Skate park scuffle

In reference to Liam Mulroney of Ugly Ass Bikes, this is Dan Vez from South Park skate park in Brossard, aka “The Devil.” [Mulroney was quoted as saying, “You could replace ‘South Park’ with ‘The Devil’—I don’t even want to see their name in print,” in our April 27 cover story, “Rough riders.”]

Liam, I’m under no illusion that I will please everyone with my skate park project, but way over 99 per cent of the folks who have walked through my doors over the last three years have been plenty stoked on their visits. Your attitude towards other sports and their “classification scale” clearly demonstrated to everyone who the antagonist is. How convenient that you shoot down the biggest park around, being a new park operator yourself. We’re open to bikes 30 hours a week here and have plenty of regulars who dig the place—from first through sixth “class” of riders, Liam. And sure, we may have had an employee or two who sucked in regards to customer service, but my love for this place made it easy to fire those pricks, and unfortunately your park is stuck with one.

I was BMXing and skating back when you were dodging your dad’s nuts, and my respect for all forms of riding is unquestionable. Much respect for starting your own thing, but smile a little, kid—you’ll have an ulcer before you’re 30.

» Dan Vez, South Park skate park

More on Newfoundland

Just a quick response to John C. Underwood’s letter in the April 27 issue of the Mirror [“Seal story”].

As a Newfoundlander living in Canada (or Quebec if one insists), it gets a bit tiring to be referred to as a “Newfie.” Most Newfoundlanders consider this term derogatory, akin to “frog” for a francophone. Furthermore, Mr. Underwood’s comment about there being a better way for “Newfies and Bluenosers to earn a living” implies a total lack of understanding of the seal hunt. To begin, the seal hunt in Canada is carried out mostly by Quebecers and Newfoundlanders, not by Nova Scotians. More importantly, finding another line of income in rural areas is not possible in the same way that it would be in a large city like Montreal.

It’s time for ignorant and hypocritical Canadians disconnected to regions where sealing takes place to head out and shut down local slaughterhouses before they take the moral high ground.

» Stephen Penney

Bicycle backlash

This morning, it happened again. I’m cruising along on my way to work when an idiot opens his car door without looking, and there I go flying. I get up, pretty shaken, the front of my bike twisted, and all I get is a barrage of verbal abuse. No, “I’m sorry,” no, “Are you ok?” and certainly no, “Here’s my name and car insurance just in case.” What’s up with Quebec drivers? The mere sight of a cyclist seems to turn them into homicidal maniacs.

In over 20 years of almost daily cycling in Belgium, I never got doored. Not once. Not even a full year in Quebec, and this is the third time. And that’s not all. Since I’ve moved here, I’ve been pushed into the curb, cut off by assholes who never ever seem to use their turn signals, almost hit by someone running a red, subjected to verbal abuse, flicked off and honked at without cessation almost every time I venture out on a bike. What is up with that? Do you really think that’s normal? Don’t you realize that you, sitting in your little air-conditioned cocoon, can easily kill me?

At first, I tried being polite and reasoning with people, thinking the asshole behaviour was due to a lack of knowledge. “You really should look next time, you know” or “You really should use your blinkers.” Guess the reaction? Then I saw a guy who had just been pushed against a parked car by a minivan punch the side mirror off the van. Well, power to you buddy and thanks for the lesson. You’re my hero. Next time some moron on four wheels endangers me again I’ll do exactly the same thing.

» Y. Van Pee

Hydro hike hurts

Considering that Hydro Quebec already makes an enormous profit, the 5.3% Hydro Quebec rate increase that took effect in April is unjustified and should be viewed as just another hidden tax increase. Such constant Hydro Quebec rate hikes hurt poor tenants the most, many of whom increasingly have to pay for their own heating.

The Quebec government rakes in billions of dollars every year through Loto-Québec, cigarette sale taxes, the SAQ, Hydro Quebec etc. Yet, there never seems to be enough revenue for the government because of the bloated bureaucracy and fiscal mismanagement.

As the wise scribe H.L. Mencken aptly put it many decades ago, “Government’s great contribution to human wisdom is the discovery that the taxpayer has more than one pocket.”

» Manish Patwari

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