Tuesday, November 30, 2010

No buskers, no hot dog man at the station

During the 2010 Olympics in February, BC Transit started requiring buskers to apply for licences to perform their music in the train stations. I blogged at the time that I thought that was a crazy idea. If the musicians believe in their music enough to be out in all seasons playing, let them play.

As a regular transit user, I used to enjoy hearing music as I descended the escalator into the Commercial-Broadway Station concourse. What I miss most is the sound of the Andean winds; that haunting music used to float up the escalator to greet me as I floated down.

Another thing I miss at the new version of what used to be called simply Broadway Station before it tied into the other line is the hot dog cart. For years and years the same vendor plied his trade just at the bottom of the escalator on the southwest side of the entrance.

I don't much care for hot dogs, but I always enjoyed the aromas of grilling wieners and frying onions from the car. I only bought a hot dog from the cart once. But the man never seemed to lack for customers. Now he's been gone -- for awhile. What's happened to him?

The station concourse is large and spacious, but there are no longer benches on the south end of the platform at Broadway either. Things go along the same for a long time; then when they change we become aware of small losses that our senses miss.

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