World Class pain in the… ?

If today is only Monday, I’m not quite sure how I’ll make it to the end of the week.

Yesterday I decided to head down to the “Rally on Robson” to see the sights and perhaps partake in what I know to be (in my modest existence) Vancouver’s first organized street party in a very long time. It was total and utter crap. I think the organizers expected perhaps 50 people to show up instead of 50,000. I made it down the grueling 5 block gauntlet (pausing to watch the aerial demonstration show) and promptly headed home.

If you have never been to a street party before, you should know that the purpose of closing the street is this: so that people can walk on it (because the sidewalks are too small when that many people converge on an area at once). Therefore, it is absolutely not condusive to the atmosphere to proceed to fill the middle of the street with random crap. If the organizers had half a brain, they would’ve closed off all side streets for a block in each direction and had their exhibits down those – still using Robson as the main thoroughfare so that people could actually move. I think the attendees were more angry than amused at the fiasco – because the crowd seemed to be pretty lackluster about the whole thing (including the upcoming bid decision).

All I can say is that if yesterday was any indication of how the city plans to handle the actual event – FORGET IT!!! I think they’re quite lucky that the IOC members weren’t out mingling with the hoi palloy (sp?) – otherwise they’d be outta here like disco. Overall it was a good idea, but so poorly executed it was even beyond laughable.

Now – I’m going to do something I try to avoid doing too much, but for some reason (perhaps the hangover, perhaps I’m still drunk), today I feel like saying it. World class events tend to come to world class cities. Vancouver has made no bones about its aspirations to maintain and increase its status globally as a world class city. The Olympics is considered by most to be one of said world class events. I hear everyone piss and moan about how living in a world class city is so expensive and so unfair to the less privileged who can’t afford the world class prices, and how having the Olympics here will just amplify that disadvantaged situation. To all of you, I say MOVE AWAY.

I am a great believer in the power of one’s own personal agency to make their life what they want it to be. For example, I know full well that in my chosen field, the best job market is in Toronto. I do not want to move to Toronto for any period of time, so I will struggle through finding a job here and not complain about it, because it is a result of my own choice to remain here. I also know that if I wanted to spend less than $100,000 on a moderate sized detached home, I could move to Saskatoon. I do not want to move to Saskatoon, so I will not complain about the real estate prices here. What I’m trying to say is that to all the naysayers – SHUT IT. You should all go back to your Economics 101 class and learn the theory of opportunity/cost. If you want to live in a world class city, you must be willing to pay the price. If you do not want to pay the price, do not live in a world class city.

My god that was quite the rant.

/soapbox.

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