Alberta's Highways

[Jester B]

Re: Alberta's Highways

I am at a loss for words.

Dave, you went on a tirade about how not all techs at dealerships were the same and how "stealership" is very offensive to you. I backed you on it, even though I've had some VERY negative experiences from some of the dealerships around here, and have several friends to have had issues with their VW's that couldn't be fixed. Maybe the techs were too lazy to figure out what the problem was and it was just easier to say "can't replicate issue" and give the car back...only to see it again in 2 weeks for the "next available appointment". I dunno, but one rotten apple you know.

Rondal, no I don't work for Roads and don't know all of the nuances of the design / install of pavement. But, I have noticed with various projectes over the years that the final "top coat" doesn't get put on until well after substatial completion of a project. I'm guessing that Glenmore won't have it's final paving done until after all the bridges are complete. I don't drive Richmond...don't know what you are talking about there, but I belive it's got issues.

And "shovel packing", I'd imagine, isn't quite that bad (likely has some packing machinery involved) and is a short term "fix" and is waiting for a more comprehensive paving project. It's not cost-effective to re-pave huge sections if there is a more major project scheduled. The "spot" could have been a water main break and an emergency repair. It could also be the work of a contractor doing a utility tie-in for a new in-fill or something like that. Perhaps that main is scheduled for replacement next year, or the year after. What sense does it make to pave a road "right" when you know full well it's going to get completely dug up in the next 24 months?

All that said, I'm obviously going to lose this arguement. I've only worked here for 7 years and see people on a daily basis who go that extra mile time and again. I guess I should get ready to put my feet on my desk, cuz the attack of the lazy's are on the way! If you think it's that cushy and easy...come work here and see how long you can coast for.

[/rant]

[Russell]

Re: Alberta's Highways

maybe I have seen a different side of things as I have never been in a union, also being the guy there just for the summer you ended up doing A LOT of work. I think the thing is the generalization that can set people off as there are some people out there that show up to work. I have a friend that worked for Calgary water for 3 summers and worked VERY hard for the city,

All this being said I know when I was working a concrete job we would all joke about how we wish we worked for the city

I am just happy those days are behind me and I actual get to use my degree now haha

[RONDAL]

Re: Alberta's Highways

city workers ARE lazy and it DOES spread like the plague. My old jobsite was just off of Bow Trail SW where they are doing all this work on the north side of the road near sarcee. Holy crap if you saw someone working you better have a camera ready cause it was rare. Those guys sat around under trees and in the 7-11 so much it made me sick.
I'm not trying to stereotype here but when you drive by sites and all you ever see if guys sitting on "safety meeting breaks" it becomes too easy.

If you do work for roads maybe you can explain this? Why can no one in the road dept make an even, flat, smooth road? I don't need the line about massive temperature fluctuations because between july and august the temp didn't change by much.
New Glenmore, new richmond road....both were taken down to base layer and brought back up. Neither are smooth, free of joints where the pavement comes together, or even. Does your steam roller driver not know how to do his job or what?

The biggest piss off is when they do road work here on something and they dont even use a roller to pack the new ashphalt. They simply pack it with shovels and let traffic do the rest. You then get a nice big dip in the road after time that gets grooved to **** by traffic. It's a joke.

[VAG_Tech]

Re: Alberta's Highways

One rotten apple spoils the whole bunch Russel. That's all I'm saying. Laziness spreads like the plague and with the union backing you why bother working hard?

For example, a heavy duty mechanic buddy of mine got a job with the city. His first job was to do brakes on a city bus (transit style) He took eight hours to do the job. His foreman got pissed at him because the the brake job was supposed to take 3 days to do. His foreman said if you don't slow down you will be written up and the union will get involved.

So tell again how you think city workers are busting their balls everyday...

[Russell]

Re: Alberta's Highways

Dude, I know people who used to work for the city and they tell me what their jobs are all about. It made me sick to think my tax dollars are paying for them to sleep in their trucks / cars and smoke weed. So don't preach to me about slinging muck. I know first hand. I don't blindly blast people just just because I think it's stereotypical. I actually do my homework first.

I have done my time as a construction worker and have had many friends that have done the same working for both the city and private companies, it is not fair to generalize everyone because of what someone said. Like Jester B said, that is not to say there are not people messing around, but that is true in any job. After spending my time on the roads and on job sites I have a lot of respect for the guy that goes to WORK and does his 8hours a day maintaining our city.

[Jester B]

Re: Alberta's Highways

So, because there's a few bad apples (let's be liberal and say 250 of them) out of 14,000...we all get painted with the brush? Nice. I'm not going to say that it doesn't happen, but it's not the norm. Some of them actually get fired for it...I wish all of them would.

[VAG_Tech]

Re: Alberta's Highways

Awww, dude, after all the times I stuck up for you and the service/pricing that delearships offer you have to go and start slinging muck at other people's professions? Not nice.

Dude, I know people who used to work for the city and they tell me what their jobs are all about. It made me sick to think my tax dollars are paying for them to sleep in their trucks / cars and smoke weed. So don't preach to me about slinging muck. I know first hand. I don't blindly blast people just just because I think it's stereotypical. I actually do my homework first.

[The Brice]

Re: Alberta's Highways

What really irks me about our road conditions is the amount of capital this province holds. There is so much money flowing into the province at this time yet very little seems to be flowing back down to society. Yeah yeah rainy day fund, heard it all before, but more money for services and upkeep needs to be had.

[Jester B]

Re: Alberta's Highways

When I first moved here 6 years ago I couldn't beleive the roads here. They ****** suck ass! They still suck ass today. As for the influx of population putting a beat down on the roads, I don't beleive that's the case because if you look at Toronto they have a population of five million plus. The roads there are like a prom queens thighs compared to the roads here. I say Calgary city workers should put the coffees down and put a bit more quality into the work they are doing for our tax dollars. MY $0.02..

Awww, dude, after all the times I stuck up for you and the service/pricing that delearships offer you have to go and start slinging muck at other people's professions? Not nice.

Are you complaining about the quality of new construction, or the roads that have been down for a long time and are cracked and heave with the wild temperature fluctuations and result in potholes? You can't compare Calgary and Toronto. Sure, they have more traffic, but it's the elemets that eat up the asphalt, not the traffic.

"City workers drinking coffee". There's a stereotype that the general public knows nothing about. Take a look around at City workers and ask yourself if you'd do the same job, in the same conditions, for the same pay. Like the Roads workers who are outside in both +30 and -30 with traffic flying by because it's "inconvenient" to slow down for the lazy workers. Or the Waterworks folks who are waste deep in flowing water repairing a main break at -25. Or pretty much everybody who was up for 48 hours straight sandbagging when the Elbow River flooded. I could go on, but I'm sure you get my point.

I'm not saying that the road conditions are good in Calgary. I know what lanes to avoid because of the holes and such. But before you start slagging other people's work ethics, try to think a bit about what's a stereotype, and what's real. Perhaps compare it to working at a dealership...

[Coker Rat]

Re: Alberta's Highways

dean, what about fort mac roads, eh eh?




*stands back a bit to watch the smoke come out*

[DeanerF]

Re: Alberta's Highways

I just did a roadtrip to Sask in my car and while the road isn't great, its better than the stretch west of calgary to the border. Yes there are potholes but they are 1" deep and can easily be avoided. its the massive rifts and bumps in the pavement that cause all the grief here

west of calgary? HA!

try west of edmonton to the border!

coming back yesterday, crossing the border there is a "BUMP" sign "300m" .. It was fucking retarded.

I think i rubbed my back tires 3 times the whole time i was in BC, i rubbed 13 time before i got to jasper (yes i counted :P) then lost count on the way into edmonton.

not to mention the HUGE ruts in the highway which turn into athabasca rivers when it rains (like it was)

[VAG_Tech]

Re: Alberta's Highways

to those that say raise my car: get over it...whether i am in a lowered dub or cadillac i am still going to be bouncing around to **** on the road.

the state of our highway makes it UNSAFE more most to drive. everyone swerves to avoid the massive bumps and cracks, not to mention the bumps in turns that upset the suspension during cornering.

If the Federal Govt maintains it I am sure they do it by funding only and that would be giving money to the province to fix, which they misuse. Its a freakin' joke out there.

I just did a roadtrip to Sask in my car and while the road isn't great, its better than the stretch west of calgary to the border. Yes there are potholes but they are 1" deep and can easily be avoided. its the massive rifts and bumps in the pavement that cause all the grief here

When I first moved here 6 years ago I couldn't beleive the roads here. They ****** suck ass! They still suck ass today. As for the influx of population putting a beat down on the roads, I don't beleive that's the case because if you look at Toronto they have a population of five million plus. The roads there are like a prom queens thighs compared to the roads here. I say Calgary city workers should put the coffees down and put a bit more quality into the work they are doing for our tax dollars. MY $0.02..

[RONDAL]

Re: Alberta's Highways

to those that say raise my car: get over it...whether i am in a lowered dub or cadillac i am still going to be bouncing around to **** on the road.

the state of our highway makes it UNSAFE more most to drive. everyone swerves to avoid the massive bumps and cracks, not to mention the bumps in turns that upset the suspension during cornering.

If the Federal Govt maintains it I am sure they do it by funding only and that would be giving money to the province to fix, which they misuse. Its a freakin' joke out there.

I just did a roadtrip to Sask in my car and while the road isn't great, its better than the stretch west of calgary to the border. Yes there are potholes but they are 1" deep and can easily be avoided. its the massive rifts and bumps in the pavement that cause all the grief here

[bart]

Re: Alberta's Highways

transcanada is a joke, doesn't canada claim its the longest highway in the world or something? thats ********, because in certain spots it has traffic lights!!!! HIGHWAYS DONT HAVE STOP LIGHTS!!! sorry, thats garbage.

[asp gti]

Re: Alberta's Highways

ya the road on the alberta side of highway 1 is ****, the stretch from castle junction to past lake louise is awfull, so many little cracks and bumps the whole way, may car was vibrating soo bad i thought something was gonna break