I think all that passive-aggressivenes finally became aggressive.

Exactly.

That's what I was saying when I admitted earlier that if I was there, the crowd was 'right,' was 20, full of alcohol, etc... I could have easily been one of them, even though otherwise I'm a decent person.... which I am but I'm also aware that people aren't so black and white and people do **** up.

<off to kick canes out from under the local cotton-tops>

Yep - my words exactly. In fact I said something like "well, this is what happens when they run out of passive" as I was filming the events from my apartment. Still, looting sears - seriously no taste

Yes I should clarify that I am not making comments about EV. Not lived in EV long enough, although had nothing but good experiences. Frustrating that it has a bad reputation, yet no doubt made by others who don't live here. Yet it has a fair number of drop-outs, tramps, street people, whatever you want to call them. Unlike most in my apartment, I do not enter / exit East Van in an armoured Hummer, but often on foot, often at night with my kids. I have yet to feel threatened. There is ample police presence but not overbearing, just about right. Plenty of less fortunate who just blend in. Quite a few beggers congregate on the intersection immediately beside my place, but having seen them a few times, they've dropped the request for cash, and sometimes even exchange a greeting.

I was up in a park on Wall Street, and there were a group of adults sitting on a bench, chatting and drinking. My kids started playing with a jack russell belonging to one of them. The guy introduced himself and to his friends. Certainly a pretty friendly and totally harmless bunch. Of course drinking in public is more of a taboo here, but I was thinking afterwards how I'd have judged the same in Britain. Just a bunch of adults having a drink. Completely tolerated but the same thing in essence, apart from the complete disregard for the law, but it's a silly one so I'll drink to giving silly laws the finger.

Coming back to my original point, my worst experiences as a parent relate to North and West Van. Actually life got a lot more boring, and social interaction took a nose dive when I moved out there. Became more interesting in a good way now I've moved back. Oh, also the weather is infinitely nicer in downtown area. It really does rain more on the North Shore.

Finally someone else who gets it!

Not sure why Toronto papers are being quoted on a Vancouver story.

The Globe isn't a Toronto paper. It's a good a "Canadian" paper as exists.

But, from a BC point of view, it's still a Toronto paper.

How curiously parochial.

Haha... you always find a way to add a dig.

Cos it's a valid article with very good points that shit all over some of the stuff you say

I quoted this article because I thought it was the most honest one written so far. Who cares where it's from? HOw do you know the author isn't a Vancouverite? That is taking parochialism to a ridiculous level.

I believe the G&M is gathering fans here...

yeah and that too!

It appears that the reaction to the riot is now swinging to the extreme and is just as worrying if not more so than the riot itself.