Wll Vancouver does roll up the streets, unless you know where to go.
It used to be a city of parties and then became a city of riots.
Vancouver having it's own local police is a major drawback. Other smaller cities benefit from RCMP presence which is always welcomed as they have a good reputation of resolution without retaliation.
Vancouver 'pigs' are simply a bunch of bouncers without a job. It seems that at least twice a year there are several that are on the stand for police brutality, no wrongly either.
I remember even as kid, they'd throw you all in the paddy wagon and start four-wheeling down unpaved roads while samming on the brakes randomly to throw you around. You'd then get dropped of 50 miles from home at 4AM and left to figure it out, I'm talking 13 -14 years old, just hanging out in the wrong place.
They have a lot of resentment against them and as a result a riot is alomst inevitable when they get involved in a crowd.
Due to all this, the city has stopped almost everything here due to the lack of resources and available police.
Everything good happens outside of Vancouver now, where the RCMP have control. They are respected, people shake thier hands when arrested and quietly surrender while admitting to being a bad boy/girl. We respect the RCMP, they respect the citizens.
Vancouver decided to cancel first night celebrations this year! Can't afford the number of city police it would take to control a NON-alcoholic crowd. 'First night' is a non alcoholic celebration.
I am actually going camping on Gabriola Island with a whole bunch of old school friends, we usually rent half the osland each summer for our annual booze bash, but this year we are adding New Years to the list. No one drinks and drives if your all camping. We shut down all dirt bike so nobody is killed and the party will be a riot, a self contained riot that is, far from the streets of Vancouver.
BUT....besides my lengthy segue, Downtown Vancouver is a great place for me, you can feel the energy and the buzz as you walk the streets. Money, business and movement, it's very exciting to say the least, especially when you've escaped it and just experience it by choice now.
You're right, it will be fun to go hang out tonight with the old crew and do the bar hop, just hope I can wake in time for the conference tomorrow, it would be funny to miss it due to a hangover after all this.
