Thursday, July 10, 2014

Winnipeg bans busking on public transit

I like how the media spun this story with headlines leading readers to believe that if you break out into song about wheels on a bus, you're tackled and shackled and hauled off in a police cruiser.

No. Not even close.

According to a report on CBC's website:
"The rule came as part of a larger transit bylaw that makes it against the law not to pay your bus fare and establishes an array of “inappropriate conduct” for which someone can be kicked off a bus or fined.
The provision for the city’s more “musical” guests, says without permission from Winnipeg Transit, no one can play a musical instrument, sing or offer a live musical performance on a city bus or face a fine of $100 plus court costs".
So if your five year old gets on a bus in Winnipeg, like how a five year old got on my GO bus this morning, and burst out into song about Wheels on a Bus but the only verse she knows is "Round and Round" and sings it non-stop for 27 minutes, I think you're good. But if you pull out an acoustic guitar and join in - BUSTED.

I should also note this same transit company ran this ad in the 80s:

6 comments:

  1. 0:20 seconds in...46.7 CENT GAS!!!

    *faints*

    ReplyDelete
  2. When I first started driving, gas was .35. When it jumped to .45 I actually tried to figure out how to cut my route to and from University down to the bare minimum just to save some money.

    Sigh. Now, I am doing the same thing, but with errands and appointments and work schedules.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Apparently, city council has felt the backlash over the "no singing" and as long as it doesn't bother other passengers or the driver, it will be okay.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @Squiggles: I'm trying to determine when you started driving. Is that $0.35 per litre or per gallon? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. My first car filled up at 28 CENTS per GALLON!!!!

    It was a 1970 Datsun 510.

    My sister in Winnipeg read this and laughed at the heavy-handed language. Her and her fellow bus riders are trying to arrange a sing-in on the bus one accompanied by some kind of instrument. Just for the lulz of course.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I really want to say: First one, then the other. But in truth, the price was per litre. And in a different province.

    But to throw a kink in the plans, I was actually taught to drive and was driving the family to breakfast at 12 when we lived overseas. Strictly so that I could say I drove when lived in this middle eastern country that prohibits female drivers.

    ReplyDelete

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