How fucking dare you! You, sir, are a real piece of fucking work. Wait, did I say “work,” I meant SHIT!

When you asked me for money this morning I had no cash on me (otherwise I would have given you some, but now I’m glad THAT didn’t happen). So I responded kindly with a “No, sorry.” And a shake of the head. And what did you do in response?! You looked me straight in the eye and said “Fuck you!”

Fuck me? Fuck ME?? No, FUCK YOU, you presumptuous, egotistic piece of trash! How very dare you! My money is MY money, and if/when I choose to give it to someone on the streets I do so out of the kindness of my own fucking heart, not because they deserve it somehow!

The very fucking nerve of you to respond to me like that! I’m not going to tell you to get a job because I don’t know you or your circumstances but holy shit FUUUUUUUCK YOUUUUUU! You’re not fucking OWED anything by any person walking by you except the respect afforded to you by the fact that you’re a person as well. I gave you that respect and you turned around and insult me because I couldn’t fucking do something I was incapable of doing?

I’m going to remember your face, and the next time I have cash if I stumble upon your sorry ass I’m going to keep walking and give it to someone else.

I’m not asking to be treated like fucking royalty here but holy fucking shit what you did was beyond boorish and impertinent. I hope the earful I gave you after the fact managed to penetrate that thick skull of yours, but I doubt it. Hopefully if you read this later, some guilt will worm its way into your unmannered self and you will think twice before doing that again. I repeat: YOU. ARE. NOT. OWED. ANYONE’S. MONEY.  –It’s MY Fucking Money, Asshat

Two drivers I passed last night on the highway proceeded to speed up, tail gate and turn their high beams on to try to annoy me in some sort of road rage revenge.  It's a new car with bright white lights but I wasn't tail gating or using the high beams when I was behind them.  I'd quickly passed but not in an aggressive manner.  I'm assuming they'd thought I had my high beams on—I didn't.  The regular beams didn't seem to annoy oncoming traffic—no one flashed me—but apparently they do annoy people in front (at least 10 car lengths).  Anyway, don't assume because someone has whiter headlights that they've got their high beams on or purposefully chose a car just to annoy you. You won't appreciate it when you update your car and people tailgate and try to blind you in some sort of misguided vengeance. —Auto Dimming Rearview Mirror Anyway

I'm not talking about the cold white fluffy stuff. I'm talking about the obscene use of cocaine in every downtown venue ever. I love partying, I love having fun, I love going to clubs, dancing, taking in live music, whatever. What I don't love is being yelled at in the bathroom about how you “need coke" or how "your life is ruined because of coke.” I can see the powder dripping out of your zombie noses. Disgusting! Sniff a little harder—SNIFF SNIFF SNIFF—nothing to see here. PUKE.

I've tried party drugs, even went a little overboard as a much younger person, but it doesn’t take much of the brain cells you might have left to know that using coke every weekend, every time you go out, every day, every night is going to seriously fuck you up.

FYI: a wide range of cognitive functions are impaired with long-term cocaine use—such as sustaining attention, impulse inhibition, memory, making decisions involving rewards or punishments, and performing motor tasks. Other scary things: increased rate of stroke and brain bleeds, loss of smell and damage to nose and sinus cavity. Loss of TONS of money you probably don't have, directly contributing to WARS and death of innocent people, losing friends, family, partners, children—how many reasons do you need to stop? —The Only Thing Worse Was Being Asked For Crystal Meth

What is wrong with you folks who drive around during a snow storm with your windows covered by snow? CLEAN THEM OFF! FFS!  Is it a problem? Yes! The fact that I knocked on your window and you couldn't see me until I wiped the snow off tells me it's a problem.  —Didn't See Me 'Til It Was Too Late

A few summers ago I had a friend from out of town visit me for Canada Day. I wanted to show him around the city, and because I'm a regular transit rider, I decided we'd use public transit to get around. So, I figured the best way to start off was to buy bus tickets for my friend. So we walked over to the Lacewood Terminal thinking we could buy the tickets and grab our bus.

Surely, if there's one place in the entire city that's going to have bus tickets for sale, it's the brand new bus terminal right? RIGHT? Nope. Upon arrival we were told that the terminal does not sell bus tickets. The guy manning the counter told us he thought they sold bus tickets at the gas station down the road.

So off we walked down the hill. Surely, if anybody knows where to buy bus tickets, it's going to be the person working at the bus terminal, right? RIGHT? Nope. Upon arrival at the gas station we were told they do not, in fact, sell bus tickets. But the guy working the counter told us he thinks they sell them at drugstore.

So off we walked down to drugstore. At this point my friend's first impression of Halifax is that it is a place of confusion and frustration in desperate need of getting it's shit together. Luckily, the store did have bus tickets. We then walked back to the Lacewood Terminal to catch our bus and get on with our day (which was wonderful, thanks for asking).

Several years later, the bus terminal still does not sell bus tickets, and now even the person manning the counter is gone. But it sure is a nice shiny empty building.

Don't even get me started on route 18 and all of the long stopovers it does on it's way from SMU to Lacewood. —IdLikeToBuyATicket

To the young woman crossing Novalea and Duffus on April 3 afternoon with the 2-year-old toddler running at least 15 feet in front of her through the crosswalk: You, lady, are an idiot. That's how kids get run over. It's shocking to see such a lack of regard for the child's safety. —Nervous Onlooker

The province of Nova Scotia is clearcutting our forests and burning them for energy.  It is basically a giant bonfire. It's not a physically efficient means of producing energy. It's not economical. The plants that do this are even subsidized by the government.  They are calling it "biomass" and a "renewable energy" source. On the books this non-renewable completely senseless waste is considered renewable energy. We should hold them accountable. —Tree Hugger

How long is the city going to allow that pile of "personal belongs" to be wrapped up outside the Library.  It's been there long enough that who ever owns it should be soon able to have squatters rights.  Summer will so be here and one of the city's nicest buildings, in one of it's most popular areas has a pile of garbage sitting in front of it. —Sick City-goer

We have nothing to lose but our chains. We have a world to win. —Unite!

I do think Income Assistance is notorious for causing its recipients undue stress and hardship. I should know. I go through it every day of my life. I am not the only one either. The stress that they put people through is probably enough to fill several therapists' wallets. I am facing being denied some basic services such as a phone. If I have a medical emergency, how am I supposed to be able to call 9-1-1? I have been up all night physically ill from the stress of being denied transportation by Income Assistance. I have that on my hospital record. It is proof of the stress I was caused by being denied certain services by Income Assistance,  a denial of certain human rights. I have a learning disability that prevents me from finding standard traditional work so I write for publications. It is the only 'employment' I can find. I created my own work. Now I have a bibliography and if anyone wants me to write for them, feel free to contact me.

Recipients of Income Assistance are forced to use food banks, probably can't afford dental care, or a phone. They are being denied what are likely basic human rights. This is unacceptable and there should be something done about it but that is not the case. The system keeps them this way rather than helping them get off the system. The system wants to hinder the recipients. They would rather have them struggling. It keeps the caseworkers working, etc. The bus passes discount for those on low income was a small start in the right direction. I hope that program continues. I hear the new program for those on low income to receive free bus passes is continually postponed. I believe that is because they don't want to lose coveted revenue.

The future for recipients of Income Assistance won't brighten until they finally relent and 1. Increase their rental rates and become realistic, 2. Allocate more allowance for their recipients to have enough money to survive on per month, 3. Make transportation more affordable and possible and 4. Stop forcing their recipients to prove why they need a phone. Everyone needs a phone. If there is a medical emergency, and my phone allowance is taken away from me, then I have the right to hold someone criminally negligent and liable.

I hope this insanity can be cured. —Heddy