Bus Strike and Other News
Nov. 7th, 2008 03:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebThe Spanish word of the week is: la huelga (probably pronounced WELL-guh). It means "strike," which I'm guessing because of the article in this week's "ahora si!" entitled "Toma alternativas durante la huelga de Capital Metro."
Capital Metro bus drivers are on strike. This affects only the city buses and not the college shuttles or public school buses. The union waited until Wednesday to begin the strike so that it wouldn't affect the election.
I wonder what people who normally ride the bus to work are doing now.
Interestingly, a survey was done of the effect of this strike on workers in my office and they even told us the results afterwards:
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In other local news, I was wrong in my prediction about proposition 2 to stop subsidies to existing developments that have retail. It failed, but only barely (52% to 48%), which is just what I wanted to happen. (I was guessing it would pass in a landslide.)
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Also, the Settlement Home Garage Sale is this weekend at the Palmer Events Center. It's $5 to get in today (until 7 pm), and free the rest of the weekend (10 am - 5 pm). I'm going to look for a dining room table that's a better fit than the one(s) I have. I want a round one about 3 feet in diameter with a pedestal (rather than legs) to maximize the flexibility of the number of people who can sit (evenly spaced) around it. Ideally it will be a fifties-looking thing or a nice wood.
**
And here's one more thing I learned about in the local Spanish paper: Oregano is considered the number-one herb in antioxidants.
Capital Metro bus drivers are on strike. This affects only the city buses and not the college shuttles or public school buses. The union waited until Wednesday to begin the strike so that it wouldn't affect the election.
I wonder what people who normally ride the bus to work are doing now.
Interestingly, a survey was done of the effect of this strike on workers in my office and they even told us the results afterwards:
19 staff members rely on capital metro and reported transportation difficulties due to the strike. These staff listed one or more alternative means for getting to campus because of the strike.
9 are now carpooling
8 are now driving to campus
2 are now using an express bus or UT shuttle
2 may resort to bicycles
Impacts listed:
Spent time looking up routes
Lack of parking
Late to work
Overcrowded buses
Tired of/frustrated with strikes
Inconvenient
Expensive parking costs
Cost of gas is high
Coworkers are affected
Have to walk further
Difficult to get here
31 staff members do not rely on Capital Metro for transportation to work. Ten of those shared that the strike has had an impact, some indicating more than one impact:
More traffic on the roads – 7
Covered for a coworker who was late – 2
Help coworker by offering rides – 3
Worried about no bus service between semesters if the strike continues - 2
**
In other local news, I was wrong in my prediction about proposition 2 to stop subsidies to existing developments that have retail. It failed, but only barely (52% to 48%), which is just what I wanted to happen. (I was guessing it would pass in a landslide.)
**
Also, the Settlement Home Garage Sale is this weekend at the Palmer Events Center. It's $5 to get in today (until 7 pm), and free the rest of the weekend (10 am - 5 pm). I'm going to look for a dining room table that's a better fit than the one(s) I have. I want a round one about 3 feet in diameter with a pedestal (rather than legs) to maximize the flexibility of the number of people who can sit (evenly spaced) around it. Ideally it will be a fifties-looking thing or a nice wood.
**
And here's one more thing I learned about in the local Spanish paper: Oregano is considered the number-one herb in antioxidants.