DSL update, and Ride for Jarvis
DSL update: I talked to Bell's account department, and I still AM locked into the stupid contract - until May 2013. I explained that the DSL is not working well due to circumstances beyond my control (corroded phone lines) and asked if there was any way of getting out of it early under those circumstances. She asked her supervisor, but the answer was no. Apparently I'm locked in no matter what, even if it stops working completely.
That got me massively depressed, but eventually I sucked it up and called tech support again, had to explain everything over again to two different people, but at least one of them was someone higher up the food chain, and I was able to get some answers.
He said that normally the demarcation point would be the grey box on the outside of the building - but this was apparently based on the impression that it was a house, and when I clarified that it was a multi-unit building (commercial on the ground floor, apartments above), he said the demarcation point in that case might be the inside terminal - which would mean the pigeon poo damage is BELL's problem! But in order to be sure, they need to send someone who can have full access to the building. Because there may well be other damage inside (possibly due to the restaurant renovations) in addition to the pigeon issue.
Basically they need to be able to have a technician here who can have full access to the building, including to the terminal where the phone lines come into the building - which means either waiting for the building manager to come back from vacation or getting the contractors who are working on the restaurant to let them in. The guy I talked to said that the terminal was mostly likely in the basement, and the contractors have access to that.
It also turns out that even if the problem is on the landlord's side, I have the option of having Bell run an entirely new line into my apartment from the demarcation point onward, which I could then hopefully have the landlord reimburse me for - and even if the landlord didn't want to reimburse me, the cost wouldn't be too awful - he said probably about $95-120.
So... by no means out of the woods yet, but there are signs of hope.
Still, by the end of all that, I was feeling stressed and frustrated enough with the whole situation that I decided to deal with it by going on a nice long bike ride - down to Allan Gardens for Ride for Jarvis, Ride for Toronto, which was awesome. Much larger turnout than I had expected, and a surprising amount of support from passersby - even drivers! All in all a very good time, except for the part where a streetcar track on Queen pitched me off my bike. But if you have to have a bike accident, what better place for it than in the midst of over a thousand cyclists?
I was particularly impressed that one of the bike cops who were flanking us and blocking cars at intersections came right over to make sure I was OK, and rode alongside me for a while to make sure all was well. He was really friendly, and mentioned that the same thing had happened to him on more than one occasion. Actually, the cops seemed remarkably nice overall - some of them were just doing the stoic I-am-on-duty-and-have-no-opinions thing, but a number of them were smiling and chatting with people. I suppose since they were mostly the ones on bike patrol, they have as much interest in seeing bike lanes preserved as any other cyclist...
A couple of other cool sights: a guy in a motorized wheelchair with what looked like an oxygen apparatus on it - and a sign on the back saying "My other ride is a bike". And a woman walking amidst all the bikes, but wearing a bike helmet, and carrying a sign saying "My bike was stolen - don't steal my bike lane too!" Also, a LOT of pedestrians waved, cheered, clapped and called out encouragement - as did enough drivers that I actually lost count. At least a dozen, probably more. Mind you, one driver yelled abuse at us and a couple of others leaned on their horns at intersections, but there were at least 4-5 times as many that were loudly supportive - waving out their windows, cheering, tooting their horns in what sounded like a happy-excited way rather than a you're-in-my-way way, etc.
Definitely a very happy-making experience apart from the attack of the streetcar tracks, and even that was no big deal. We were all going slow enough that, as I told the cop, nothing was injured except my dignity.
Whether it will actually convince city council to reverse their decision on removing the Jarvis bike lanes and the others slated for removal and scaling back the rest of the program, I don't know, but it's a start. The huge turnout was a good sign. And the speakers when we got to City Hall urged people to turn out for the Critical Mass rides on the last Friday of every month between now and next year when they intend to actually remove the lanes - and to bring two friends! So who wants to be one of the friends I bring to the next one?
Right now, DSL is working (obviously, or I couldn't post this), and I have had not just an awesome bike ride but a cool shower when I got back, and beer. So all in all, much less stressed than before. But I should really go to bed soon, as the Bell guy is supposed to be calling me back in the morning, and I should probably be awake for that.
That got me massively depressed, but eventually I sucked it up and called tech support again, had to explain everything over again to two different people, but at least one of them was someone higher up the food chain, and I was able to get some answers.
He said that normally the demarcation point would be the grey box on the outside of the building - but this was apparently based on the impression that it was a house, and when I clarified that it was a multi-unit building (commercial on the ground floor, apartments above), he said the demarcation point in that case might be the inside terminal - which would mean the pigeon poo damage is BELL's problem! But in order to be sure, they need to send someone who can have full access to the building. Because there may well be other damage inside (possibly due to the restaurant renovations) in addition to the pigeon issue.
Basically they need to be able to have a technician here who can have full access to the building, including to the terminal where the phone lines come into the building - which means either waiting for the building manager to come back from vacation or getting the contractors who are working on the restaurant to let them in. The guy I talked to said that the terminal was mostly likely in the basement, and the contractors have access to that.
It also turns out that even if the problem is on the landlord's side, I have the option of having Bell run an entirely new line into my apartment from the demarcation point onward, which I could then hopefully have the landlord reimburse me for - and even if the landlord didn't want to reimburse me, the cost wouldn't be too awful - he said probably about $95-120.
So... by no means out of the woods yet, but there are signs of hope.
Still, by the end of all that, I was feeling stressed and frustrated enough with the whole situation that I decided to deal with it by going on a nice long bike ride - down to Allan Gardens for Ride for Jarvis, Ride for Toronto, which was awesome. Much larger turnout than I had expected, and a surprising amount of support from passersby - even drivers! All in all a very good time, except for the part where a streetcar track on Queen pitched me off my bike. But if you have to have a bike accident, what better place for it than in the midst of over a thousand cyclists?
I was particularly impressed that one of the bike cops who were flanking us and blocking cars at intersections came right over to make sure I was OK, and rode alongside me for a while to make sure all was well. He was really friendly, and mentioned that the same thing had happened to him on more than one occasion. Actually, the cops seemed remarkably nice overall - some of them were just doing the stoic I-am-on-duty-and-have-no-opinions thing, but a number of them were smiling and chatting with people. I suppose since they were mostly the ones on bike patrol, they have as much interest in seeing bike lanes preserved as any other cyclist...
A couple of other cool sights: a guy in a motorized wheelchair with what looked like an oxygen apparatus on it - and a sign on the back saying "My other ride is a bike". And a woman walking amidst all the bikes, but wearing a bike helmet, and carrying a sign saying "My bike was stolen - don't steal my bike lane too!" Also, a LOT of pedestrians waved, cheered, clapped and called out encouragement - as did enough drivers that I actually lost count. At least a dozen, probably more. Mind you, one driver yelled abuse at us and a couple of others leaned on their horns at intersections, but there were at least 4-5 times as many that were loudly supportive - waving out their windows, cheering, tooting their horns in what sounded like a happy-excited way rather than a you're-in-my-way way, etc.
Definitely a very happy-making experience apart from the attack of the streetcar tracks, and even that was no big deal. We were all going slow enough that, as I told the cop, nothing was injured except my dignity.
Whether it will actually convince city council to reverse their decision on removing the Jarvis bike lanes and the others slated for removal and scaling back the rest of the program, I don't know, but it's a start. The huge turnout was a good sign. And the speakers when we got to City Hall urged people to turn out for the Critical Mass rides on the last Friday of every month between now and next year when they intend to actually remove the lanes - and to bring two friends! So who wants to be one of the friends I bring to the next one?
Right now, DSL is working (obviously, or I couldn't post this), and I have had not just an awesome bike ride but a cool shower when I got back, and beer. So all in all, much less stressed than before. But I should really go to bed soon, as the Bell guy is supposed to be calling me back in the morning, and I should probably be awake for that.