CUPE strike sabotage or just coincidence?

[the flying moose]

http://canadianpress.google.com/arti...Pk0tNqtcg8gkdQ

Vancouver drivers frustrated as left-turn lights out of sync

3 hours ago

VANCOUVER - The commute through downtown Vancouver was a mess Thursday as traffic was in gridlock by lights that malfunctioned.

But whether the problem was caused by an innocuous computer glitch or whether it was a result of sabotage as part of the city's ongoing municipal workers strike is under investigation.

The left-hand-turn arrows on traffic lights were out of sync along the city's major corridors of Granville and Oak streets.

Then later in the day, a man called AM730, the city's all-traffic radio station, to say: "This is your traffic CUPE local and it will continue."

When the anchor asked him for how long, the caller responded: "Until the strike ends."

Vancouver's inside and outside workers and librarians, members of three locals of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, have been on strike for 70 days.

The unions have entered into a mediation process with the city. Mediator Brian Foley is making non-binding recommendations to the parties, which will then vote on them.

A media blackout is in effect while this goes on.

Tom Timm, the city's general manager of engineering services, said Thursday city staff were working on the problem.

"We are investigating whether this is a simply a computer malfunction or whether this is wilful sabotage," he said.

He said the lights, which are controlled by computer, were supposed to switch to accommodate day-time traffic Thursday morning, but that didn't happen.

Timm said the person responsible for fixing the lights is a member of CUPE but under an essential services designation, he was been called in to make the repairs.

Earlier this week, a Vancouver playing field was seeded with nails, broken glass and bits of concrete.

Debris was discovered in the grass after some Vancouver parents hired a contractor to mow the field prior to a children's soccer game, despite opposition from CUPE pickets.

Leaders of CUPE local 1004, representing outside workers who, among other things, maintain city parks and fields, called the sabotage malicious.

In a statement, the union said the civic dispute has been hard on everyone but there is no justification for endangering the life and safety of others.

[white ri0t]

if they were running the traffic system on Mac's OSX they would not have had this problem!

[FullMonty]

Originally Posted by white ri0t

if they were running the traffic system on Mac's OSX they would not have had this problem!

plus the arrows would look really stylish

[robholio]

Originally Posted by white ri0t

if they were running the traffic system on Mac's OSX they would not have had this problem!

I highly doubt it's running in a Windows environment, if that's what you mean. Just on the amount of traffic and necessary uptime, it would rule Windows out. Likely a full enterprise of Unix clusters on a WAN.

OSX is Linux at best. But like FullMonty said, at least the arrows would be stylish....

[the flying moose]

Originally Posted by robholio

at least the arrows would be stylish....

and then you could only turn if you were a trendy, pompous douchebag.

[FullMonty]

Originally Posted by robholio

I highly doubt it's running in a Windows environment, if that's what you mean. Just on the amount of traffic and necessary uptime, it would rule Windows out. Likely a full enterprise of Unix clusters on a WAN.

OSX is Linux at best. But like FullMonty said, at least the arrows would be stylish....

isn't traffic light control handled by boxes at each intersection? at least that's how I thought it was done, of course, that could be old hat.

[gearwh0re]

Originally Posted by the flying moose

Earlier this week, a Vancouver playing field was seeded with nails, broken glass and bits of concrete.

Debris was discovered in the grass after some Vancouver parents hired a contractor to mow the field prior to a children's soccer game, despite opposition from CUPE pickets

....

[the flying moose]

Originally Posted by gearwh0re

....

i know. pretty sick.

[white ri0t]

Originally Posted by robholio

I highly doubt it's running in a Windows environment, if that's what you mean. Just on the amount of traffic and necessary uptime, it would rule Windows out. Likely a full enterprise of Unix clusters on a WAN.

OSX is Linux at best. But like FullMonty said, at least the arrows would be stylish....

[dot ca]

Originally Posted by FullMonty

isn't traffic light control handled by boxes at each intersection? at least that's how I thought it was done, of course, that could be old hat.

Yes I'm pretty sure that's how it's done. As my uncle owns the company that fixes all the traffic lights, and street lights and all the underground magnet things under the street. And if it was running on a Mac thing, the arrows wouldn't be stylish as it would be just to power the light bulbs in the light. As thats all it is, a bunch of LED's in a line to form a arrow.

[SkunkworkS]

Originally Posted by gearwh0re

....

That was our rugby field.

[skimtb1]

macintosh computers suck

[Geologyboy]

Originally Posted by white ri0t

if they were running the traffic system on Mac's OSX they would not have had this problem!

Hodgman's Law

As an online discussion about computers grows longer, the probability of a someone claiming Mac never have a problem approaches one.

I am really pushing to coin this phrase.

[seeformiles]

Originally Posted by Geologyboy

Hodgman's Law

As an online discussion about computers grows longer, the probability of someone trolling mac-haters approaches one.

I am really pushing to coin this phrase.

fixed

[Six]

I wish this would end already...we produce a small amount of trash and even that is piling up. Shit...I'm on a first name basis with most of the crows that hang around trying to get into the bags...