Categories
Politics and activism PTUA transport

Voting for PT

So how am I voting tomorrow? No comment. But I will tell you what I know about the policies on my pet topic: The Greens, as you might expect, have the best, most comprehensive public transport policy (though it’s not flawless by any means). Of course, we all know they are unlikely to be forming  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Thursday morning on the Frankston line

This morning on the Frankston line… Election stunt? The latest Metro Trains Authorised Officer uniforms? Year 12s last day/Schoolies celebration? Is there a Flashmob happening somewhere this morning? Or is it just the latest fashion? I wonder where they keep their Metcards/Mykis? (Caption on their bums: MorphSuits.com)

Categories
Melbourne Photos

Sunset over Melbourne

Taken from Deck 10 at the Adelphi Hotel at a friend’s birthday party a couple of weeks ago.

Categories
Net Politics and activism

The importance of context (even on Twitter)

I’m not having a go at anybody in particular here, but making a point. I tweeted what I thought was an amusing comment from someone I don’t always find myself in thorough agreement with, Roads Minister Tim Pallas: Tim Pallas’s pledge: “I will never, ever, wear lycra in public.” http://j.mp/9Z9zlB #vicvotes — danielbowen A couple  ... [More]

Categories
Consumerism Geek / tech Net

Domain Registry of America/Domain Renewal Group – scammers

If you have your own internet domain name, you may have come across the Domain Registry of America (DROA), also known as the Domain Renewal Group. They’re a bunch of scammers who regularly and repeatedly send out letters which look like an invoice for a domain name, but are in fact custom advertisements for overpriced  ... [More]

Categories
Consumerism

Supermarket trolley deposit

Last week Safeway Woolworths replaced all their trolleys as part of the makeover. And they all require a deposit — a $1 or $2 coin. Excellent. ‘Cos while I don’t usually use a trolley, when I do, I’m sick of them having wonky wheels because people have pushed them for miles and dumped them in  ... [More]

Categories
PTUA transport

Both sides to build Southland Station

I’m very pleased. After years of pressure, both major parties have pledged to build Southland station. The Liberals promised it last week, and yesterday the ALP came to the party. (As recently as last week, I ran into ALP’s Rob Hudson at Bentleigh station and he said he was pushing for it. At the time  ... [More]

Categories
Morons on the road transport

Sure, I can park here. Why not?

Well, this thing I’m driving is about as big as a bus, so I thought I could park in the bus stop. Obviously it would have been too hard to move forward a couple of metres into the perfectly legal parking spot just ahead. I guess I could have knocked on the window and asked  ... [More]

Categories
Friends and loved ones music

The power of music

(My blogging is likely to be a little sporadic for the next week or two. I’m sure you can work out why.) Music can often be very powerful at capturing an emotion, a feeling, a memory. After that post a couple of months ago about songs on a theme, here’s another theme that’s become relevant  ... [More]

Categories
Friends and loved ones

The things kids say

I know there’s nothing more dull than than reading someone’s blog post on amusing things their kids say. So this one’s about my nephew and niece. And it’s about stuff they used to say, and have now grown out of, but which I’ve found so amusing that sometimes I jokingly insert them into my speech  ... [More]

Categories
Consumerism

Supermarket karma

It was my turn in the express checkout. I had to manoeuvre past a trolley someone had left in front of the checkout. Trolleys shouldn’t go through there anyway, but this one had been abandoned, with a single bottle of wine in it (wrapped, so I assume paid for). Why you need a trolley to  ... [More]

Categories
Melbourne

Sights from the Footscray station pedestrian bridge

The Footscray station pedestrian bridge opened earlier this year. As noted in this Age article, part of it will have to be demolished to cater for the Regional Fast Rail project (even though the RFR project was funded before the bridge was built… hello, forward planning). Anyway, there are some great views from the top  ... [More]

Categories
PTUA transport

Confusion galore

Find out more — and send an email to your local MP and state election candidates outlining your concerns about public transport — at www.PTthatworks.org.au Update Wednesday: Labor has now released its transport policy.

Categories
News and events TV

Hillary and The Chaser

Was it just me watching the news last night who thought: Hold on, have the Chaser infiltrated Hillary Clinton’s Secret Service escort? I’d swear one of them was the spitting image of Chas Licciardello. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time they’d tried something like this.

Categories
transport

No choice: at Fountain Gate, the car is king

The Westfield Fountain Gate web site’s advice for getting there by public transport has a list of the buses that serve the centre (the list being out of date — the 826 and 794 don’t exist anymore and the 839 and 840 no longer go there) and notes it’s a fifteen minute walk from Narre  ... [More]

Categories
News and events Photos transport

Photo library

I think I can understand why the gunzels find this irritating. All media outlets do this kind of thing from time to time — I’m only using an image from the Herald Sun here because they happen this morning to be showing two on the same page. They have a story, say, something about trains,  ... [More]