Complaining, but with a happy ending.
All right, it is time for me to rant!
Firstly, before I say anything else, let me say this. I love my hometown. Milwaukee is great. It's smaller than Chicago, which makes it less... packed and annoying, but larger than most other towns in Wisconsin, which allows it to have a lot of stuff they'd never have.
This being said, the city's wonderful. A vast majority of the people, on the other hand...
Let us start simply. Milwaukee drivers? I hate you. Most of you. We have rules for a reason, people. That flashing yellow light? It doesn't mean "zoom through at full speed, and damn anyone in the way". It means "pay attention for cross traffic and pedestrians". There's a reason, too, that you shouldn't do a turn right in front of a bus, too. It's stupid. And yes, the strange one way streets downtown are strange, and stranger still are the no turn signs. HOWEVER, and this is big, if you cannot even be bothered to read the signs and obey them, you shouldn't be behind the wheel. In fact, you shouldn't be anywhere near a wheel. Except maybe under one, dammit.
Which leads us to, the Milwaukee County Transit System. This bumbling confederacy of dunces took the best transit system in the nation, and in the span of 20 years, systematically destroyed it. We are now at the point where some areas just won't be getting bus service (Howard Avenue, I'm sadly pointing in your direction), while the fares STILL get raised. All of this when I've seen more people on the buses than ever! I can't even get a seat anymore!
Bus drivers themselves get a special corollary. Mostly, yes, I respect you have a hard job, sadly, a more dangerous job than you should. Yes, I respect that you don't make the decisions, you don't fix the schedules, you can't do much about that. However, the moment you, as a bus driver, decide that passing a person up because they're mere inches from the stop, rather than stopping and letting them board? You lose all sympathy from me. From that moment, I curse your name, and the name of your children, relatives, your dog, your cat, the guy that delivers your mail, and anyone you went to prom with. Among others. Oh, I can even see one or two reasons you might have to leave the corner while a tramsfer bus is pulling up, oh yes. It still shows signs of rudeness, but I can understand. But that sort of behavior, especially in below zero wind chills, demands flogging.
Now, for the happy ending. Just lay back and enjoy. This evening, I had the distinct pleasure to accompany my mother to dinner and a performance of the MSO. It was, without a doubt, the most perfect evening I could have without being a date. We took a cab (rather than suffering bus waits) straight to China Gourmet, on E Wells. The food and service, as they have been in the past, were perfect. I tried custard (not the ice cream type) for the first time, maple custard no less. It was... well, let me explain. The first bite, my mind didn't know where to put this experience. It tried to process it, but was coming up with bad things. I, however, continued the experience, and found that, once the initial confusion ended, I LOVED it. Adored it.
After our delicious dinner (and my fortune cookie said that I was enjoyed in all gatherings, and I should host a party this month. Intriguing), we walked to the Marcus Center. We had some... odd problems with the elevator (it didn't get unlocked until 15 to *, and we were in it for a while). However, the show more than made up for it. It was Cirque de la Symphonie, a sort of mini Cirque du Soleil. And it was amazing. I have seen bodies move as I never thought they could. I have seen... it is indescribable. There is another performance tomorrow. If you can, GO. Go to mso.org this moment, get your tickets, and go! It is amazingly worth every penny.
So, there you have it, folks. The good, the bad, the ugly. The good wins, this time!
DL
Firstly, before I say anything else, let me say this. I love my hometown. Milwaukee is great. It's smaller than Chicago, which makes it less... packed and annoying, but larger than most other towns in Wisconsin, which allows it to have a lot of stuff they'd never have.
This being said, the city's wonderful. A vast majority of the people, on the other hand...
Let us start simply. Milwaukee drivers? I hate you. Most of you. We have rules for a reason, people. That flashing yellow light? It doesn't mean "zoom through at full speed, and damn anyone in the way". It means "pay attention for cross traffic and pedestrians". There's a reason, too, that you shouldn't do a turn right in front of a bus, too. It's stupid. And yes, the strange one way streets downtown are strange, and stranger still are the no turn signs. HOWEVER, and this is big, if you cannot even be bothered to read the signs and obey them, you shouldn't be behind the wheel. In fact, you shouldn't be anywhere near a wheel. Except maybe under one, dammit.
Which leads us to, the Milwaukee County Transit System. This bumbling confederacy of dunces took the best transit system in the nation, and in the span of 20 years, systematically destroyed it. We are now at the point where some areas just won't be getting bus service (Howard Avenue, I'm sadly pointing in your direction), while the fares STILL get raised. All of this when I've seen more people on the buses than ever! I can't even get a seat anymore!
Bus drivers themselves get a special corollary. Mostly, yes, I respect you have a hard job, sadly, a more dangerous job than you should. Yes, I respect that you don't make the decisions, you don't fix the schedules, you can't do much about that. However, the moment you, as a bus driver, decide that passing a person up because they're mere inches from the stop, rather than stopping and letting them board? You lose all sympathy from me. From that moment, I curse your name, and the name of your children, relatives, your dog, your cat, the guy that delivers your mail, and anyone you went to prom with. Among others. Oh, I can even see one or two reasons you might have to leave the corner while a tramsfer bus is pulling up, oh yes. It still shows signs of rudeness, but I can understand. But that sort of behavior, especially in below zero wind chills, demands flogging.
Now, for the happy ending. Just lay back and enjoy. This evening, I had the distinct pleasure to accompany my mother to dinner and a performance of the MSO. It was, without a doubt, the most perfect evening I could have without being a date. We took a cab (rather than suffering bus waits) straight to China Gourmet, on E Wells. The food and service, as they have been in the past, were perfect. I tried custard (not the ice cream type) for the first time, maple custard no less. It was... well, let me explain. The first bite, my mind didn't know where to put this experience. It tried to process it, but was coming up with bad things. I, however, continued the experience, and found that, once the initial confusion ended, I LOVED it. Adored it.
After our delicious dinner (and my fortune cookie said that I was enjoyed in all gatherings, and I should host a party this month. Intriguing), we walked to the Marcus Center. We had some... odd problems with the elevator (it didn't get unlocked until 15 to *, and we were in it for a while). However, the show more than made up for it. It was Cirque de la Symphonie, a sort of mini Cirque du Soleil. And it was amazing. I have seen bodies move as I never thought they could. I have seen... it is indescribable. There is another performance tomorrow. If you can, GO. Go to mso.org this moment, get your tickets, and go! It is amazingly worth every penny.
So, there you have it, folks. The good, the bad, the ugly. The good wins, this time!
DL