#used luxury cars ottawa
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Unveiling the Vast Horizon: Navigating the Used Car Inventory Landscape in Ontario
Introduction: In the sprawling province of Ontario, with its vibrant cities and picturesque landscapes, the need for reliable transportation is paramount. For many residents, the journey toward finding the perfect vehicle often leads to the expansive world of used car inventories. In this blog post, we'll embark on a journey of exploration, uncovering the diverse and abundant landscape of used cars in Ontario, and providing valuable insights to help you navigate this exciting terrain.
The Abundance of Choices: Ontario's used car inventory is a rich tapestry woven with countless options, catering to a wide range of preferences, needs, and budgets. Whether you're in the bustling streets of Toronto, the cultural hub of Ottawa, or the serene countryside of Niagara, the variety of used cars available is sure to meet the diverse demands of Ontario residents.
Affordability and Value: Opting for a used car allows you to tap into significant cost savings. New cars experience rapid depreciation in the first few years, making used cars a financially savvy choice. The value proposition is clear – you can often get more features and a higher-end model for the same budget when buying used.
Diverse Makes and Models: The used car market in Ontario is a melting pot of automotive diversity. From fuel-efficient compact cars to spacious SUVs, rugged trucks to luxurious sedans, the choices are vast. This diversity ensures that every driver, regardless of their lifestyle or preferences, can find a used car that suits their needs.
Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Programs: Many dealerships offer Certified Pre-Owned programs, providing an extra layer of assurance. CPO vehicles undergo rigorous inspections and come with extended warranties, offering peace of mind for buyers concerned about the condition and reliability of their used car.
Navigating the Used Car Inventory Landscape:
Define Your Needs: Begin your journey by clearly defining your needs. Consider factors such as the size of the vehicle, fuel efficiency, features, and any specific requirements for your lifestyle.
Set a Budget: Determine a realistic budget, taking into account not only the purchase price but also additional costs such as insurance, taxes, and potential maintenance. Having a clear budget will help narrow down your choices.
Research Makes and Models: Conduct thorough research on makes and models that align with your preferences. Utilize online reviews, expert opinions, and reliability ratings to make an informed decision about the brands and models that best suit your needs.
Explore Various Dealerships: Visit different dealerships and explore their used car inventories. Each dealership may have unique offerings and special deals. Don't hesitate to ask questions and gather all the information you need.
Test Drives are Essential: Always take your shortlisted cars for a test drive. Pay attention to how the car handles, check for any unusual sounds, and test all essential features. A test drive is your opportunity to experience the vehicle firsthand.
Inspect Vehicle History Reports: For added peace of mind, obtain a vehicle history report for any used car you're seriously considering. This report provides valuable insights into the vehicle's past, including accidents and title status.
Conclusion: The Used car inventory in Ontario is a vast and dynamic landscape waiting to be explored. By defining your needs, setting a budget, researching thoroughly, and taking the time to test drive and inspect, you can confidently navigate this terrain. Whether you're seeking a reliable commuter car or an adventurous SUV, Ontario's used car market offers a multitude of options to fuel your journey on the road. Happy car hunting!
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trendy auto detailing | Car Detailing Services | Auto Detailing Services in Ottawa ON
We are your dependable and trustworthy go-to for exceptional Car Detailing Services in Ottawa ON, designed to give your vehicle the ultimate makeover. Our expert team of detailers is equipped with advanced techniques and premium products to ensure your car shines inside and out. From exterior wash and wax to odor elimination, we leave no spot untouched. Moreover, acquiring our top-notch Auto Detailing Services in Ottawa ON, will help you experience the luxury of a pristine and fresh car. Whether it’s dull upholstery and carpets or a dusty dashboard, we clean everything, leaving your car smelling and looking like new. With us, you can give your car a superior appearance. So, if you need our expert assistance, call us today.
#Car Detailing Services in Ottawa ON#Auto Detailing Services in Ottawa ON#Automobile Detailing near me#Car Waxing near me#Car Exterior Detailing near me
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Global Automotive Interior Bovine Leather Market Is Estimated To Witness High Growth Owing To Rising Demand for Luxury Car Interiors
The global Automotive Interior Bovine Leather market is estimated to be valued at US$ 5,689.9 Mn in 2019 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 3.8% over the forecast period of 2021 to 2028, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights.
A) Market Overview:
Automotive interior bovine leather refers to the high-quality leather material used for the upholstery and trim of car interiors. Bovine leather offers superior durability, comfort, and luxury, making it a popular choice among car manufacturers and consumers. The need for premium car interiors that provide a luxurious and aesthetically pleasing experience is driving the demand for automotive interior bovine leather.
B) Market Key Trends:
One key trend in the global automotive interior bovine leather market is the increasing demand for luxury car interiors. Luxury car manufacturers are constantly striving to enhance the overall experience of their vehicles by using premium materials such as bovine leather. This trend is driven by the growing disposable income of consumers and their desire for sophisticated and luxurious features in their cars. For example, high-end car brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW use bovine leather extensively in their interior designs to create a sense of opulence and exclusivity.
C) PEST Analysis:
Political: The automotive industry is subject to various political factors such as trade policies, government regulations, and emission standards. These factors can have a significant impact on the production and sales of vehicles, which in turn affect the demand for automotive interior bovine leather.
Economic: The economic factors influencing the automotive interior bovine leather market include GDP growth, disposable income, and consumer spending patterns. A strong economy with rising disposable income levels leads to increased demand for luxury cars and premium interior materials like bovine leather.
Social: Changing consumer preferences and lifestyles play a crucial role in shaping the demand for automotive interior bovine leather. As consumers become more conscious about the quality and comfort of their vehicle interiors, they are willing to invest in high-end materials like bovine leather.
Technological: Technological advancements in the automotive industry, such as the development of smart interiors and advanced infotainment systems, can influence the demand for automotive interior bovine leather. Manufacturers are incorporating innovative features and designs that complement the luxurious feel of bovine leather.
D) Key Takeaways:
- The global Automotive Interior Bovine Leather Market Demand is expected to witness high growth, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.8% over the forecast period. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for luxury car interiors.
- Regionally, North America is expected to dominate the market due to the presence of major luxury car manufacturers and a high demand for premium vehicles.
- Key players operating in the global Automotive Interior Bovine Leather market include Bader GmbH & Co. KG, Bovine Leather, GST Autoleather Co. Ltd., Classic Soft Trim, Ctl Leather Inc., Eagle Ottawa, Llc (Lear Corporation), and Gruppo Mastrotto spa.
In conclusion, the global Automotive Interior Bovine Leather market is experiencing steady growth due to the rising demand for luxury car interiors. Consumers are increasingly looking for premium features and materials that provide a luxurious and comfortable driving experience. As a result, bovine leather is gaining popularity among car manufacturers and consumers alike. With the continued growth of the automotive industry and the increasing disposable income of consumers, the demand for automotive interior bovine leather is expected to remain robust in the coming years.
#Automotive Interior Bovine Leather#Automotive Interior Bovine Leather Market#Automotive Interior Bovine Leather Market Size#Automotive Interior Bovine Leather Market Growth#Automotive Interior Bovine Leather Market Trend#Automotive and Transportation
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The Paint Protection Film In Ottawa For Luxury And Exotic Cars
Luxury and exotic cars are often prized possessions for their owners, representing a significant investment of time and money. As such, it is essential to take good care of these vehicles to ensure they maintain their value and appearance over time. One way to protect your luxury or exotic car's paint is to use a paint protection film in Ottawa (PPF). Explore here what PPF is, how it works, and its benefits for your high-end vehicle.
What Do You Need to Know About Paint Protection Film In Ottawa?
Protect your luxury or exotic car with Paint Protection Film (PPF) - a durable, virtually invisible layer that offers long-term protection against damage while preserving your car's original appearance. With self-healing properties, ease of maintenance, and cost-effectiveness, PPF and ceramic coating in Ottawa is the perfect solution for keeping your prized possession looking new for years to come.
1. What Is Paint Protection Film (PPF)?
Paint protection film in Ottawa is a clear, durable film that is applied to the exterior of a vehicle to protect its paint from scratches, chips, and other forms of damage. The film is typically made from a transparent thermoplastic urethane material and is self-healing, meaning that it can repair itself when exposed to heat or light scratches. PPF is applied to the car's body panels, including the hood, fenders, doors, and bumpers, to provide full coverage and protection.
2. How Does Paint Protection Film Work?
Paint protection film in Ottawa works by creating a barrier between the car's paint and the outside elements. The film is designed to absorb the impact of road debris, such as rocks, gravel, and sand before it can damage the paint. It also provides protection against other forms of damage, such as UV rays, bird droppings, and tree sap, which can all cause significant damage to a vehicle's paint over time. PPF is a sacrificial layer that takes the brunt of the damage, protecting the underlying paint and keeping it looking like new.
3. Benefits of PPF for Luxury and Exotic Cars
Here we have mentioned some of the benefits of the paint film protection in the car. Read below to know about it.
1. Long-Term Protection
PPF offers long-term protection for your luxury or exotic car, keeping it looking like new for years to come. The film is durable and can withstand the harsh conditions of daily driving, protecting the paint from damage and preserving its original appearance. With PPF, you won't have to worry about scratches, dents, or other types of damage ruining the look of your car.
2. Invisible Protection
One of the main advantages of the paint protection film is that it is virtually invisible. The film is designed to be as transparent as possible, so you won't even know it's there. It means that PPF won't detract from your car's appearance or affect its resale value. You can protect your car's paint without compromising its original look.
3. Self-Healing Properties
PPF has self-healing properties, which means it can repair itself when exposed to light scratches or scuffs. The film is designed to heal itself over time, ensuring that your car's paint always looks its best. It means that minor scratches or scuffs won't require costly repairs or repainting, saving you time and money in the long run.
4. Ease Of Maintenance
PPF requires only washing, hence is easy to wash. Occasional waxing to keep it looking great. The film is resistant to water and chemicals, making it easy to clean and maintain. With paint protection film, you won't have to worry about spending hours cleaning your car, and you can enjoy your luxury or exotic car without worrying about damage to the paint.
5. Cost-Effective
Finally, PPF is a cost-effective way to protect your luxury or exotic car's paint. The film is less expensive than repainting a vehicle and provides superior protection against damage, ensuring that your investment is well-protected. With PPF, you can enjoy your luxury or exotic car without worrying about the high cost of repairs or repainting.
Get The Paint Protection Film In Your Car Today!
If you own a luxury or exotic car, protecting its paint with a paint protection film is a wise investment. If you are searching for a paint protection film in Ottawa, you can get it from the Auto Core Customs. With PPF, you can enjoy your high-end vehicle without worrying about damage to its paint, preserving its appearance and value for years to come. Visit them now to know more about their services.
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What we can learn about the future of rail from its past
The train used to be a romantic and luxurious mode of transportation, with companies competing for passengers. But in the last century, cars and airplanes have edged out an option that — with the right investment and infrastructure — could be a cheaper and greener alternative in Canada.
Cuts to Via Rail routes over the years, however, mean that the investment would have to be significant. This is according to Anthony Perl, a professor at Simon Fraser University and a member of Via's board from 2008 to 2012.
As he points out, a train might not even get you where you want to go right now due to budget and route cuts. And Canada doesn't have the high-speed trains — used across Europe and elsewhere — that have made the industry competitive elsewhere.
"Passenger rail is a cheaper, more efficient, more environmentally friendly way to move people," Perl said. But "the experience has ebbed and flowed," with the golden age of train travel now close to 100 years in the rearview mirror, thanks to public investment shifting to highways and the airline industry.
There was a time when companies were competing to provide the most glamorous first-class experience. In 1906, the Globe and Mail described the Muskoka Express, which took passengers from Toronto to cottage country north of the city, as "a flying palace."
"You were ushered to a seat pretty promptly, with linen, with flowers, with people smiling and taking your order in English or French and generally showing you a good time," said Harry Gow, a passenger train advocate with Transport Action Canada.
Local train travel was innovative, too. At the start of the 20th century, several companies ran commuter trains between Hamilton, Toronto, and the surrounding small towns — and much of the infrastructure was electric, said Ryan Katz-Rosene, a University of Ottawa professor who studies rail infrastructure and climate change.
"If we had just ventured more in that direction, we would be living in an alternate universe where we feasibly could have decarbonized." But instead, governments invested in highways — and the automobile became king of the commute.
As a result, passenger numbers started to plummet in the 1920s. In 1920, according to statistics published in the Globe and Mail at the time, about 51 million people took trains in Canada. Within five years, 10 million fewer people were riding trains.
People loved the freedom that came with owning a vehicle. But it was cheap gasoline following the Second World War that cemented the demise of passenger rail, Gow said. This is because people believed the car was the cheapest way to travel.
"Maybe they forgot the overall cost, like insurance, oil maintenance, amortization of the loan that you took out to buy the car," Gow said. "But people didn't count that. All they counted was the cost of gas, so they thought it was cheaper than the train."
And the car had help. In 1946, the federal government created a special law to help build highways in the provinces. Still, small communities wanted passenger trains — and Via Rail was introduced as the public solution.
The federal government established Via Rail as a Crown corporation in 1977. Before long, both the Liberal and Conservative governments made cuts to the rail company. In 1989, federal Transport Minister Benoît Bouchard announced roughly $1 billion in cuts to Via over five years, which translated into route cuts across the country.
And although some politicians supported the idea of rail service in the late '90s and early 2000s, the sentiment wasn't widespread. This is according to David Collenette, the Liberal transportation minister from 1997 to 2003.
"You've had a mindset … to say, 'Oh well, people will drive and people will fly. So you can close that service. You can close that route,'" he said. "And unfortunately, we are now playing catch up."
Though Collenette pushed for Ottawa to invest hundreds of millions into Via over his tenure, he said it all got devoted to maintenance and repairs — and nothing was done to improve services.
The privatization in 1995 of CN Rail, formerly a Crown corporation, didn't help either. It acquired both trains and tracks, effectively creating a monopoly since Via has to pay to use the rail line, Perl said.
It's one reason why Via trains can be late — the company's trains are sitting on the tracks waiting to yield to CNs. And it shows: the corporation's on-time performance was 72 percent in 2021.
Shoshanna Saxe says the passenger train service is a critical piece of infrastructure for Canada, but its revival will require time and funding. "Reliable train travel can carry lots of people near and far distances quickly, affordably, in comfort, with very reduced pollution," said Saxe, an associate professor at the University of Toronto and the Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Infrastructure.
But its future is far from guaranteed, she said. "You can always change directions, but it's like changing a big ship — if it's moving in one direction, it's tricky," said Saxe. "We're not planning to build a European-quality train system in one year, but the only way to fix the problem is to start fixing it."
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Five Reasons Why A Town Car Service Is Preferable To A Cab
Consider a town limo service the next time you're thinking about using a ridesharing service or hailing a cab. Consider using a town car service if you are going home from the airport, out to supper, or to a sporting event.
Make Use Of A Town Car Service!
Do you have special plans for the evening? Are you travelling to a new place for a conference or business meeting? Have you had a few drinks and require safe transportation home? Don't take a chance by waiting for a cab or using a rideshare service. Don't pay outrageous surge pricing just to get a beat-up car that stinks like cigarettes or worse to drive you home. When you next need a transportation, think about using a town car service. Continue reading for the top five justifications for hiring a town vehicle.
1- Comfort
Traditional taxi service vehicles typically show significant signs of wear and tear. The engine and the cabin suffer from the amount of harsh city miles. These taxis frequently have poor exterior and interior conditions. The use of ride-sharing services is random. Although convenient, until you are inside a vehicle, you cannot tell its condition. These businesses do have guidelines for make and model, but the driver's level of maintenance and upkeep is up to them. Black vehicle service takes away the intrigue. At Kingston Ontario, they place a high priority on the security and convenience of their customers.
2 - Class
Your vehicle should be appropriate for the situation. For a fast trip home from the pub, a cab or rideshare vehicle might be adequate. But not for a black-tie event, a meal at a five-star restaurant, or an important business meeting. Town vehicle fleets are luxurious, fashionable, and elegant. The largest, most varied new model fleet in Kingston Ontario is what they have to offer you at surrounding areas. When you select a town limo rental Kingston, you can anticipate executive sedans and luxury vehicles that are spotless and well-kept. You will also have a relaxing, stress-free ride to and from your special event, meeting, or airport excursion, unlike cab or ridesharing services.
3 - Responsibility
Every regular user of a traditional cab or ride-sharing service has at least one nightmare tale about a bad driver. These drivers are numerous, and with a little bad luck, you can find yourself in their vehicle. These motorists may be inattentive or lost. They might talk too much and try to start a completely unsuitable conversation with you. A passenger would feel awfully uncomfortable in that. Even worse, they might behave improperly or criminally in your direction. Since years, there has been an increase in female safety with ridesharing firms. Although ride-share services include a driver rating system, that does not necessarily mean the service will be trustworthy. Why take a chance? They value their reputation highly and would never subject their clients to such strain.
4 - Dependability
Every city is unique, and some may have particular transportation problems. In cities like Kingston to Toronto, Kingston to Ottawa, Kingston to Montreal, taxis are fairly easy to find. There are less than optimal taxi services in other cities. They might be pricey and require lengthy waits. Cab services are occasionally nonexistent or hardly present in some cities. The number of drivers out on the road at any given time determines how soon you can acquire a car, even if ride-share services have helped many cities address their transportation gaps.
The Airport In Any City Faces The Same Difficulties
Every airport has a varied layout, frequently with a different location for ridesharing and taxi pick-up and drop-off. Finding a taxi stand or ride-sharing location in a big airport might be challenging. And it can be even more annoying to have to wait for a driver for 20 minutes or more.
Plan with an airport town car service if you need to get someplace quickly for work or play to avoid the headache. The screened drivers for these services will greet you at the gate or baggage claim, help you with your luggage, and drive you to your car. Even the cab and rideshare drivers are prohibited from entering the terminals.
5 - Fixed Costs
The cost of transportation may blow any travel budget, whether for leisure or business. Traditional cabs can be surprisingly pricey in many locations, and the costs of ride-sharing services change minute by minute depending on the time of day and surge pricing. The upfront cost estimate for the limousine rental is one of the benefits of town car service. This consistent pricing for services in a business setting will assist any organization in efficiently planning dependable travel for its staff.
This pricing can enable tourists to maximize their vacation spending without being caught off guard in a leisure environment. Not that town car service is always less expensive than a cab or rideshare, but it might be. There are no surprises, which is more significant. This pricing can enable tourists to maximize their vacation spending without being caught off guard in a leisure environment. Not that town car service is always less expensive than a cab or rideshare, but it might be. There are no surprises, which is more significant. When you hire a reputable town car service, you will get a lot for your money.
Conclusion
Using ride-sharing or taxi services involves a number of different factors. A fantastic holiday or fruitful business trip can become a misery just because of pricing fluctuations. Your decision will be clear after taking into account the drivers, the subpar condition of the vehicles, and the lax accountability procedures. The next time you're out on the town or returning from the airport, think about using a town limo service in Kingston Ontario rather than paying for erratic and potentially dangerous transportation. If you think hiring a professional is expensive, Please see their services website, COVID-19 protocols page, and contact us for pricing details if you want to ride in safety, style, and class.
#limo service#limo service in Kingston Ontario#limousine rental#Kingston to Montreal#limo rental Kingston
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Seven Superior Tips about Uber Black From Unlikely Websites
If you’re a present Uber driver or have plans to use for a job with the corporate, the following cars would be fantastic selections when it comes time to move as much as Uber Choose. It also comes with top security scores and high reliability. At a excessive stage, the price of using Uber varies depending on the kind of automotive you select and the place you are situated. For UberEats, your car does not want a automotive inspection to qualify. Together with that, be certain that you may have cleaning supplies readily out there including paper towels, Lysol wipes, stain remover, a portable automotive vacuum, and even a portable carpet cleaner to keep in your trunk just in case you must shortly and successfully clean your car’s inside! If you happen to don’t actually care what sort of automobile you experience in, you'll be able to simply request Uber’s customary service, Uber X. However, some riders choose a sure degree of luxurious, as properly because the peace of mind to know that their driver is experienced and extremely rated. You don’t need to trade any money between you and the Uber driver. For luxury uber nyc who need an upgraded automobile and a extremely rated driver at a price lower than the professionally driver Uber Black, the company’s entry-degree luxurious service - Uber Select - is a solid option.
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As a part of statewide Transportation Network Company laws for Connecticut, all drivers should keep a paper copy of Certificates of Insurance (COI) of their automobile whereas driving on the Uber platform-this contains the COIs related to the rideshare insurance Uber maintains on behalf of its drivers. Be sure to drive your registered automobile. The easiest option to have a charger that can cost a number of sorts of telephones is to get a wireless automotive charger. And it goes virtually with out saying that ideas can really add up. So as to add a cease, simply hit the plus sign next to the box where you enter your vacation spot. Uber Comfort is now out there in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Charlotte, Dallas, Fresno, Hampton Roads, Houston, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Madison, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Omaha, Orange County, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Tucson and Wichita, plus Ottawa, Canada, as well as the full states of Connecticut, New Jersey and Rhode Island. If you are on the lookout for a bit extra luxurious, there's always Uber Consolation and Uber Lux.
Whereas these are the preferred Uber companies, there are a handful of others, together with extra specialised service offerings like UberWAV (for wheelchair-accessible autos), electric scooters that operate below the Lime brand, and more. Not so fast. As it turns out, I had simply walked straight right into a scam, as do more than two thousand each week at La Guardia and nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport, in line with estimates from Uber’s New York common supervisor, Josh Mohrer. Note the sharp and predictable drops in gross orders in the primary two quarters of the 2021 fiscal year, but additionally the rise in gross orders in the last quarter of FY 2021 (the first quarter of the 2021 calendar yr), because the shut downs ease up. Retailer a first support equipment. And, store a car emergency kit in your trunk or underneath your seat. Though I’ve had some lower than stellar experiences (every part from being in a automobile that was side swiped, the occasional rude driver, and even a “kidnapping scare” during my brother’s first trip), I still love Uber, and I've close to a hundred rides below my belt.
That affirmation message from the ride-share app should also include a photograph of your driver, so test to make certain they match. If the consumer agrees, the app identifies the nearest out there driver and in case (s)he accepts the order, the deal is taken into account to be closed. Balancing the necessity for organizational efficiency at a very large scale with a practically complete absence of managerial oversight at the driver level is proving to be a significant challenge: bettering relations between drivers and the corporate will have to be a predominant focus of the new CEO. Which means if you flew into the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, you may only be picked up by a Nevada state driver. Nevertheless, you may nonetheless get in touch with Uber, but you want to try this from inside your app, as I will explain under. Higher Capital Intensity: Although there may be little that is tangible that I can level to in support of this notion, I feel that the experience sharing firms now recognize that their absence of tangible property and infrastructure funding can now operate as an impediment to constructing a sustainable enterprise.
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Alone, Together | Chapter 34 | Morgan Rielly
A/N: Some might consider this a little bit of a filler chapter, but I actually think it’s a really important piece in establishing Bee as a person. Anywho...hope you guys enjoy! The next two chapters they are back in the West Coast, so you know what that means..........😇
It was going to take a while for Bee to comes to terms with the fact that two of her best friends were leaving Toronto. In the past ten days, she had tried to feel less selfish about the situation – how it affected her and how her life would change, how sad she was about it and how she was going to cope with it – and instead focus on the positives – how Tyler being in Ottawa would be a good leadership opportunity for him on a young team, and how Naz being traded to Colorado meant he would still be on a Cup-contending team. She tried to think about the positives for Ashley, too – how Denver was a beautiful city to raise a family in. How the media would still be loud but much quieter than the media in Toronto. How she’d probably be able to check her Instagram and not have DMs flood her inbox or have bunny blogs gossip about her shopping habits at Holt Renfrew based on information they heard from their sister’s friend’s brother’s girlfriend’s hairstylist’s dog walker’s niece who saw her buy her second Yves Saint Laurent bag of the month.
It would be okay.
Bee had to believe it would be okay. Because if any doubt arose in her about the situation, she’d have another crying episode like she did that night of July 1st, where Morgan had to hold her all night, assuring her that everything would be okay, giving her the only answers he could. She kept trying to think of the positives. She didn’t do things to distract herself from the situation – she genuinely internalized the reality of the situation and tried to see the positives as much as possible. It would make her feel better, she thought, about everything. And Morgan – bless him – was helping as much as he could. He knew better than anybody that it wouldn’t be easy for her, and so he took it upon himself to ease the pain. No small feat. But he did, because he loved her, because he wanted to see genuine smiles and laughs from her instead of forced happiness. He started a countdown to their vacation to Vancouver. He told her about how nice Tyson Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot (Kerfy, apparently) were, and how she’d like them. How Kerfy was already a good friend because they had grown up together and played together in Vancouver. He bought her bigger bouquets of flowers. They got ice cream more often. He let her cuddle into him however and whenever she wanted, and let her fall asleep on his chest with their limbs entwined and he’d carry her to bed, holding her in his arms the entire time.
Despite the emotional minefield that was July 1st, in the following days, she managed to register herself to write the first exam for her CFA certification in December, and she passed her driving test. She was officially a G2 class driver. Life had to move on. It always did. The only thing constant is change.
So when Morgan told her to get in the car, because he was going to take her somewhere, that it was a surprise, she was excited to. The last time he did so they ended up in Muskoka making love for an entire weekend. She even offered to drive there, but he said that wouldn’t be necessary, because it would spoil the surprise. So she hopped in the passenger’s seat. They got on the highway. And they travelled north. Like, really north. North of the city, to the suburb of Vaughan, where Bee noticed Morgan turn into the driveway of Pfaff Auto, where he had gotten his Porsche, a small smile on his face as they parked the car near the front.
“What are we doing here?” she asked as he turned off the ignition.
“What do you think?” he asked rhetorically.
Before she could answer, Bee noticed a man in a suit outside Morgan’s window, and she nodded her head towards it so it could grab Morgan’s attention. The man waved enthusiastically and Morgan opened the door. “Santi! Hey!”
“Morgan! Nice to see you bud!” he said as Morgan opened the door. “This must be Bee!” Santi waved at her. “How are you Bee?”
“I’m…good,” she said awkwardly as she saw Morgan start to get out of the car. She followed suit and walked around to where the men were standing.
“Morgan mentioned how you had passed your driving test. Congratulations!” Santi said. “We thought it would be a great idea to bring you in and welcome you into the Pfaff Family!”
“Oh?” Bee looked between Santi and Morgan. She stood stiff in between the two men. “Am I…you…you didn’t bring me here to pick out a car, did you?” she asked Morgan, who only smiled. “Morgan.”
“Don’t Morgan me,” he said, his response every single time she said his name in that tone of voice. “Let’s go inside and see our options, hmm?”
Bee didn’t really have a choice. They were already there, Santi was already smiling and waving and ready to show her cars, and when they walked inside, other employees waved and shook hands and it was all very nice, but Bee didn’t know what to do. She wondered if anybody could see how out of her element she was. She felt like a visiting Princess Kate being given a tour of something she had no clue about, smiling and nodding along and asking basic questions about things to make it seem like she understood what they were talking about and comfortable with what was going on around her. But she wasn’t. For a person who had never owned a car before, and who had only been in the very basic cars of her friends, she really didn’t have a clue. She knew the names, obviously, but everything else was extra. Everything else was so…extravagant.
Santi was nice. Warm. Accommodating. To his credit, he was an excellent salesman and knowledgeable of every little detail about every car or SUV they saw or sat in. He would usher her into the driver’s seat, he’d get into the passenger’s seat, and Morgan would slip in the backseat, and he’d go on and on about all the features. The leather seats. The luxury interior. The beeping sensors for when you were reversing. GPS Navigation. The backup cameras. The sunroofs. The option for add-on DVD players for the backseat. Luxury add-ons here. Luxury add-ons there.
Bee had to write down all the names of the cars so she could remember them all. The Porsche Cayenne Sport, the Mercedes Benz GLS 450, the BMW X7 xDrive 50i, the Porsche Macan Sport, the BMW Alpina B7 xDrive, the Audi A8 L 55, the BMW M5 Competition, the Mercedes Benz S-Class. It was all so overwhelming. There were so many things to remember. Santi didn’t even mention gas mileage. He didn’t mention how much it cost to fill up a tank of gas, how expensive it was to insure these cars, how expensive they were even just to maintain. She got more and more nervous the more she thought about it. It filled her with anxiety, being in something that was so expensive.
These cars weren’t for her.
“What’s the price point you’re looking for?” Santi asked as they sat together in the BMW X7. It was a beautiful crossover, no doubt, and Bee liked it, as objectively as she could like a car this expensive.
“We’re not thinking about that today,” Morgan butt in from the backseat. Santi gave him a smile. She looked at him through the rear-view mirror.
“What a guy, eh?” Santi joked, nodding his head towards Morgan. “We’ll take care of you guys, anyway. When Chris comes in he’ll arrange all that. He’ll be so happy to see you.”
“Who’s Chris?” Bee finally piped up.
“Chris Pfaff, the president and CEO,” Santi said. “After Morgan and I chose the Porsche last year Chris made sure Morgan was taken care of. And with Morgan referring some of the other Leafs to us, there’s no way we’re not going to take care of you again.”
Bee wondered what Santi meant when he said ‘take care’, but she knew if she asked she’d seem like an idiot. Maybe it just meant they got a good deal on the car or something. A discount. An add-on for only half the price. $100 in gas gift cards, like she always saw advertised on TV.
After what seemed like sitting in the millionth car, Santi was called away briefly, leaving Morgan and Bee alone for the first time since they parked. They stood beside an immaculate Range Rover. Bee looked over at Morgan, who was already looking at her. “What do you think?” he asked her.
“I don’t want to make a decision today,” she said, knowing he wouldn’t know why. He seemed to be having the time of his life being in all the cars. She never understood boys’ fascination with them.
“What?”
“I don’t want to make a decision today. I don’t…” she shook her head slightly, biting on her nail. “I want to think about it.”
“But they--”
“I want to do my own research,” she interrupted him, not wanting to get into it now. “I just want to go home with all the information he gave me and I want to do my own research and make my own decision.”
Morgan looked at her for a moment. He studied her. He saw the biting of the nail and saw her furrowed eyebrows and he nodded his head. “Okay. Okay. We’ll let Santi know.”
Santi gave Bee his card and told her to call him when she made her decision. She thanked him endlessly for all his help and information, and she and Morgan left Pfaff, beginning the long trek back downtown to their place. Bee sat looking out the window, not saying a word, mulling over everything going on inside her head. Morgan would take occasional glances at her, allowing them to sit in silence until they pulled into the parking garage and into their designated spot. He knew something was going on and he wanted to know.
“What’s wrong?”
Bee felt ashamed. She couldn’t even look at him even though she knew he was looking directly at her. “I don’t want any of those cars,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“What?”
“I don’t want any of those cars,” she said a bit louder so he could hear. “I don’t…I don’t need any of those cars.”
“What do you mean you don’t need any of those cars?”
She sighed. “I only need a car that can get me from A to B. I’m not even going to drive it to work. The most I’ll be driving it is up to Rocco and Clarette’s house or to go grocery shopping. Maybe to go visit Aryne and John. I don’t think I need a ninety thousand dollar SUV to do that.”
Morgan shifted in his seat. “Okay…I get that,” he admitted. “But…I mean, they can help us, you know? The guys at Pfaff can take care of us.”
“Why do you guys keep saying that? What does that even mean?” she asked, her voice more assertive now.
“They can gift it to us, Briony. Like the Porsche.”
Bee whipped her head towards Morgan. “Gift it to us? Like the Porsche?”
“Yeah.”
“You…” she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’re telling me this Porsche is a gift.”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t pay a lease payment on this thing?”
“No.”
“A financing payment?”
“No.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” she exclaimed. “This entire fucking time we’ve been driving this car you haven’t had to pay a cent on it except for gas and insurance?” she asked. Morgan nodded his head. “What the fuck, Morgan?!”
“Why are you so angry?” he asked, remaining the calm one in the conversation.
“We don’t need a free car!” she yelled, unable to hold her emotions back any longer. “We have the money to pay for a car! We have the money to pay for any car we fucking want to and you’re telling me you’re paying nothing?! We should be paying for a car!”
“What’s the big deal?” Morgan questioned.
“It’s the principle!” she began. “This is exactly what’s wrong with this entire fucking system. I grew up with literally nothing by no fault of my own and I was still expected to pay my whole way through whatever came up in my life. You – and I don’t mean you specifically Morgan, but people like you, other hockey players and those stupid Instagram influencer girls from here just dying to hang out with you guys for status and clout – you guys have all this money and yet you get everything for free so long as you put it on your Instagram. It’s not fair. It’s not fair when so many fucking people in this city are struggling to get by and working their asses off at minimum wage jobs just to afford rent and the Toronto Maple Leafs are getting free luxury cars.”
Morgan stayed quiet. He knew she was right, like with most things, and he had never considered her perspective before. He had failed to consider the entire situation from her perspective. It was hard for him. He just thought it would be a nice day out. Go to a dealership, pick out a car. He’d take care of it for her, like he promised her he would with everything on that dock in Muskoka. And although she had accepted that, this wasn’t the way she wanted him to go about “taking care” of things. She obviously wanted to do everything fairly. “Briony…”
“I can’t believe you never told me this car was a gift,” she said, her voice much calmer now. “Look, I’m sorry I raised my voice. But we’re not poor. We can afford the financing or lease payments on any car I choose to get. And that’s the way it’s gonna be.”
“Okay,” Morgan nodded his head, his voice soft. “Okay. We can do that.”
“I can do that,” she corrected. “I want to pay for my own car. This entire time I’ve been saving my money and I can afford it. I’ve budgeted it out.”
“But Briony--”
“Morgan--”
“I told you in Muskoka that I wanted to give you the things you want and need in life without you being uncomfortable about it. That I didn’t want you to worry about anything ever again.”
“I know, Morgan, but please, please, you have to let me do this for myself. Please,” she was practically begging. “I know you want to do that for me. I know. That’s why you brought me to Pfaff today. And I love you and I appreciate it and you know I do but I’m doing this for me. You…you have no idea what it means to be to be able to buy my own car with my own money.”
Morgan could hear by the tone in her voice how much this meant for her. He couldn’t deny that he wanted to do this for her – to get her whatever car she wanted, luxury or not – but he also couldn’t deny her the opportunity of being able to get a car herself. For her, it was independence. It was investing in something she never had the opportunity to before. It meant having something of her own, when her whole life, she didn’t have anything to her name. Who was he to deny her that?
“Okay,” he nodded his head again. “Alright, okay. I’m sorry Briony.”
“There is no need for you to apologize,” she said, reaching over the console to grab his hand. “I should be the one who is sorry for raising my voice. I just…I felt overwhelmed in there. It was fun but overwhelming. You’re the best boyfriend in the world for doing something like that for me. You probably think I’m insane.”
“Why would I think that?”
Bee gave him a look. “A girl rejecting a luxury car so she could get a cheaper one? Who does that?”
Morgan smiled slightly, shaking his head. He leaned over the console to give her a kiss. “Briony McTavish does that,” he whispered once he pulled away. “And that’s why I love her.”
“Oh yeah?” Bee smiled slightly.
“Mhm,” Morgan kissed her again. “You’re something else, Briony. I’d do anything for you. And this means so much to you. You’ve put your mind to it. You’ve budgeted it out and you know you’re going to be okay and that you won’t have to worry. I would never take that away from you.”
Before their conversation could advance any further, Morgan’s phone started to ring through the Bluetooth system in the car. On the screen on the dash, Nazem’s name flashed. “We’ll continue this later,” he said before answering the call. “Naz! What’s up? You’re on speaker with me and Bee.”
“Hey guys,” he said into the phone. “You uh…you guys might want to make your way to Toronto General.”
“Why?” Morgan asked.
From beside him, Bee’s jaw dropped. “Ohmygod Naz, did Ashley have the baby?”
“Come quick. Come meet her,” he said, a slight giggle in his voice.
“Her?!” Bee screamed. “Her?! Ohmygod we’re on our way right now.”
***
“Here she is. Baby Naylah,” Naz was smiling from ear to ear as he led Morgan and Bee through the doorway to Ashley’s room. John and Aryne were already there, Aryne sitting in a chair and John leaning against the windowsill as Ashley cradled the tiny baby in her arms.
“Heeeyyyy,” Ashley said gently, a beaming smile on her face. “She’s here. She’s finally here.”
“Oh, Ashley…” Bee cooed, catching a glimpse of the little girl’s face tucked between the swaddling blanket and little hat on her head. “Ashley, she’s absolutely beautiful.”
“How you feeling, momma?” Morgan smiled.
“Labour was about eight hours, but everything was fine,” Ashley said. “We came in yesterday around this time. We’ve just been in our own little world with her until now.”
Morgan smiled and looked at Naz. “Nazem Kadri, father,” he shook his head. “Lord help us all.”
“That’s what I said,” John said as everybody laughed. “Father to a girl, nonetheless. She’s gonna make you the biggest sap in the universe.”
“She’s already got me wrapped around her little finger,” Naz shrugged his shoulders, admitting defeat. He was still beaming, still on a high from welcoming his daughter into the world. “I’ll admit it. She’s gonna get whatever she wants.”
“You wanna hold her, Aunt Bee?” Ashley offered.
Bee’s jaw dropped again. “Oh my God. Oh my God. Can I?”
“She’s very calm. She just woke up and might need a feeding soon so it’s your only chance,” Ashley smiled. Bee moved closer towards her as Ashley placed Naylah delicately in her arms. “Make sure you support her head. She’s swaddled so she should be fine.”
Bee held Naylah close to her chest, rocking her back and forth. She heard Naylah make little noises and watched as Naylah’s eyes looked up at her, studying her closely. She knew this random, strange lady was definitely not her mom. “Hi Naylah,” Bee cooed. “I’m your Aunt Bee. I’m so glad you’re finally here.” She continued to look down at the tiny baby in her arms, marvelling at her little expressions and tiny features. She couldn’t believe she was finally holding her.
Bee looked up briefly to see everybody smiling at her. “Looks like you’re still the baby whisperer, Bee,” Aryne giggled, resting her hand on her bump. “You’re gonna be back here in two months doing this all over again.”
“Bring it on,” she said, continuing to rock Naylah back and forth and cradling her small head in her hand. “Give me all the babies and the babysitting duties and I’ll be one happy camper.”
As if on cue, Naylah began fussing a little bit, her eyes closing and lips pursing. “Uh oh. Spoke too soon,” Bee said. She tried to calm her down but the attempt was futile. Naylah continued to purse her lips until she let out a small cry. “Looks like someone is hungry again.”
“That’s our cue,” Aryne said, standing up from her seat. “We’ll wait outside until she’s done, maybe go grab some coffee.”
“I’ll let you guys know,” Naz said as they all began to exit. “My sisters are coming back soon, too. You might see them.”
John and Morgan decided to hang out in the waiting room while Aryne and Bee decided to go for a coffee run to the Starbucks. As they were waiting for everybody’s drinks, Bee told Aryne what she and Morgan had been up to that day at Pfaff and the discussion they’d had in the car. Bee explained her reasoning. Morgan’s reaction. Her insistence on getting the car on her own.
Aryne sipped on her own coffee as she listened to Bee. “You’ve always been really principled,” she said. “You don’t need to apologize for anything. I get where you’re coming from. But I also understand where Morgan was coming from. Especially after what you told me he said in Muskoka. Like, I get him wanting to do that for you.”
“Me too,” Bee said. “And I promised him I’d try to stop feeling uncomfortable about it. And I have – I mean, the trip back to Vancouver and this bracelet are perfect examples of that,” she said, flashing the Cartier love bracelet that was still on her wrist. “But I…a car is different. I never thought I’d have a car. Now I have an opportunity to get one. I want to get one that’s economical. I don’t want to get a BMW or Mercedes just because I can – well, just because Morgan can. I can’t afford one of those cars on my own. Morgan’s wanted me to save my money all this time anyway. It’s only logical I use it to make the biggest purchase of my life thus far, right?”
“You don’t need to defend yourself, Bee, especially if it’s your own money,” Aryne said. “Especially if it’s your own money. Whatever you buy with what you’ve earned yourself is a big fuck you to everyone. Car, designer bag, shoes, a book – whatever. Fuck anybody who criticizes you.”
Bee was so thankful for Aryne. Whenever she needed a voice of reason, someone to guide her through this crazy life and help her make decisions, she knew Aryne would always be there for her. “You’re the best, you know that?” Bee smiled.
“You’ve told me that once or twice,” Aryne winked. “Listen…on a similar vein of fuck-you purchases and people criticizing you, I need to ask you a question and I need you to be one hundred percent honest with me.”
Bee noticed her sudden shift in tone. “Okay…”
“What did Sydney say to you?”
Bee was speechless. “Wha…” she stuttered out. “What do you mean?”
“I saw her comment on Morgan’s post for your graduation, and I saw what Morgan responded,” she explained. “She had to have said something. So what was it and when did she say it?”
Bee took a deep breath. She wondered if she should just run out of the hospital to avoid this conversation. “Aryne…she’s your friend. I don’t feel comf--”
“What did she say, Bee?”
Bee gulped. “Um, so it was the day of your baby shower,” Bee began. “Ashley picked us up and we were driving through Moss Park to get on the DVP and she called it the ghetto. When we came up on a red light I pointed out a building where I used to live and I told her how I grew up there and she was like ‘Well, thank God you got out’.”
“So that’s why Morgan made the ghetto comment,” Aryne connected the two together. Bee nodded her head. “How did Morgan find out?”
“Zach told him, sort of accidentally. Because Alannah was there too and she was really upset about everything that happened and --”
“What else happened?” Aryne interjected. Bee felt like crawling into a hole and dying. “What do you mean ‘everything that happened’? What else was there?”
“Um…I…” Bee tried to look for an escape. “Listen. Um, Morgan doesn’t know this part. He only knows about the ghetto comment. But Sydney…she, uh…she kind of kept making these comments…”
“About what?”
“About me.”
Aryne’s eyes darkened. “What did she say.”
“It’s really not--”
“Briony,” Aryne’s voice was firm. “What did she say.”
“It wasn’t a big deal, Aryne. I dealt with it. She uh, she sort of kept making, um, comments about my body. Saying it was good that I chose that dress I wore with vertical stripes because they were slimming and that’s why it looked good. And then Alannah asked about a deal on yoga pants I got and Sydney piped in and said she could recommend a personal trainer for me and that they’d ‘definitely help me with everything I need done’,” Bee used air quotes because she remembered the words said to her so vividly.
“She said what?” Aryne seethed. “Are you kidding me?”
“Aryne, it wasn’t a big deal. I confronted her about it in the bathroom afterwards. It was dealt with.”
“This happened during my baby shower?” she asked, her face utterly disgusted at what had transpired. “What the hell is wrong with her?”
“Listen, I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt. She was stressed about the wedding and--”
“Don’t give her the benefit of the doubt. God, Bee, do not give her the benefit of the doubt. You’re being too nice. She was my friend in Long Island and I’m absolutely horrified she’d say something like that to you.”
“It’s not…” Bee began, shaking her head. “My mom used to say stuff like that all the time. She used to tell me I’d end up alone because nobody likes smart chubby girls. It’s okay. And it’s not like I haven’t heard it before in DMs. You know what they look like.”
Aryne gave her a look – one mixed with the anger she was feeling but also with sadness at what Bee was revealing. Aryne couldn’t imagine a mother saying something like that to a daughter. “Bee, just because your mom used to say that sort of stuff to you, it doesn’t make it okay,” she stressed, reaching out to hold her hand. “Nobody deserves comments like that being said about them.”
“I know. But when that sort of stuff is said to me, people who mean nothing to me always say it. My mom. Fangirls. Sydney,” Bee said. “I told her that. I told her she meant nothing to me and that even if she didn’t like me she needed to respect me--”
“Good.”
“—and I told her not to take me for a fucking idiot,” Bee couldn’t help but smile. She was still sort of proud of herself for pulling out that line in the washroom. “I think Sydney thinks she needs to put on a mix of this ‘I don’t give a fuck’ and ‘I’m the Queen B cool girl’ persona because that’s the image she’s built for herself and she lets it get to her head. The fact that she grew up with a lot of privilege hasn’t helped that. But I dealt with it. She got married and had a beautiful wedding. I’m still chubby. It’s done.”
“Okay, but wait…” Aryne furrowed her brows. “Morgan only knows about the ghetto comment? Why?”
“That’s all Zach told him.”
“And you didn’t tell Morgan what you just told me?” Aryne asked. Bee shook her head. “Why not?”
It was Bee’s turn to give Aryne a look. “I’m sorry, have you met my boyfriend, Morgan Frederick Rielly?” she asked, causing Aryne to giggle. “God knows what he’d say to Syd – or Matt – if he found out. He’d drop a nuke on Long Island if he could.”
“He is really protective of you out in the public sphere,” Aryne digressed.
“Exactly. He had to make a phone call to Steve Keogh on Canada Day to try and solve my incessant DM issue,” Bee informed Aryne, who already knew all about the DMs sent on Canada Day. “Despite Morgan’s best efforts he couldn’t get Steve to fly back from Europe, where he’s on vacation with his family, to handle the situation immediately.”
Aryne snorted. “What a guy.”
“You’re telling me.”
“So then what’s the next step?” Aryne asked, fixating all the drinks into the Styrofoam holder the barista provided.
“With what?” Bee asked.
“Everything.”
Bee shrugged her shoulders. “Just live my life.”
***
@brionymctavish: my first car!
@angiefavs: WE MATCH!!!!!
@morganrielly: lookin cute
@alynntavares: LOVE IT BEE! I know how much this means to you!
@enzosauce: can you drive it out to Edmonton for a visit?
@stephlanchancee: um is that a Honda Civic?
@brionymctavish: Yup! First one ever!
@lucygardiner_: congrats Bee! Can’t wait to zip around town with you!
@frederikandersen31: I hope I fit in there
@brionymctavish: I’ll stuff you into the trunk if need be
#morgan rielly#morgan rielly imagine#morgan rielly imagines#morgan rielly fic#morgan rielly fan fic#toronto maple leafs#toronto maple leafs imagine#toronto maple leafs imagines#toronto maple leafs fic#toronto maple leafs fan fic#nhl#nhl imagine#nhl imagines#nhl fic#nhl fan fic#hockey#hockey imagine#hockey imagines#hockey fic#hockey fan fic#alone together series
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The High Road
There is no shortage of options for those seeking a self-propelled commute in the nation’s capital. Multi-use pathways skew either side of the Rideau Canal for the use of cyclists and pedestrians year-round, not to mention its most famous form: a 7.8-kilometer "skateway” during the winter months that allows for a unique commute on ice-skates. Nicholas A. Scott understands Ottawa to be a “stage, unique in Canada, where national ideas about [pedestrianism] wrangle locally with those of a city”. (14) I could not agree more.
In the 2011 National Household Survey, a substantial 90.5% of responders in Ottawa reported relying on a motor vehicle to get where they need to go. (15) Whether that be a private car or a form of public transit such as the bus or train, it goes without saying that Ottawa is a city of people who find the motorized commute to be the most attractive, convenient option.
Is the car truly as convenient as we think it to be? Increasing levels of both earth-warming carbon emissions and hair-pulling traffic jams (Ottawa lands a spot on INRIX's list of most congested cities in North America, it already placing 4th on its ranking of Canadian cities) are eternally on the rise. (16) If the commuters of Ottawa aren't already pedestrians, these arguments for the vehicles inconvenience has pushed more and more to pivot to self-propelled routes within their city. I would not be surprised if, in ten years, we saw a higher rate of pedestrian commuters in response to these negative effects felt on local and global scales.
However, this requires the appropriate infrastructure for pedestrians.
When researching this project, I came across multiple papers, city documents and government web pages that labelled sidewalks as “alternative roads”. (17) Is this an appropriate term? Labelling roads not used by motor vehicles as the “alternative” implies that access to vehicular transportation is conventional, and this could not be further from the truth. Access to vehicular transportation can be complicated for reasons of limited financial means and/or physical mobility, leaving some commuters no choice but to make use of the only roadway that is available to them: the sidewalk. And, as proved, when pedestrian roads are thought of as the alternative, they’re treated as such.
My experience back in January left me feeling frustrated, but I made it home. I’m lucky enough to have had parents that taught me how to drive, and even luckier that they let me use their vehicles if I need them when the weather makes commuting tough. Many people don’t have this luxury of choice. We know who loses when sidewalks are treated as the afterthought. I urge you to ask yourself -- and especially your local governments -- if those who need our sidewalks the most can afford to lose anymore.
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Friday, February 25, 2022
Trudeau revokes emergency powers after Canada blockades end
(AP) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday he is removing emergency powers police can use after authorities ended the blockades at the borders and the occupation in Ottawa by truckers and others opposed to COVID-19 restrictions. Trudeau said the “threat continues” but the acute emergency that included entrenched occupations has ended. The emergencies act allows authorities to declare certain areas as no-go zones. It also allows police to freeze truckers’ personal and corporate bank accounts and compel tow truck companies to haul away vehicles. The trucker protest grew until it closed a handful of Canada-U.S. border posts and shut down key parts of the capital for more than three weeks. But all border blockades have now ended and the streets around the Canadian Parliament are quiet.
Vets worry polluted base made them ill
(AP) For nearly 80 years, recruits reporting to central California’s Fort Ord considered themselves the lucky ones, privileged to live and work amid sparkling seas, sandy dunes and sage-covered hills. But there was an underside, the dirty work of soldiering. Recruits tossed live grenades into the canyons of “Mortar Alley,” sprayed soapy chemicals on burn pits of scrap metal and solvents, poured toxic substances down drains and into leaky tanks they buried underground. When it rained, poisons percolated into aquifers from which they drew drinking water. In 1990, four years before it began the process of closing as an active military training base, Fort Ord was added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of the most polluted places in the nation. Included in that pollution were dozens of chemicals, some now known to cause cancer, found in the base’s drinking water and soil. The problem is not just at Fort Ord. This is happening all over the U.S. and abroad, almost everywhere the military has set foot, and the federal government is still learning about the extent of both the pollution and the health effects of its toxic legacy.
Miami Street Gangs See No Hope In Dope. They’ve Switched To Identity Fraud
(Forbes) In August 2018, when police in Miami searched the home of Geno St. Flerose, a teenager they said was a member of the Everybody Eats street gang, they discovered incriminating evidence that had little to do with the drugs and guns they more typically find. Police say St. Flerose had three notebooks full of other people’s personal information—names, dates of birth, bank account numbers and social security numbers—and a “to-do” list, in which No. 7 was simply “Fraud.” Investigators revealed that St. Flerose was buying stolen data online [from] Russian site PlusCC. Everybody Eats and its rival, Little Haiti Vulchas, were known as violent drug gangs. Now, as homicides continue to pile up, police say the gangsters have turned their backs on narcotics and are getting most of their revenue from a less risky crime. They’re using data stolen by Russian hackers and peddled on Russian-hosted sites like PlusCC to take control of other people’s bank accounts, sign up for benefits in a someone else’s name, scam government programs like Medicare or the Covid-19 Paycheck Protection Program, buy weapons, rent cars and take vacations in luxury resorts. It’s costing American businesses, citizens and government agencies hundreds of millions of dollars. “Fraud is the new dope,” says Armando Aguilar, criminal investigations chief at the Miami Police Department. “Fraud committed by gang members is a nationwide problem, but as with all things fraud, Miami is at the forefront.”
Brazil mudslides: Climate change turns favelas into disasters waiting to happen
(Washington Post) Brazil, like much of the world, is increasingly being forced to reckon with the everyday impacts of climate change. Scientists say it is largely responsible for the extreme weather events that have recently struck the country—first intense droughts, then punishing rains, and now flooding from north to south that has left hundreds dead. Late on the afternoon of Feb. 15, in the cloud-cloaked mountains of Petrópolis, a historic city 44 miles northeast of Rio de Janeiro, there began a downpour. Within hours, a month’s worth of rain had saturated the city. The surge unleashed floods and mudslides that killed nearly 200 people, disappeared hundreds more—and made starkly clear how defenseless the favelas of Brazil will be in a new era of destabilizing climate change. They have always suffered disproportionately during natural disasters. But as rains and floods increase in frequency and ferocity, scientists expect them to become still more vulnerable to tragedy.
How Russia’s attack on Ukraine is unfolding
(Washington Post/AP) Russia pressed its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital Friday after unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides in an attack that could rewrite the global post-Cold War security order. The assault, anticipated for weeks by the U.S. and Western allies, amounts to the largest ground war in Europe since World War II. Protests were underway in several Russian cities, a striking show of anger in a nation where spontaneous mass demonstrations are illegal and protesters can face fines and jail. President Biden denounced the operations as “unprovoked and unjustified” and on Thursday announced an unprecedented package of sweeping sanctions and export controls coordinated with European and Asian allies to punish and isolate Russia. Defense Secretary Lloyd D. Austin III has ordered about 7,000 service members to deploy to Germany in the coming days to help buttress NATO, according to a senior defense official. NATO announced that it will bolster its eastern flank and host an emergency summit.
Central European countries brace for influx of Ukrainian refugees
(Washington Post) As Russia’s attack against Ukraine upends lives, pushing many to flee, neighboring countries in Central Europe are bracing for the potential mass arrival of refugees. The government of Moldova, which shares a long border with Ukraine, said Thursday that the country has already set up two temporary placement centers to receive an influx of Ukrainian refugees. In Slovakia, authorities announced early Thursday that the Ukraine-Slovakia border crossing points are open and added that every Ukrainian coming will be allowed to enter the country, even those who do not have a passport, after an individual review. Officials in Slovakia, along with Hungary—which also shares a border with Ukraine—said Thursday that they will deploy troops to their borders to help manage the likely influx. But it is Poland that is expected to bear the brunt of any influx, with government officials estimating that they could see up to a million people arriving from its neighboring country. The conflict could unleash one of the worst humanitarian crises since the Syrian civil war, which prompted the arrival of more than 1 million refugees in Europe in 2015.
Social media fuels new type of ‘fog of war’ in Ukraine conflict
(Washington Post) Oliver Alexander, a Danish businessman working in a beachfront apartment in southern Portugal, is watching war play out more than 2,000 miles away in something like real time. With Twitter on his computer and Telegram on his phone, a flood of videos allow him to identify Russian tanks rolling over Ukrainian bridges and Russian helicopter gunships blasting away at a Ukrainian airport. Yet for all of the visuals surging across the Internet, Alexander is unsure whether they are helping most people understand events in far-off battlefields. The intensity and immediacy of social media is creating a new kind of fog of war, in which information and disinformation are continuously entangled with each other—clarifying and confusing in almost equal measure.
German army chief ‘fed up’ with neglect of country’s military
(Reuters) The chief of the German army vented his frustration over what he sees as the long-running neglect of military readiness in his country in an unusual public rant a few hours after Russia invaded Ukraine, adding that the army was in bad shape. “In my 41th year of peace-time service, I would not have thought that I would have to experience a war,” Lieutenant General Alfons Mais said on LinkedIn on Thursday. “And the Bundeswehr, the army which I have the honour to command, is standing there more or less empty-handed. The options we can offer the government in support of the alliance are extremely limited.” German forces were drastically scaled down after the end of the Cold War, and later trained mainly for missions such as in Afghanistan where the adversary was poorly equipped and not an armed force with the most modern weapons.
Bringing up a child costlier in China than in U.S., Japan—research
(Reuters) The cost of raising a child in China stands at nearly seven times its per capita GDP, far more than in the United States and Japan, highlighting the challenges facing Chinese policymakers as they try to tackle rapidly declining birth rates, new research showed. Experts warn China’s ageing population will put huge pressure on its health and social security system, while a dwindling workforce could also severely limit growth for the world’s second largest economy in the coming decades. Beijing-based YuWa Population Research Institute said in a report published on Tuesday that the average cost of raising a child to the age of 18 in China in 2019 stood at 485,000 yuan ($76,629) for a first child, 6.9 times China’s per capita GDP that year.
New Zealand Protest, an Echo of Canada’s, Digs In and Turns Ugly
(NYT) The antigovernment protests that jolted Canada have been quashed. But 9,000 miles away, in the capital of another Western democracy, an occupation on the grounds of Parliament has entrenched itself and turned increasingly ominous. Hundreds of demonstrators opposed to New Zealand’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate are in their third week of encampment in Wellington, erecting tents, illegally parking vehicles and establishing communal kitchens and toilets in a deliberate echo of the Canadian siege. Initially, the New Zealand occupation had a carnival atmosphere, with a popcorn stand and a doughnut truck and a number of children brought in by their parents. New Zealanders joked that it was the country’s only Omicron-era music festival: Officials blared Barry Manilow and James Blunt to try to drive out the protesters, who responded with some Twisted Sister of their own. In recent days, however, after the police moved to evict some protesters, the demonstration has grown more violent. On Monday, protesters threw feces at the police. On Tuesday, a driver tried to ram a car into a large group of officers.
Iran deal in sight
(Foreign Policy) U.S. negotiators appear poised to announce a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran on a new nuclear deal after months of painstaking negotiations. State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters on Wednesday that while no agreement has been finalized, “there has been significant progress.” Any final deal from team Biden is likely to face significant pushback in Congress, primarily from Republicans who have decried the president’s efforts to reopen negotiations with Iran, but also possibly from hawks in the Democratic caucus.
Israel rejects Palestinian accusations of ‘apartheid’
(AP) The Palestinian U.N. ambassador, wearing a mask saying “End Apartheid,” accused Israel of engaging in “apartheid” in nearly a dozen ways on Wednesday, and Israel’s ambassador accused him of regurgitating claims from the Palestinian Authority, which he said “promotes hate, incitement, violence and terror.” The exchange at the U.N. Security Council’s monthly meeting on the Middle East reflected the huge chasm between Israel and the Palestinians, and the immense challenge to ending decades of conflict with a two-state solution that would see the antagonists live side-by-side in peace, as the United Nations and many others have sought for years. Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour described as “apartheid” a number of Israeli actions, including its denial of Palestinians who were uprooted from their homes 70 years ago the right to return, its different laws for Palestinians and Israeli settlers, and its restrictions on land where Palestinians can live and build. He said Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan brought a stone into the Security Council chamber last month so members could visualize the violence that Israelis confront from Palestinians. “I am so sorry, but the doors of this chamber could not fit Israeli F16s, tanks, warships, military jeeps, drones, bombs and missiles,” Mansour said.
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Prompt writing Group? 20,Apr,2018 - 04,May, 2018. Prompt: IT’S NOT MY FAULT. Final word count: 2270. Written By: Keenon Rhodes.
It’s not my fault I am trespassing, the hotel receptionist didn’t interact with me, No ‘How can I help you today?’, not a ‘Is there anything I can do for you?’, not even a simple ‘welcome!’, just a half second uninterested glance. It’s thanks to her negligence that I can do something I have always wanted to do; see the inside of this place.
This building is much older than I thought it was, I knew it was old but seeing a year really puts it into perspective. In the lobby there is a painting of the hotel from the perspective of the streets in 1913 when it first opened. In the painting there is only one street, a lot more trees and one other building; the train station that is still open today.
Let me think, my grandmother died in 91’ she was 83 at the time meaning she was born in… 1908? So she would have been five! Wow my grandmother is older than this place, or was. I sound like a little kid thinking like that it’s kinda nice. I remember she told me she had stayed in this hotel on her wedding night on the tenth floor, said looking out the window was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
Unfortunately I need a card key to gain access to the elevator, that’s okay I’ll just walk along green marble floor for a while, it’s unexpectedly empowering. Maybe it’s seeing a reflection of various shades of mossy greens looks quite handsome I think I will sit in one of the lobby chairs, admire the reflections of others.
The upholstery of the chair look like it had a lot of care put into it, very intricate and the closer I look at it the more detail I notice, like a hand made tapristy, truly a work of beauty. I really don’t belong here, I must stick out like a sore thumb everyone I have seen walk by are wearing some very fashionable fine looking clothing. I am just here in jeans and a t-shirt Is it normal for someone to walk in from the street, sit down and watch people as they walk by?
The sight of a family in the reflection compels me to break my eyes away from the emerald floor, they embodied aristocracy like whoever designed this hotel also designed this family. One of the kids has a card and activate the elevator, I decided to wait for the elevator with them. All of us are completely silent watching the red digital numbers count down.
I remember when I was about fourteen mom and dad took my sister and I to Ottawa and the whole time we were so loud, constantly making jokes and telling stories it’s like we never ran out of things to talk about. We even got a noise complaint from another guest in the motel we were staying in, but that was on our last night so we just ended up being louder. It was a lot of fun.
The elevator door slides open making almost no noise, it’s spacious enough to fit a couch which half of the family floop onto as soon as they get in. Without looking up from his phone the father presses on the button marked seven I step in and press the button marked ten. Just like that I am on my way? No one is going to see if I have a card of my own?
The sharp ping from the elevator hitting floor ten breaks my thought, I was so wrapped up in my own head I didn’t even realize the family stepped off the elevator. Did one of them try to ask me something? I must be mistaken. The door of the elevator begins to close, I stick my hand out activating the motion sensor, the door jumps to a stop like a startled rabbit before slowly retreating. I step onto floor ten...I think all the doors are locked.
Why did I never get a pet rabbit? I remember at one point in my life I had that thought or at least the idea of having a pet rabbit. Now that I think about it, was it that I wanted a rabbit as a friend? How young was I when I had this thought? For some reason I remember my hand was full of marshmallow. RIGHT when I was four my parents had taken me camping for the first time. I burnt my hand trying to grab a hot marshmallow off the fire, I must have thought about wanting a rabbit as a friend right before the pain hit me, I wonder if I still have the scar.
It’s there, it’s very faint, I have to stretch my fingers very wide and hold it at a specific angle so the light hits it just right, but it’s there. I use to look at it so much even show it off when I was in my teens, it use to be so much more predominant I guess time really does heal all wounds. I lower my hand and notice something directly in front of me, on the ceiling; a security camera pointed right at me.
How long have I been standing here staring at my palm like a weirdo? Has hotel security been watching me this whole time? I let my arm fall back to my side and walk away from the mechanical gaze but now I can’t shake the feeling that I am being watched very closely. I turn the corner and find another camera, this one is not looking directly at me like it’s pretending not to notice me.
I have walked past the first camera I spotted at least nine times now, they must know I am here. Any minute now I am going to be thrown out, possibly even charged. I need to find some way out soon, but all the doors need a key card, so does the elevator. I have to get out, I need to- hang on, this door is different.
First thing, this door is about two centimeters into the wall unlike the other doors which stick out about half a centimeter. The door itself looks older, that it’s tattered, the paint is thin in some places, particularly beside the doorknob which is what makes the door stand out the most. The other doors have handles with a slot on top to insert your key card, this door has the most simple grey, slightly beaten knob you could think of, with a slot on the front for an average everyday key, the best part? Someone either forgot or simply did not lock it.
Whatever the reason the door was left unlocked is ultimately beyond me, what does matter is how irresponsible it is, I mean look at me. I was trying to get away from security and now I am in this cramped hallway. Wouldn't it be interesting if the reason was for convenience? Well it’s not my problem.
It looks nothing like the rest of the hotel, it’s like I walked into a completely different building. This hall is almost as narrow as the door I walked through. The walls, a basic drywall, painted with a plain eggshell colour. The floor, large evenly squared tiles, same shade as the walls. Every surface is so dirty is like looking at rotten eggs.
In my last year of high school my friends and I had planned on egging the teachers cars, except for Mr.Gardner he was cool. We had let twenty cartons of eggs sit out in the sun for a week! Then Adrien went a bragged about the plan to whoever would listen and of course Peggy Watts found out and went crying to the teachers about our plan. I wonder whatever became of them, not just my friends but Mr.Gardner and Peggy too.
I just realized, I was so wrapped up in my thoughts I was not paying attention to where I was going, lost track of where I am. I remember every few feet the hallway broke left or right into more hallways, I guess I chose whatever way looked more interesting. Eventually the walls became a maze of pipes and wires, except this wall in front of me now it’s littered with graffiti and the hallway does not break left or right, hold on there is a door frame around this wall but no door.
It’s a service elevator, I didn’t notice it at first but on the left wall on the other side of the door frame there is a number pad. Beside it is a big button with an arrow pointing to the ceiling, below that is a hole, with a pin sticking out of the center of it, I bet it originally had a big button, with an arrow pointing the opposite direction as the one above it.
I press the top button, I hear a faint click but nothing happens, I try holding it, nothing. Maybe it’s broken? I press on the pin in the hole, I hear a similar click but still nothing. Well I have cornered myself, it’s only a matter of time before someone finds me, whether it's security or maintenance makes no difference, this is the end on my journey. Might as well have a peek behind the curtain that is the hotel employees.
My first job was customer service at a chain restaurant, it was terrible and the only reason I took it was because I wanted my own car. It was in my last year of university and was tired of taking the bus, my parents were willing to pay for a lot of things while I went to university, but a car? That was a luxury in there mind. I was at that job for less than a year then I got my first accounting job and never looked back.
If there is one thing I miss about that job it would have to be the collective bitterness all the other employees had towards most of the customers in general especially the regulars, you would at least expect one of them to have been awesome to deal with, no everyone is headache in one way or another. Looks like these hotel employees agree with me.
‘I hate dealing with people’ is either carved or written at least three times on each wall, on one wall someone used permanent marker to write ‘I want to escape this hell hole’ and judging by the shape of the ‘E’ the same person wrote ‘the old management was better’ on the wall across from it. Below that someone wrote in blue pen ‘Fuck off Eric! the old management sucked’ whoever wrote that also wrote ‘dickbutt’ on the far wall, opposite the door frame. A drawing of a cartoon character I have seen circling around the internet, standing boldly on the word that names it. One person simply carved a variety of profanitys all over the place along with a carving of four numbers.
2270 I punch that into the number pad, press the big button, hear a click, the revving of an electric motor, the sensation of being hoisted upwards, concrete wall slowly covers the opening I walked into. Really? It was that easy? At no point upper management saw the elevator code exposed for the whole world to see? Who would have thought such negligence was aloud.
Because there is no door on the elevator because of that I have the pleasure of watching a moving mural of hastily written profanities I really do enjoy seeing as much of it as I can. Suddenly the elevator comes to a halt. But there is no hallway in front of me just concrete and graffiti. I try the code and button again but nothing, before the idea of being trapped enters my mind I hear a rattling behind me.
As I turn around I remember the door frame was also on the other side of the elevator. I find a small room there is a pile of copper pipes leaning against the far wall, a plethora of 2x4’s cut to random lengths, a few broken and abandoned tools and cans of paint with the lid haphazardly placed on top. One can in particular calls out to me, it’s dried soft yellow colour drips down the side of it almost compels me to remember.
I can’t or that is I don’t want to remember it’s...it’s just too much. Turning my attention to the source of the rattling I suppress the memory once again. I walk up the four steps leading to a steel door which leads to the roof of this hotel. I step outside, greeted by a heavy warm wind and pock-faced man, who looks to be about my age smoking a cigarette.
I give him a simple nod and walk further away from the door, he greets it with a long pull from his cigarette and a suspicious scowl, I can feel his glare burning into my back as I admire the sight of my city from this perspective. It’s one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen I wish I could have seen stuff like this everyday.
As I draw closer to the edge I can hear the pock-faced man shouting something, it doesn’t matter what he has to say it’s already too late. I close my eyes and continue walking and let one comfort envelope me; the truth that it’s not my fault.
@lazy-author @writersroses @willowandsnow @fightingforwriting @melodielgrace @jaimistoryteller @imawriterhelp @fictionpot @panticwritten
Sorry if I missed tagging anyone, I hope you enjoy my story and I look forward to reading everyone else. I had a lot of fun writing this. For anyone who is a little lost.
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Exhaust Clamp Market Strategy Analysis and Sourcing Strategy to (2020-2025)
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