Was the Factor to blame for the street-cleaner soaking?
Column originally published in Fort McMurray Today April 21, 2006.
By MICHAEL HALL
Today staff
It was the strangest thing.
I was walking home -- I'm back on the self-improvement program after a winter of hibernation -- when I got sprayed.
Not by a car tire splashing a puddle, but by a contractor hired by the municipality.
Crews are currently using equipment to brush sand and dirt off boulevards and medians. A contractor's water truck was spraying water on the grass, presumably to help dislodge the grit -- and it came up behind me and soaked my shoes and ankles with the side spray.
I was shocked.
Did they recognize me? Is it because of recent criticism of our local politicians? Is it sloppiness? Is it the Fort McMurray Factor?
(Although the term is normally applied to cost increases, I've developed an extension to the normal Factor definition: that service levels drop as the Factor increases, as workers find they can do a bad job without fear of retribution from employers.)
I wasn't that wet; it was the shock of it all. Because I was listening to a music player and the water truck came up from behind, I was taken unaware.
I'll give municipal workers and contractors a wide berth from now on.
* * *
This is almost old news, but there's so much I want to get in here, this got bumped from last week's column.
CBC personality Stuart McLean's two shows a couple of weeks ago at Keyano Theatre seemed, to the average audience member, to be totally or nearly sold out. This is after virtually no local publicity -- just mentions on CBC Edmonton.
That's great.
On the Friday night, McLean addressed those in attendance directly and asked for a tour of the oilsands. Fort McMurray Tourism runs regular tours in the summer months, but they haven't started up yet.
By Saturday night, he told the audience that he'd spent part of the day out at an oilsands plant. I understand an official from Syncrude Canada heard the plea the night before. Good going, people.
Regarding my plea for support for an arts facility -- I've heard exactly nothing to far.
Maybe I've misjudged this town, and people are only interested in opportunities to exercise their muscles, not minds.
Mind you, the great turnout for an under-promoted show that some -- including my parents, as it turns out -- are uninterested in, seems to belie that.
© Copyright 2006, Fort McMurray Today
By MICHAEL HALL
Today staff
It was the strangest thing.
I was walking home -- I'm back on the self-improvement program after a winter of hibernation -- when I got sprayed.
Not by a car tire splashing a puddle, but by a contractor hired by the municipality.
Crews are currently using equipment to brush sand and dirt off boulevards and medians. A contractor's water truck was spraying water on the grass, presumably to help dislodge the grit -- and it came up behind me and soaked my shoes and ankles with the side spray.
I was shocked.
Did they recognize me? Is it because of recent criticism of our local politicians? Is it sloppiness? Is it the Fort McMurray Factor?
(Although the term is normally applied to cost increases, I've developed an extension to the normal Factor definition: that service levels drop as the Factor increases, as workers find they can do a bad job without fear of retribution from employers.)
I wasn't that wet; it was the shock of it all. Because I was listening to a music player and the water truck came up from behind, I was taken unaware.
I'll give municipal workers and contractors a wide berth from now on.
* * *
This is almost old news, but there's so much I want to get in here, this got bumped from last week's column.
CBC personality Stuart McLean's two shows a couple of weeks ago at Keyano Theatre seemed, to the average audience member, to be totally or nearly sold out. This is after virtually no local publicity -- just mentions on CBC Edmonton.
That's great.
On the Friday night, McLean addressed those in attendance directly and asked for a tour of the oilsands. Fort McMurray Tourism runs regular tours in the summer months, but they haven't started up yet.
By Saturday night, he told the audience that he'd spent part of the day out at an oilsands plant. I understand an official from Syncrude Canada heard the plea the night before. Good going, people.
Regarding my plea for support for an arts facility -- I've heard exactly nothing to far.
Maybe I've misjudged this town, and people are only interested in opportunities to exercise their muscles, not minds.
Mind you, the great turnout for an under-promoted show that some -- including my parents, as it turns out -- are uninterested in, seems to belie that.
© Copyright 2006, Fort McMurray Today
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