4 - Wednesday, July 16, 1986 - North Shore News Bob Hunter ® strictly personal ® AS THE Socred leadership train rumbles haltingly towards it should be remembered, citizens, that two of the leading contenders are the people responsible for those the station, outrageous hikes in everyone’s B.C. Hydro bills. Likewise, except for the lucky denizens of West Van, who enjoy a separate bus system, all users of Vancouver Regional Transit Commission buses have been hit with equally outrageous price hikes for tickets. All of this to pay for SkyTrain. And who are these leadership hopefuls whom we = should all remember in our curses before we go to bed? You guessed it! Billf Vander Zalm, who started the whole thing, and Grace McCarthy, who finished it. In between was Jack Davis, but since he’s not running for the leadership, there’s net much point in bashing him at the moment. Maybe when the provincial ¢lec- tion comes, soime Of us will indeed remember. So far, as an example of modern transportation, SkyTrain has pro- ved to be on a par with all other high-tech rides at Expo that keep breaking down. The only Expo ride that hasn’t screwed up is the antique Merry- Go-Round. Otherwise, tney have all flubbed at one time or another. The Scream Machine, the Space Tower, the Cariboo [Tog Chute, the Looping Starship, and, of course, the $15-million monorail that nobody in their right) mind wants — all have had minor or major technical failures. SkyTrain was billed as the ultimate ‘“‘Expo Ride.’ It was supposed to be a smooth, silent, cutting-edge peopiz-mover that the whole world would go ga-ga over when it wafted on stream. A jot of us feil for it, me includ- ed. 1 gushed over it after my first ride. But my first ride was nearly iny last. The few times [| went near it afterwards, there were malfunc- Jamie Lee Curtis § tions. | ended up cooling my heels in fancy stations. Of course it is just a coincidence that the Challenger space shuttle exploded about the time SkyTrain started fitfully up and that Cher- nobyl blew just as Expo was open- ing. But keep in mind that prior to its debut as a mass urban transit system, the SkyTrain had only been used to carry visitors around Disney World in Florida. In other words, it is actually only one generation removed from the Expo monorail that has performed so dismally. This close relationship between the two modernesque transporta- tion grids has a cosmic right to it, although arandam Edgemont has made some great buys for July, and is passing the savings on to you. He sampling of these exceptional values Silver Mist Saxony self MRubberback Level Loops een 7 athe sea carpet fron [EDGEMONT <#'er onc ino H 1083 Roosevelt Crescent 4 North Vancouver M@ (2 blocks behind the Avalon Hotel) ,, King Edward” Cros Faraston [18% 4 Commercial Level Loops We heagtt the By whobsabt’s entze Stock and offer yen rerechbe saveeys. 985-0011 Liamated Quantity Pastel Sharing 1 tone only CANDIDE m ty Armstrong By 10 patterns to chon frum Don't mess t 7% CENTRE LIMITED op 40 oz. Saxony 14% 18% OPEN SUNDAY 11-4 Berber by Banner a wm 157 fi Roll Ends & Remnants : 2 ead By choy We have extended our business hours: i Friday 9-9, Sat. 9-5, § Sun. 11-4 a