Labour Day has passed. Note that the spelling is in correct English with a U and no Amurican mutilation. Some of us up here still try to speak English properly, we check our cheque books and use the metric system as does the rest of the world. Got it? If I sound bitter you are right. Canada and the US are joined at the hip whether we like it or not. I love travelling the US. I love the country and its people and really don’t understand any of the determined disparity.
However if folks continue to refuse to use their god-given intelligence to make some clearly needed choices and rid themselves of a leader who is the grandest moron the planet may ever have known, well… it serves you right. I don’t see why such incredible stupidity needs to be imposed on your best friends and neighbours north and south. The Chinese and the Russians must be dancing with glee. Remember Divide and Conquer? American has done it to itself.
Yesterday, a tottering old man delivered a speech. 92-year old Jean Chretien, on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, uttered eloquent, conciliatory and strong words. Our former Prime Minister left every Canadian proud and diplomatically delivered a vicious crotch-kick southwards. Let’s hear if Donny has anything else to say without fouling himself further. I’ll bet he does.
I recently ordered some motorcycle goggles, alledgely made in Cootehill, Ireland. They were supposedly made there and then shipped to Kildare. Then, a week later they had cleared Irish Customs and were shipped on to Canada Customs. I picked them up at the local post office today, another week later, and discovered they had been actually shipped from North Wangzhong, China. Wha? The googles are of excellent quality but boy am I confused? Ya wouldn’t bullshit me would ya? Perhaps, China has secretly bought Ireland and we’ve all been trumped by the reprechans.
So it is becoming apparent that I may have to give up my motorcycle dreams. My decrepit old pins are making motorcyling a bit risky. One should be able to stay on one’s wheels, at all times especially when stopped. “The vandals took the handles and now the pumps don’t work.” It’s time perhaps to hang up my zoomers and find a new distraction. I’ve wanted a pleasureable way of taking my cameras to outback places and so am looking at alternatives. Do you know how many folks market the world’s ultimate e-bike? There are at least a hundred. Their prices go from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. The quotient price for a decent product seems to be around $1500. For one made in Canada, add at least a thousand.
We understand that all the basic components are made in Asia and I have no problem with that. Just put that information up front, on the first page. If you are ashamed of where your product is made I don’t want it. The few that are made in Canada do proudly display a maple leaf on the cover of their promo and I become even more chuffed when I see that it is made in Vancouver. The price for a quality bike is on par with a good used motorcycle and no, I have no interest in a used e-bike. I’ll keep you posted.
Further research shows that geezers on ebikes are a bad mix. Statistics about serious injuries are alarming. Forty percent of senior oops on ebikes are serious. The thought comes that perhaps I should just acquire a basic good old electric geezer scooter. I’ll hang up some rebel flags, install a Bose stereo and come up with a heated, full enclosure for those rugged days. Doggies and I can travel in comfort. All I’ll need then is a good pair of wraparound geezer goggles. I already have a wee horn that sounds like a ship demanding right-of-way. There is an elderly scooter jockey in town who flies a Jolly Roger. Surely this old sea dog can come up with one of those. Haar and avast and shiver me lithium battery!
Don”t walk in front of me I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me, just be my friend. ―Albert Camus
Fred, Keep us all posted on the electric mobility front. I’m still riding 4 or 5 thousand kilometres a year bicycling and I watch a zillion people older than me flying along on various versions of electrified bicycles and from my vantage point they have no idea how much it’s going to hurt when they crash into a car, or get ‘doored,’ or just slip and fall. 30 km/hr and 75 years old is a recipe for a long, long healing process.
I’m not quite at 75 and I know my balance, proprioceptive senses, hearing, reaction time, strength are all fading. They may be failing slower (or faster) than some, but I’m aware.
Glad to see your posts every time. LouP
LOU! Always wonderful to hear from you. Thanks for your comments and input. Keep on rocking my friend, we’ll have to hook one of these days. Fred
I think your put down of E-bikes is misdirected. I wonder where you stats come from since I have yet to fall off mine and there are 1000s of elderly ebike riders in this grand old city which constantly upgrades the cycling infrastructure. On another note I laughed at your Irish post/purchase story. I laugh as having paid the exorbitant amount of $80 for 10 stamps there I’ve found that most of the post cards mailed haven’t yet reached their destination and I wonder if they ever will!
Tony: If you would reread my comments you should be able to clearly that I am NOt putting anything down, just reporting my research. I constantly marvel and worry about how you whiz around in the kamikazi traffic of Victoria so??? Remember that this geriatric dingus wobbles around on a motorcycle when he knows he should not be out there so maybe it is all perspective. I would rather be at sea. Fred
Tony:
Read the comment posted after yours. Smiles Fred