In this episode, we discuss the growing problem of drug addiction in Canada's largest city, Calgary, and how the city is handling it, and the denial factor that keeps them from doing anything about it. We've been reporting on this for years, but unless there's something outstanding, such as a stabbing on an LRT platform, and they've been happening a lot, actually, cities tend to act as if the problem isn't happening.
00:00:00.000So, I mean, as I drove to work this morning, I, again, torture myself listening to talk radio.
00:00:04.480And I listened to a news item excitedly announcing this initiative to have trivia games played on one of Calgary's city buses to encourage people to ride.
00:00:12.780I thought I was listening to a parody report, like something from The Onion or something.
00:00:17.800You see, since the pandemic began, ridership on Calgary's city transit has plummeted as lockdowns were imposed and people began working from home.
00:00:25.140And now, despite the lockdowns and work-from-home orders being rescinded for months, and Calgary's downtown is beginning to bustle again due to the high energy prices, transit ridership is still flatlined at 60% of what it was in 2020.
00:00:37.180People are refusing to use public transit unless they absolutely have to.
00:00:41.840City authorities, though, they're pretending, I guess, that the issue is cost or boredom.
00:00:46.940Because they've been announcing initiatives such as cut-rate transit passes and cute karaoke and trivia games on buses.
00:00:53.540Yeah, karaoke as well. And I say pretending because they damn now, well, know what the problem is.
00:00:58.660City transit facilities and trains have been overwhelmed with out-of-control addicts and riders don't feel safe.
00:01:04.580We've been reporting on this for years now, but unless there's been something outstanding such as a stabbing on an LRT platform, and they've been happening a lot, actually,
00:01:12.700cities tend to, the city tends to act as if the problem isn't happening.
00:01:16.340Addicts set up shop and took over Calgary's southern LRT stations.
00:01:18.960They literally were camping and out-of-control within those facilities.
00:01:22.960Discarded needles and human feces were commonplace.
00:01:25.920And passengers had to run a gauntlet through addicts in various states of impairment to try and get to the train to commute.
00:01:31.100In response, though, rather than try and maintain order in the stations, the city of Calgary just closed them to the public.
00:01:36.100Paying passengers had to shiver on outdoor platforms looking at heated buildings they paid for sitting up locked.
00:01:42.020The addicts then moved on into roving into the parking lots, and car break-ins, of course, exploded out there.
00:01:47.460Yet the city apparently is mystified as to why people won't ride transit.
00:01:52.120On downtown LRT platforms, if you haven't been downtown lately, guys, you see it.
00:01:55.480The shelters are crowded with addicts, openly consuming meth, heroin, and God knows what else.
00:02:00.040Groups of addicts gather and huddle, while others are aggressive and shouting and throwing things and kicking windows.
00:03:37.200They can't inhabit it because they're too out of control with their addictions.
00:03:40.560For the same reason, of course, they're not in any condition to live in any kind of permanent home right now.
00:03:44.980In California, the denialists have gotten so extreme, Los Angeles City Council is looking at a law that would force hotels to take in addicts if they have any empty rooms.
00:03:54.900They'd have to report daily to the city if they have any rooms available, and the city will place the addicts in there.
00:03:59.680Now, anybody with common sense knows this would destroy the hotels and the rooms.
00:04:03.540Guests and staff don't want to live or work in a homeless shelter full of addicts.