dannyman.toldme.com

Night Vet

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2023/07/27/night-vet/

The cat is okay.

The night vet … the night vet is okay.

I wait in the lobby, sprawled on a bench. At one point there’s more of a crowd. I sit up and set the carrier on the floor.

I wait. And I wait. Staff have called in sick, but the triage nurse is on top of things.

I watch the parade. A family comes in with a dog. The dog is in trouble. They go back right away.

I wait. And I wait. Another family comes in with another dog. This dog is in trouble. They go back right away.

I wait, and I watch the families return, one by one, teary eyes. No dog.

I wait. The front desk quietly chatter about clients selecting urns.

I wait. The front desk staff leave.

It is 2am. I see the Doctor. We run through The History together. I am not very good answering questions. My middle aged mind doesn’t run full tilt at 2am. The bulb on the cat’s nose that is filled with puss, one can squeeze like a zit. “Your cat is not very happy with me now.” Fair enough. A prescription for something that can stimulate appetite. Wear gloves and rub it in the ear. Alright.

We get home. The cat is hungry. I feed her. I may not need to rub medicine in her ears.

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Letter to the Editor: “expose e-bike risks”

Link: https://dannyman.toldme.com/2023/07/30/letter-to-the-editor-expose-e-bike-risks/

The article “Teenagers’ accidents expose e-bike risks” published on July 30 is a master class in victim blaming. We are provided several examples of someone riding an e-bike who is then injured or killed when being forced to mix with motorized traffic.

The problem isn’t e-bikes, the problem is that we have chosen not to provide safe routes for people to get around on bicycles. E-bikes magnify this failure by making it easier for more people to ride.

E-bikes can also lead to the fix: as more people ride bicycles, there will be more pressure to build safe routes for people to get around on bikes. More bicycles means fewer cars on the road, reduced Carbon emissions, and less road congestion.

We need to stop blaming our children for our failures and get to work.

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