Dear Editor,
Okay, I will try to put this nicely, but what in the flying hawk is up with all the vacancies in the Langley City core?
I see all kinds of new high-end residential construction, but yet more and more commercial “space for lease” signs.
Maybe that is just collateral damage left over from the Harper administration.
But the sign of ignorant times that now disturbs us, is the one about to be posted at “My bank who shall remain nameless” at the downtown Langley mall.
You know, the one that many of us of limited means have been dealing with for years, but apparently, no matter how hard we try, we simply can’t leave enough on deposit to make it work for them anymore.
Of course, being a bank and all, it would never be only about the money. But isn’t it great to see all this unaffordable-for-most-of-us luxury housing being built for those who can afford it?
That means we got more rich people coming to town.
Oh goody!
Only now they get to miss out on some of their deposits too, boo-hoo.
We certainly aren’t looking for sympathy, but for those of us without the silver-economically-viable-spoon, at the other end of the socio-economic spectrum, struggling to simply survive with a disability, this sucks.
You know, those who haven’t had a “pay” increase in years, but just received our latest rent increases, and can’t afford a pound of hamburger much less get our landlords to replace our long overdue carpets or countertops, or effectively get rid of all the bedbugs.
We will now be forced another step down into an even lower standard of life all because we can’t afford and don’t want to change our bank, or add the trip to Willowbrook mall to our busy schedules.
It isn’t so much that we don’t appreciate the joy of an additional erosion of our high quality time joyfully waiting for the bus to get there, both ways.
Or basically four times the extra special convenience of the walk to and from those bus stops.
Not to mention scraping up the bus fare somehow, or dumpster diving to get there.
I guess we could take it out of our kids’ lunch money. But what about those of us who can’t do either in the first place? Those without any options? Those who don’t have a dime “on deposit” the day after “Welly Wednesday,” or don’t have an E-vehicle? Or do have a flat on our bike? What are we supposed to do?
Walk?
But the best part of this adventure, is that whatever way we get there will also involve the additional challenge of surviving the treacherous parade of distracted drivers along 200th Street or Fraser, and across Hwy 10, where pedestrians and cyclists exactly like us regularly get killed. I can’t wait to read that story in the paper: “Disabled person killed on the way to cash cheque.”
With the lead-in: “Charges lowered in vehicular manslaughter case.”
Of course, the bank officials I just talked to try to blow this off, a.k.a. explain it away by saying they have to move because “they can’t expand in that location.”
And in the next sentence, “Don’t worry, all the employees from here will be moving their good, secure jobs there to serve you better.”
And the real heart-warmer, “But we are still going to have an ATM here for your convenience.”
Well, gee, little Ms. Corporate inconvenience.
Aren’t we blessed.
At least it isn’t all bad news, especially for Money Mart, which will now be able to cash in on us a little more than their wonderful payday loan service already does. Because they will rake in even more “serve-us” charges to cash any other minimum-wage-if-we-are-lucky cheques that a few of us may be so lucky to receive.
Unless we wait 10 business days for those whoppers to clear.
It is funny though: I see two or three for lease signs at large enough spots right next to that exact Money Mart Location right across from the notorious 7-Eleven where some of us are no longer welcome, either.
So thanks a lot for not only “serving us better” but especially for putting our lives at risk and for clearing out our tills. Not that we matter to you, obviously. We know it ain’t about our money.
Happy “serve-us charges” everyone.
Danny A. “Hurricane” Halmo, Langley City
