was downtown on McGill College Avenue which I think is one of the prettiest when decorated with lights. The big Christmas tree at PVM has already been turned on and it’s quite enjoyable to walk down the street towards Ste Catherine with all the office towers lit up on either side and looming over the street that’s lined with trees festooned and draped in lights. The tail lights from the cars going by and the buzz of the people on the sidewalks are so lively that it makes impending winter seem not so bad.

I used to like apples, what with one of them a day keeping the doctor away. But this is too much.

A neighbor with a farm in the Eastern Townships invited us to come apple picking in his orchard, and loaded us up with four shopping bags full of tasty pommes. At first I was delighted (farm-fresh tastes so much better that the mealy apples at the grocery store), but now I’m guilt-ridden, watching them slowly rot in my refrigerator. With a tiny city kitchen — i.e. no place to cook and store 50 jars of apple butter — I just can’t keep up with the abundance of apples.

Now I understand why people used to give them away on Halloween. It wasn’t so they could secretly slip a razor blade or poison inside. They just got sick of having apples as a side dish every night.

More weirdness abounds in the city. Spotted these yellow Santas downtown on de Maisonneuve this afternoon. They weren’t hard to miss since they were really loud. Not Ho Ho Ho loud but loud like St Nick got into the spiked egg nog loud. Not sure what it was all about but it sure was bizarre. Life is never dull in Montreal…

Is it just me or is it weird to see fruit suspended from a window? If you look closely, you’ll see that it’s a pineapple.

According to Stats Can

The predicted probability that a worker commuting to work by bicycle would like the activity was 59%, compared with only 37% for people who used their cars to get to work

And 16% of all workers who commute by bicycle said that it was the most enjoyable part of their day.. this compared to just 1% for everyone else.

So I ask you Montrealers, what’s keeping you from having a great time on your way to work ?

One of the most popular Canadian bloggers out there, “The Yarn Harlot” aka Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, will be in town Friday November 10th at the McGill University bookstore - 3420 McTavish. This girl is not only a great writer of humorous knitting books, she maintains one of the most entertaining blogs out there - even if you’re not into knitting! I’ll be lined up with lots of other folks this Friday. See you there! You can check out the Yarn Harlot here.

Approximately two weeks ago, a fellow bike racer and trackie (velodrome racing in Bromont), Robert Brisson was riding his bike home one evening when he was tragically hit by a truck and killed. The driver fled the scene.

The cycling community here has been in shock ever since. It’s the first thing that is discussed when we see each other.

Now that time has changed and the sun sets earlier, for those of you who ride to work (like I do) get yourselves some LED lights. They are very effective. The better ones can be seen from very, very far. It isn’t so much that drivers can see you, it’s that they are aware that you are there and remember that as they pass you. Without those lights, it’s nearly impossible for drivers to see you.

The Quebec Liberals have decided to complete autoroute 30 with a Private/Public endeavor. Private enterprises will help pay for the autoroute and drivers will be required to pay a toll once it’s completed.

This is an idea I discussed a while back on this blog. If we must REALLY build new roads (and idea I am not in favor of) make the drivers pay. Unfortunately, the money is going to the wrong place: for profit instead of going to the government coffers to help pay for public transport or more bike paths.

So here’s an interesting situation. A Hassidic synagogue on Park made a complaint to the YMCA that children could see “scantily clad” women working out through their large windows. In an effort to be sensitive, the YMCA generously shaded the windows to keep things discreet.

Now the YMCA members are complaining that they’re unhappy because they no longer have a view and the sunlight is blocked. They’ve started a petition to remove the shades, claiming that no one is naked so there’s no problem.

I am very interested in seeing how this goes down. Anyone care to share an opinion? I know that I personally would not want the windows blocked just because I happen to be working out; it’s true that some women go to the gym in thongs and clubbing-style makeup but most people seem to wear fairly normal and non-revealing clothing when they’re working out. Also, blocking windows in a gym doesn’t stop “scantily-clad” women from walking down the street and I’ve seen more body parts in billboard ads than most gym windows. Then again I’m a fairly liberal person so maybe I don’t understand the fuss.

What say you?