Vancouver becoming the no-fun city again???

[Jacques]

Originally Posted by zivan56

Modern is a "higher end" club, but higher end just means higher priced. In fact, it is a standard club at best compared to worldwide ones. It has been open for quite some time, so I am baffled why he would buy a place so close to a bunch of clubs...and especially close to that one.
I would say he is lucky that the club is the only source of noise, as Gastown is far from a quiet place like say Coal Harbour.

We purchased this loft in 2002, there was no CLUB then. that is six years ago, no one wanted to live here due to the drugs, but we took a risk and after 7 pm everything was totally quiet so, that is why we bought then

[zivan56]

I know there were a bunch of clubs in the area...not too sure about what was located at the site of modern. Regardless, there are other clubs in the area that would create such problems. Anyways, it was a risk you took...and ended up living with it. When I bought my place on Cambie, I never though there was even a remote possibility of a huge ditch and 2 years of loud, earth shaking, construction equipment running 12 hours a day a dozen meters from me...but it happened.

[mr.x]

'No-fun city' seeks change of image
City successful in attracting events that engage the city's residents and provide attractions for tourists

Glenn Bohn, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, March 28, 2008

VANCOUVER - An international triathlon, a South Asian dance and music festival and car-free days in five Vancouver neighbourhoods are three of the hundreds of special events proposed in the city this year. Muriel Honey, co-author of a city of Vancouver staff report going to council Thursday, says most of the 167 applications on file come from organizers of the largest events, events that seem to be getting larger and larger. She expects about 500 events this year, roughly the same number as last year, but street festivals seem to be getting larger.

"We have bigger and more complex events coming to Vancouver all the time," she said Thursday during an interview.

Media pundits and entertainment entrepreneurs branded Vancouver a "no-fun city" when police warned rowdies in 2000 not to get caught with liquor in downtown Vancouver on New Year's Eve. Nightclub owner Vance Campbell later cooked up a "Funcouver" campaign.

In 2001, the Vancouver Grizzlies basketball team moved to Memphis. The Molson Indy, an annual car race, left in 2004.

Honey, who in the past did media relations work for the mayor's office, doesn't like to be reminded about that "no-fun Vancouver" buzz.

According to the report she co-wrote with Dave Rieberger, "the city has been very successful in attracting events that engage the city's residents, provide attractions for tourists, and contribute to the city's image as a fun and vibrant city."

The report states that the public has been "very tolerant" of street-oriented events, (what??? since when? ) but recommends that staff investigate the merits of a policy that would restrict the frequency of events in any one area.

It notes the Vancouver park board already has that kind of policy: "For example, road closures to facilitate running events in Stanley Park are limited to one per month and no road closures are permitted in July and August."

[email protected]


© The Vancouver Sun 2008

[zivan56]

Street oriented events? The only one remotely fun was the Greek one, which was shut down because of people drinking.
I honest don't see why drinking while walking around/in a park is not allowed. Not public drunkenness and anarchy, but simply having a beer while having a BBQ or walking around with friends.
Stuff like that is the norm in most of the world, and they don't have issues with self control at all.

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by zivan56

Street oriented events? The only one remotely fun was the Greek one, which was shut down because of people drinking.
I honest don't see why drinking while walking around/in a park is not allowed. Not public drunkenness and anarchy, but simply having a beer while having a BBQ or walking around with friends.
Stuff like that is the norm in most of the world, and they don't have issues with self control at all.

Agreed, however, they also clean up after themselves in a lot of other places. I can see it turning in to a huge public hazard, more so than it is now. People don't actually follow those rules, do they?

Anyways, I think the whole issue is crazy. If it's against the law to be open past midnight, than only outlaws will be out past midnight. And everybody will be an outlaw, one way or another... and it will most likely go in to the pockets of organized crime, strengthening them even more than they are now. Have they learned nothing since prohibition?

[zivan56]

^^ Exactly.
Of course cleaning up after themselves in implied, but there shouldn't be red tape regarding proving of cleaning up the place and whatnot.

[agrant]

So what it all comes down to is people here can't handle their liquor.

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by zivan56

^^ Exactly.
Of course cleaning up after themselves in implied, but there shouldn't be red tape regarding proving of cleaning up the place and whatnot.

Well, it could certainly provide more jobs for certain housekeepers.

[zivan56]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Well, it could certainly provide more jobs for certain housekeepers.

Too bad housekeepers work inside only...hence the name

[giallo]

Originally Posted by Nutterbug

Doesn't it say something about you if you have to interact with the bouncers and cops so much to matter? It tells me you're not a squeaky clean model citizen who always stays out of trouble.

That's a reasonable question, except that I'm pretty much one of the most law-abiding guys you'll meet.

I used a bouncer and a cop as an example because these are people that I never have to deal with in SH, but back home they seem to have a lot of influence in my life whether I'm looking for it or not.

A couple of examples:

When I was back in Vancouver two winters ago, I had to go to Ginger with my bro and his fiance for her birthday. She lived close, so we walked there. I had just cracked a beer and decided to take it with me (ok, so I'm not completely law-abiding, but I've been in Asia for awhile and the no-open-alcohol-in-public rule slipped my mind). We get to the artificially long line and immediately I'm grabbed by my collar and pulled out of the queue by some douche-bag bouncer. He grabs my beer and tells me that there isn't a chance in hell that I'm going in. So my night was ruined because I decided to a have drink on the sidewalk. Fun.

I was driving with my friend one late night in Kelowna when we came to a traffic light that seemed to be broken. It was around 3 in the morning and this red light was not changing. After about four minutes my friend decided to slowly pull out, look both ways and roll through. Next thing we know red and blue lights are flashing behind us. This cop must have known that this light was a great way to make her quota because she cut us no slack. Actually, she wouldn't even listen to us despite our reasonable argument. In the end, my friend got a ticket for running a red light and she also fined him for not having his insurance registered in Vancouver.


It's events like these that make me really bitter towards home. Hopefully, things will change.

[Nutterbug]

Originally Posted by Smooth

Concentrating all of Vancouver's late night clubs in one area is about as effective as concentrating all of Vancouver's social services in one area. We all know how that turned out.

Probably a deliberately intended containment area for policing convenience.

[Nutterbug]

Originally Posted by giallo

After living in Asia (Taiwan and Shanghai) for the past five years, I can assure you how lame Vancouver looks to an outsider that likes to have fun at night. Being away from Vancouver for so long has afforded me a different perspective on it's nightlife, and it isn't good. In Shanghai I can buy an assortment of wine, spirits and beer 24 hours a day from the corner store. Clubs close when they feel they should as there are no laws saying otherwise. Listening to live jazz at 3am with a bunch of barflys in Shanghai is a unique experience, let me tell ya.
If Shanghai is an unfair comparison due to it's size then I can use Tainan, Taiwan (pop. 1,100,000) as another example. Same thing there. Clubs close when they want. Spirits and beer available at the 7-11 24 hours a day.

A free-for-all laissez faire approach towards alcohol probably works better in a predominantly Asian population, where the people are mostly lightweight drinkers with a lower rate of alcoholism.

Originally Posted by giallo

I was driving with my friend one late night in Kelowna when we came to a traffic light that seemed to be broken. It was around 3 in the morning and this red light was not changing. After about four minutes my friend decided to slowly pull out, look both ways and roll through. Next thing we know red and blue lights are flashing behind us. This cop must have known that this light was a great way to make her quota because she cut us no slack. Actually, she wouldn't even listen to us despite our reasonable argument. In the end, my friend got a ticket for running a red light and she also fined him for not having his insurance registered in Vancouver.

Take your case to court and argue, if you feel so strongly about it. You may win by default, if she's been dicking many others at that intersection and can't bother to show up to them all. Besides, a little activism is needed to correct these things.

Hold up a picture of the Dalai Lama in China, on the other hand...

[clooless]

Originally Posted by giallo

We get to the artificially long line and immediately I'm grabbed by my collar and pulled out of the queue by some douche-bag bouncer. He grabs my beer and tells me that there isn't a chance in hell that I'm going in. So my night was ruined because I decided to a have drink on the sidewalk. Fun.

The bouncer actually yanked you by the collar? No, no, no, no. They cannot touch you anymore than I could reach out and grab you on the street. That is simple assault.

[giallo]

Originally Posted by Nutterbug

A free-for-all laissez faire approach towards alcohol probably works better in a predominantly Asian population, where the people are mostly lightweight drinkers with a lower rate of alcoholism.


Take your case to court and argue, if you feel so strongly about it. You may win by default, if she's been dicking many others at that intersection and can't bother to show up to them all. Besides, a little activism is needed to correct these things.

Hold up a picture of the Dalai Lama in China, on the other hand...

Ha! I've never, ever heard of anyone winning a case against the RCMP if the police officer shows up. Besides, it wasn't my car and I wasn't driving.

Oh, and I'm by no means propping Shanghai or China up to be some beacon of freedom. I just happen to enjoy Shanghai a lot more than Vancouver at this point in my life.
As far as holding up a picture of the Dalai Lama, I guess if you were to go in front of some government building flapping it around they'd rip it out of your hands and physically remove you from the premises or bring you in for questioning. Doesn't sound fair, but neither does my friend getting strip searched on the side of the street in suburban Kelowna under the false suspicion of drugs. Drugs that never existed.

Clooless, yeah, I know what that guy did was wrong, but I wasn't going to pursue it. I get home once a year and just want to spend time with my friends and family, not going after some wanker because he's on a steriod diet and has a small dick.

[Bert]

Originally Posted by giallo

That's a reasonable question, except that I'm pretty much one of the most law-abiding guys you'll meet.

I used a bouncer and a cop as an example because these are people that I never have to deal with in SH, but back home they seem to have a lot of influence in my life whether I'm looking for it or not.

A couple of examples:

When I was back in Vancouver two winters ago, I had to go to Ginger with my bro and his fiance for her birthday. She lived close, so we walked there. I had just cracked a beer and decided to take it with me (ok, so I'm not completely law-abiding, but I've been in Asia for awhile and the no-open-alcohol-in-public rule slipped my mind). We get to the artificially long line and immediately I'm grabbed by my collar and pulled out of the queue by some douche-bag bouncer. He grabs my beer and tells me that there isn't a chance in hell that I'm going in. So my night was ruined because I decided to a have drink on the sidewalk. Fun.

I was driving with my friend one late night in Kelowna when we came to a traffic light that seemed to be broken. It was around 3 in the morning and this red light was not changing. After about four minutes my friend decided to slowly pull out, look both ways and roll through. Next thing we know red and blue lights are flashing behind us. This cop must have known that this light was a great way to make her quota because she cut us no slack. Actually, she wouldn't even listen to us despite our reasonable argument. In the end, my friend got a ticket for running a red light and she also fined him for not having his insurance registered in Vancouver.


It's events like these that make me really bitter towards home. Hopefully, things will change.

I've only been in Shanghai for a little bit, but I wouldn't complain about BC traffic cops - in my entire driving career in BC, I've never been ticketed for anything!

But, one time in Shanghai, in the span of a couple hours, we got two traffic tickets.

The first was a no left-turn sign in one alley which was tucked behind a corner, and way up high, so that unless you were looking skyward rather than, you know, actually watching the sidewalk in front of you for pedestrians, you wouldn't see it. Apparently the cop knew about this sign though, and was having fun writing up tickets for everyone who turned left out of that alley.

The second was for exiting an elevated freeway, where apparently the right lane turns into a bus lane by the time it hits street level. We did not know this, and travelled a whole half-block in it before realizing it, at which point it was too late and a cop pulled us over (another strategically located cop to be sure).

So meeting a quota of traffic tickets? I see cops in Shanghai pulling over person-after-person (sometimes several at a time), doing nothing but writing tickets. Sure, there is some of that in BC, but not to the same extent.

The key difference though is the corruption in Shanghai. It was blood-boiling seeing the officer wave hello to car-after-car also using the bus lane, who the guy apparently knew or maybe they were flashing some kind of ID or something, while he was writing us other poor schmucks tickets!

[cornholio]

Nutterbug im wondering if you have ever lived outside of Vancouver or outside of Canada? My guess would be that you havent.

A free-for-all laissez faire approach towards alcohol works everywhere except muslim countries and America/Canada(might be some other countries out there that are as retarded as the mentioned ones when it comes to alcohol but I cant think of any right now, and I definitely havent passed through any on my travels).

[Greco Roman]

Seriously? This is happening? That's a shame.

[giallo]

Originally Posted by Bert

I've only been in Shanghai for a little bit, but I wouldn't complain about BC traffic cops - in my entire driving career in BC, I've never been ticketed for anything!

But, one time in Shanghai, in the span of a couple hours, we got two traffic tickets.

The first was a no left-turn sign in one alley which was tucked behind a corner, and way up high, so that unless you were looking skyward rather than, you know, actually watching the sidewalk in front of you for pedestrians, you wouldn't see it. Apparently the cop knew about this sign though, and was having fun writing up tickets for everyone who turned left out of that alley.

The second was for exiting an elevated freeway, where apparently the right lane turns into a bus lane by the time it hits street level. We did not know this, and travelled a whole half-block in it before realizing it, at which point it was too late and a cop pulled us over (another strategically located cop to be sure).

So meeting a quota of traffic tickets? I see cops in Shanghai pulling over person-after-person (sometimes several at a time), doing nothing but writing tickets. Sure, there is some of that in BC, but not to the same extent.

The key difference though is the corruption in Shanghai. It was blood-boiling seeing the officer wave hello to car-after-car also using the bus lane, who the guy apparently knew or maybe they were flashing some kind of ID or something, while he was writing us other poor schmucks tickets!

I feel your frustration.
We seem to have had polar opposite experiences. I've never had to deal with a single police officer in China, yet I go home for a few weeks in BC and have them coming out of the woodwork*. Weird.


*I should specify that the 'they' I'm talking about are the RCMP. I've never had any problems with city cops, but the RCMP in Kelowna behaved so badly while I was growing up they basically lost my generation's respect.

[Nutterbug]

Originally Posted by cornholio

Nutterbug im wondering if you have ever lived outside of Vancouver or outside of Canada? My guess would be that you havent.

Calgary as a kid. Japan as a wee little tot.

Originally Posted by cornholio

A free-for-all laissez faire approach towards alcohol works everywhere except muslim countries and America/Canada(might be some other countries out there that are as retarded as the mentioned ones when it comes to alcohol but I cant think of any right now, and I definitely havent passed through any on my travels).

I do believe that different demographics have different rates of alcoholism though. Even within Europe, I suspect you have less of a drinking problem per capita in the Southern European countries than you would up north or in Russia. Running a 24/7 drinking establishment on a Native reserve is probably a recipe for disaster.

[Nutterbug]

What's more, I suspect more young people own cars and drive per capita in North America than in just about every other part of the world, and making alcohol more freely available will increase DUI incidents.

We also don't have as good a public transit infrastructure or a culture that appreciates it the way they do either.