Sunday, October 25, 2009

The MLSE Curse

I am a TFC Fan. What happened this Saturday night embarasses me. I can't believe that my team lost 5-0 against the worst team in the conference, a team that had nothing to prove. It's embarassing, and I am seriously questioning spending any money on further TFC games, gear, or anything to do with the franchise.

I am heartbroken.

I could concede if we won 2-1 and New England won 4-1 and eliminated us. But no. We had to go out on the worst defeat in club history.

Have I mentioned I am embarassed?

I want answers, and I want blood. But most of all, right now, I want out. I seriously enjoy watching the TFC play. I enjoy the games, and the other fans that I have come to know as family. This recent loss marrs this whole thing for me. I wonder if at this point we can beat a high school soccer team, or for that matter, my 4 year old nephew's socccer team.

Words cannot express the betrayal I feel. And it is betrayal. There is no other explanation. I have been a Leaf fan for all of my life, and have had my heart broken time and time again by them. When was the last time the Leafs were in the playoffs? What about the Raptors? Or the Toronto Rock? How about the Argos?

Why doesn't Toronto just give up, move all the francises out of here and just become a city who supports other teams.

That is what I am feeling right now. I used to feel like I was part of something big, but now, I just don't know.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

No Left Turns

So the other day I was leaving a gas station around work after filling up. This particular gas station has been open for a couple of years now, and let me tell you, since it has been opened it has been a life saver. I work in the Beaches (yes, Beaches, not the Beach - that's a topic for another blog) and there isn't a lot in the way of gas stations around.

The Esso at Carlaw and Lakeshore changed all that.

For those that are not familiar with the area, Lakeshore runs east/west through this area with a wide median. Carlaw, runs north /south. If you leave the gas station on Lakeshore, your only alternative is to go eastboud, even though I live in the west end of the GTA.

But now, when you exit the station on Carlaw, between the hours of 6am and 6pm, you are forced to go southbound to get back onto Lakeshore. This route will take you all the way back to Leslie St, then back up to Lakeshore, then along Lakeshore, past Carlaw, and back onto the Gardiner. The end result -- Approx 5 km extra.

Or, better yet, you can try and make a U Turn on Carlaw to go North again.

So my questions are as follows:

1) Can the police enforce a traffic sign controlling traffic from a private driveway onto a public street? After all, if push came to shove, they could install an island in the middle of Carlaw.

2) Why, all of a sudden, is this an issue? Why didn't the city planners take a look at the plan when the Esso was to be opened and maybe suggest a roundabout way to get back onto Carlaw to make the Left turn north? Why does it have to be an afterthought?

I know at times the traffic can be really bad there, and there have been times where the lineup on Carlaw to get onto Lakeshore is so deep I have driven back to Leslie to get around. But I tend to avoid the Esso during those times.

It just seems silly to me to be giving out tickets to people making a left hand turn out of a gas station. I can think of better uses of Police time.