Continuing Adventures in Cannuckville

[susandennis]

machupicchu has done all the picture taking and taken a lot but none are up loaded yet.

Dinner was excellent. The food was good but the view was spectacular cubed. The restaurant took about an hour and a half to do a full 360 turn and every view was chock full of wonderful stuff to see. After dinner we walked around to investigate some of the stuff we'd seen from the window and ended up down by the water where Friday night was hoppin'.

Turns out Monday is a holiday here.

We kept bumping up against curious Canada things. Canadians are not allowed to smile in their license photo - according to the drug store clerk. The green in traffic lights sometimes blinks and sometimes not - I think I get why it blinks but I'm not sure. The bus's have a padded pole that I finally had to ask someone what it was for (wheelchairs to back into so they don't have to strap in). And, so far every bus we've been on has had THE cutest bus driver.

Now I am exhausted and I'm going to slip into a coma.

Comments

[galebird.livejournal.com]

I know that it is highly suggested that you not smile in a photo being used for your passport in the US because if you're smiling "too much" it will be rejected. They want your expression as neutral and natural as possible for the sake of facial recognition techniques. I think the specifics I was taught when I worked at the airline are under the list of many things I can't delve into details on as they pertain to security but there's a lot of specific instruction surrounding that topic but I remember that a smiling photo can mess with them like any crazy expression could.

This reasoning is likely similar to the reasoning behind Canadians not smiling in ID photos. Other countries IDs/Passports are similar in this regard.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the theory is that you're unlikely to be smiling while going through Immigration, and you're better off if your picture actually looks like you.

[susandennis]

I can say that they did NOT let us in casually. They asked how we met and when we met and when Matthew explained that we first met on line they wanted to know when we met in person. It was quite the grilling - I kept wanting to say 'hey, lighten up! this is Canada for cryingoutloud!'

We did smile tho. Probably that was our mistake.

[jawnbc]

It's the face recognition thing. Now that BC has a driving licence option that includes citizenship data (for going to the States without a passport), the photos conform to the same principle as passport photos.

I got away with a smirk; a toothy grin is definitely a no-no.

Did they ask you about firearms? That's the one that throws a lot of people. You will clear US customs before you board your train home. Much better than the bus, which stops at the border while every passenger is screened. And there always is at least one person who they want to screen more thoroughly. Which means everyone waits. An hour isn't unusual. :(

[ctseawa.livejournal.com]

The blinking green is a pedestrian crossing light.

[geordie.livejournal.com]

No it isn't. And worse still it varies by state, province I suppose. In BC it means that crossing traffic has a red, and that is all. That is important to know if you are from other parts of Canada where it is called and Advanced Green and it means the oncoming traffic is facing a red light and you can turn left. In some places I am told it also means that pedestrians have a red on the side streets, so you can turn without concern about crossing lemmings.

So... Canadian drivers not from BC can be in for a very nasty surprise. Having driven in BC, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and PEI I treat the flashing green as 'proceed with caution'. Safest to assume nothing.

More than anyone wants to know about flashing greens.

[susandennis]

We'll before you are so quick to tell someone they are wrong, maybe you should double check yourself :) None of the flashing greens had facing traffic lights - only the main street had a light - the cross streets did not.

howeird found the poop on their website.

[jawnbc]

Yup. And we have a lot of drivers who don't understand the damned things. The traffic light is for vehicles; there are crosswalk indicators for pedestrians.

Basically if it's flashing green folks on the side street can enter the intersection (to go right, left or straight through) whenever traffic flow permits it. The light goes red when a pedestrian pushes the button at any of these intersections.

Sort of like a more flexible stop sign.

In BC, btw, pedestrians rule. You step off the curb anywhere--middle of the block, intersection, anywhere but a highway--and traffic is required to stop and let you cross. Even if you're jaywalking (which is illegal too).

[geordie.livejournal.com]

I checked with friends in BC and Ontario while I was there and checked it against Wikipedia last night. I have driven in BC many times and mostly a flashing green in Vancouver or Victoria is just a green.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_variations_in_traffic_light_signalling_and_operation

I have seen a whole street flashing green in Vancouver and people driving in both directions. So... if it is one way in some parts it certainly isn't in others. In Calgary it is a left turn light.

This link has the crosswalk variation, but the light changes when someone hits the button.

http://www.vancouverislandaccommodations.com/traveletiquet.htm

I don't randomly contradict people, and I don't post without checking. But I am not surprised there are other ways to describe what they mean.

[geordie.livejournal.com]

So which hotel? We have stayed in two in Van and neither of them was perfect. The one to the west had better views, the one just north of Granville Island was convenient and sucked donkey... Oh pardon me. Rigid beds and high priced Internet access plus sucky TV... but superb parking facilities.

[susandennis]

We are at the Empire Landmark. Internet is great and priced fine by my standards, the bed was perfect, I didn't turn the TV on and the view is amazing. The hotel is old but it's kind of charming.

[howeird]

From http://www.drivesmartbc.ca/signs-signals/flashing-traffic-signals:
A driver facing a flashing yellow light must enter the intersection or pass the signal not at an intersection only with caution, yielding to pedestrians in the same manner as a flashing red light requires.

A driver facing a flashing green light must approach so that they are able to stop, should a stop be necessary, before reaching the crosswalk or the signal as the case may be. They must then yield to pedestrians, again in the manner specified for a flashing red light.

Pedestrians may cross at both types of signals in the same manner as at a flashing red light.

[susandennis]

Flashing red??!! We did not even see that. I'm will totally BOLO. Thanks for the clarification.

[howeird]

Flashing red is pretty routine - it just means to stop and proceed with caution. Lots of 4-way stops in Seattle have these, and it's what happens when the signals malfunction too. :-)

[geordie.livejournal.com]

Here is another take on the green lights from a local:

http://www.snarlyboodle.com/flashing-green-traffic-lights-are-stupid/

They are certainly not pedestrian lights, they do indicate that a pedestrian may turn them red at the drop of a hat, push of a button really.

In some places the other street has stop signs, but in Victoria they certainly had red lights.

They are random enough to be dangerous.

360 degree restaurant

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

I was in Hong Kong long ago with UNO and we went during the day to make a reservation at their lovely 360 degree restaurant. I said, of course, I'd like a window seat. No problem. We get there at night and are seated on the perimeter but next to an exterior wall. I was livid and in my best father imitation gave them hell. Their response... the window will be here shortly.