I am listening to a series of recorded messages on speakerphone while waiting to contact an agent with the City of Vancouver. I simply dial 311 and Bob's Yer Uncle. Following the usual dizzying and options paralyzing menu and recorded infomercials I have finally contacted an agent. They are usually more prompt but it is just past five thirty in the afternoon and they are bound to be swamped with calls.
311 quite simply is the number you call if you discover road kill, garbage, off leash dogs, pedestrian safety hazards or other quotidian concerns and generally the agents are very good, concerned, helpful and see that something gets done. I am one of their frequent callers, usually about road kill, or sidewalk kill, given all the dead pigeons, rats, crows and other critters one can encounter on the city sidewalks.
Today it is a dead pigeon, squashed and flattened on the crossing of Fourteenth and Main. I saw it yesterday, and being busy with clients I had taken on an outing, I was too distracted to even think of calling the auspicious number. Just ten minutes or so ago it took hearing a song on the radio about road kill (a dead skunk to be exact) that prompted my memory and reminded me of my responsibilities if somewhat belatedly about good citizenship.
The upshot is that there has been no report of the pigeon being laid to its eternal rest but a report will of course be made. This is one of many things I love about this city.
I am still feeling better, by the way, though still a bit wobbly. I saw my doctor today and he assured me that I am recovering well and that this weakness is a natural result of hospitalization. I did force myself to take a good walk through the wealthy neighbourhood, Shaughnessy, including a couple of park bench breaks and then ran into an old friend whom I haven't seen in almost fifteen years. He is now a father of a two year old. He himself is already well into his fifties and I do hope that he and his son are so blessed that he will live long enough to cuddle his grandchild, though he will probably already be in his mid eighties by then.
The weather today is fabulous. The world has not ended.
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