Dear south end students: You’ve been living in what were formerly single-family homes for what, four months now? It doesn’t matter where you came from, in Halifax, there’s a law: we compost. That’s what the big green garbage can that is assigned to your house by the city is for. It’s not for your garbage and plastic crap. If you keep filling it with crap, it will keep not getting emptied on garbage day. And it will get so heavy that no one will be able to move it off the curb, where you annoyingly leave it. So, learn to compost, get the crap out of your green bin (yes, your problem!) and learn how to “do” garbage in 2020 (hint, there’s an app!). After half a year in school here, you got this! Signed, your non-rodent-loving neighbours.
—Non-rodent-loving Neighbour

I wish a certain popular Canadian coffee chain would buy a new toaster that actually toasts their doughy-ass bagels. I ask for mine to be toasted twice, and the thing is black and tastes burnt but is STILL doughy AF and not a bit of crispiness at all! I'm never buying your shitty-ass bagels again! I might as well eat a raw ball of dough. Also, could you stop putting little pinholes in your coffee lids please? What is the meaning of this? The drippage has completely ruined my new UGGS!
—Do Better In 2020

I applied for housing back in the summer, and have just now been contacted and told that I'm being added to a waiting list. I thought I’d been placed on the waitlist long ago, but no. Apparently it takes six months just to be added to the damn waiting list. What has my application been doing for six months??? Sitting on someone's desk, collecting dust? Then my landlord tells me that my power bill has to be completely paid off to be accepted, and my cat must be fixed. Where the hell am I supposed to come up with all this extra money to pay hundreds for a procedure I don't want my cat to have to go through anyway? She's only a kitten, and I would rather wait to have to get her fixed when she's older. This is unfair to expect of low-income people. Landlords need to stop telling people how to live. Also, all the best locations with housing are designated for seniors and for families. Single people get the shittiest buildings in the worst areas with gunshots and drugs. This is age discrimination against young, single people. Metro Housing is run by a bunch of morons who don't know what the fuck they're doing. How are people supposed to survive in this town? It's pretty bad when a 40-year-old person has to move into a single room, with a single bed, shacked up with five college students in one apartment. When are the municipal politicians that we voted into office going to do something about this serious issue in HRM?
—Homeless in Halifax

I'm tired of hearing your cat calls. Staring at my breasts while I'm talking = not cool. Whistle at me again and I'm going to turn violent. And if I had a dollar for every random guy who told me out of the blue that I'm his soulmate, I would be one wealthy woman. Why any of you think it's OK to send suggestive messages while drunk is beyond me, especially when you’re married. Men, let's get this straight: if a woman is nice, it doesn't mean she's hitting on you.
— Next Time It’s Your Job

Frustrated with the rental situation in this town. You're limited to apartments meant for students to share, or overpriced, soulless condos. Everything in the middle is being used for Airbnbs and nothing is left for the people that live here. Patiently waiting for the city to step in and regulate this shit.
—Air Bnbitch

Dear men,
Women on the bus don't want to talk to you. Or more accurately, they don't want you to talk at them. Does she have headphones on? Is she reading? Or is she employing these strategies just to signal to you (because yes, this is about you) that she doesn't want you to talk to her? Keep your anecdotes to yourself.
—C

This has been a long couple of months of not speaking to you. I thought it would be easier seeing how it ended with you physically assaulting me. I could see all the stress eating away my body and self-worth. At times I get so angry at your behaviour when we were together and other times I miss you terribly. In the end, being in a relationship with someone shouldn't mean losing yourself completely or making excuses for their abusive behaviours.
—Seeing The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

To the asshole who jaywalked into the intersection on Dresden, so that I had to brake sharply to avoid them, and then SMACKED MY CAR as I drove through: a) the concrete barrier on the east side doesn't allow me to see the full intersection until I'm close to it, b) learn how to safely walk around in a city (including using crosswalks and looking before you just blindly walk into the road) before you get hit by a car or bus, c) yelling profanities and spitting in the face of someone is really, really juvenile (especially since that person stopped their car and didn't hit you) and d) grow some balls and take some responsibility for your own stupidity, rather than blame it on someone else.
—Shocked and Disgusted Driver

She knew from the start. She said that something about him made her uneasy, like she wasn't really wanted. His words said one thing, but his actions or lack thereof said quite another. But all the nice little things made her overlook the warning signs. He never asked her to be his therapist, but like many women we've been socialized to want to "save" these poor, hurt, brooding men who "have a lot of potential" if they could just get their shit together. He never mooched or leeched, was never abusive, but their dynamic was toxic and codependent. She gave more than she had to give, and should have been able to see that he couldn't be what she needed him to be.

This very good-looking man needs to grow up a lot and become a hell of a lot more accountable, or else he will continue to hurt people in this community with his casual carelessness. We all have our shit. The longer you don't deal with yours, the more it hurts those around you, whether you realize it or not. She should have ended it ages ago. She is hurting a lot and wants him to get better even though it's over, but she needs to want HERSELF to get better even more.

She can do SO MUCH BETTER. SHE IS AMAZING AND WORTHY OF SOMEONE WHO IS CRAZY ABOUT HER, not someone who sees her as just casual and convenient.
—On Behalf of An Incredible Woman Who Is Worthy of Love

Dear Valued Customer: When I ask how your day is going and you snap “just looking,” it takes every thread of self control not to punch you in the throat. News flash: I don’t actually care whether your mom died five minutes ago or you’re getting married tomorrow. I’m just doing my job. If you can’t be decent enough to reply “fine, thanks” just do me a favour and shop online.
— Seasoned Seasonal Retail Employee