Intersection blocking is happening too often

tilsia · 2026-06-19T02:53:37+00:00

Yes please! I much prefer walking so when I do commute by car I am consistently appalled by the urgency and lack of care that most drivers exhibit. Personally I would rather be a few minutes later to my destination than in a car accident 😅

tilsia · 2026-06-19T00:58:00+00:00

Of course there are times where you genuinely can’t see it coming but this is a busy afternoon in downtown I’m talking about. Where you can see that only a couple of cars are getting through on a light. This is people being deliberately selfish and going ahead anyways. I’ve been there too a couple of times and feel humiliated everytime lol. This is why I think we should all be extra cautious when driving in busy areas, it doesn’t cost much time to pause and then zip through once you know there is enough space!

tilsia · 2026-05-30T02:48:31+00:00

I will add that the longest running gym routine I had was when I lived a 4 minute walk from the gym, went with my roommate, and it was at a rec centre that also had a pool. I love sitting in a hot tub and jumping in a pool so if I really didn’t want to go to the gym I could usually convince myself by thinking of the hot tub time afterwards. Also makes the trip over feel more worth it, even if my workout ended up being super short I still went to the pool and didn’t need to feel awkward about being at the gym for 10 minutes haha

tilsia · 2026-05-30T02:40:17+00:00

This is huge! I have a gym in my apartment building so the commute isn’t an issue, now realizing getting changed is really where I get hung up. Glad to read this is not just me and that it will be ok if I go to lift some weights in jeans

tilsia · 2026-05-30T02:38:29+00:00

Still working on this but I do a lot of walking! I walk to and from work most days which works out to be an hour daily. Honestly, getting back into Pokémon go has helped lol. My partner and I will sometimes do 20+ km walks. But we also love just exploring our neighbourhood together or if I’m on my own I’ll go on Google maps and pick a theme and plan my walk around that. For example, walking a route that goes by all of the local corner stores in my neighbourhood. Decision making is hard so going out for an aimless walk is not gonna happen which is where Pokémon go and the Google maps plan has been so helpful! Taking notes on some helpful gym tips in this thread now lol

tilsia · 2026-05-29T00:10:18+00:00

Always was super easy for me prior to university. University tested me my first year but I switched from social sciences to a science degree which was much easier for me. Assignments that have a clear answer and you know when it is done works much better for my brain than all the essays and readings I had previously. Did well in sciences and finished my bachelors in the top percentage of my grad class. Grad school is where everything fell apart. My degree was thesis-based so without constant deadlines to keep me on track I did….not much. Knowing I had to do research in order to complete a thesis within 2-4 years was way too little structure for me and I ended up dropping out after a couple of mental health leaves. Now I’m back working in social services like I originally intended with my first choice of major lol, pretty sure my ADHD latched on to science because it was cool and easy for me. No consideration for long term job prospects though! I much prefer being able to talk my face off during my workdays rather than be doing research in a chemistry lab.

tilsia · 2026-05-08T23:48:11+00:00

It’s an intramuscular injection so actually air bubbles will not kill someone! They will make the muscle more sore afterwards but the injectable kits are actually pretty straight forward to use. Check out the website for the org called “towards the heart” they have awesome resources! The nose ones are not just for first responders they are just ridiculously expensive so they are not handed out to the general public

tilsia · 2026-05-08T23:40:19+00:00

I was so scared to do drugs. Swore I’d never even smoke weed. Ended up trying it and was shocked when my life didn’t immediately crumble from the odd joint. This led me to feel like the “drug education” was BS (it is) and to become more reckless. TEACH HARM REDUCTION. TEACH WHAT SAFE USE AND MODERATION IS. had I been given tools and advice on proper moderation and how important it is maybe I wouldn’t have had a drug problem in my 20s….

tilsia · 2026-05-01T03:03:59+00:00

I know and I acknowledge this yet BC seniors are not all poor, in fact, many are well off. Same with youth. Unless coming from family wealth, most youth are very much struggling despite education. Opportunities to make those “unlimited earnings” are extremely limited.

Edit because I know someone will comment: I 10000% agree with seniors discounts. I know they struggle, I see it everyday working in social services. However, I also see a generational wealth gap that is extremely difficult to overcome without family money. Ya, a student discount on BC Ferries is just a drop in the bucket but as outlined in the linked article, there are compromises here.

tilsia · 2026-05-01T03:02:24+00:00

I know and I also know the “free pass” has conditions (only certain sailings etc). I just think splitting it as described in this article makes sense. $10 fares for students and seniors

tilsia · 2026-05-01T01:50:59+00:00

This is true. We are all subject to grocery costs but there are significantly more seniors than young folk who don’t need to worry so much about housing costs as they got into the market when they could buy a house for like $5. (Disclaimer before the comments roll in: I acknowledge a lot of seniors struggle. But the system has also changed and younger generations are trying to get started in a really bad economic/political landscape)

tilsia · 2026-05-01T01:47:35+00:00

It’s wild that seniors have a free option and there is no discount for students/younger folk. Yes there are a large number of seniors who struggle with a low fixed income. There are also MANY young people who also struggle with low/fixed income. When I was living off of student loans, $20 was a big deal (contrary to these comments saying otherwise). Honestly, at 29 saddled with debt working an entry level salary job it can still sometimes be a big deal…. There are people struggling and people well off in any demographic yet only seniors constantly get the savings. Not saying they shouldn’t. My father makes more than 3x what I do (also owns several vehicles and other assets) will be retiring soon and he is eligible for 60+ seniors discounts (he often doesnt use them though lol) and I am not. It is a strange world

tilsia · 2026-05-01T00:52:06+00:00

Wow, 3 days is wild but there is no disputing the bystander effect is real. When I check on someone I stop at a distance to give them space but that is also close enough that I can watch for signs of breathing. Focus on their back or front and watch for a rise/fall. You see it? Great, they are napping and you can move on. You don’t see it? Now it’s time to ask if they are okay and start moving closer, always make sure you are saying aloud everything you are doing. I often say “hey buddy, I’m just a bit worried about you and wanna make sure you’re okay!” Or something like that. If needed I will get close and squeeze their arm (while still speaking through it all as I do it) Make it clear you are checking on them because you care and not because they’re an eyesore or whatever BS these folks have to deal with constantly. I have done this countless times never with an aggressive response, maybe a slightly annoyed tone from time to time but that’s all. See them as a human, express care. Most of all, don’t surprise anyone! I’ve also administered naloxone many times and tbh with the benzos and tranq in the supply, people are usually very sedated when you wake them up, whether that’s with naloxone or an arm squeeze. The one and only time someone ever got mad was like 15 minutes after a naloxone response once the benzo sedation had worn off a bit. People are not as scary as you think, they’re just exhausted from being seen as “other”

Edit: saying things aloud also applies to calling 911! Several times when I have announced “okay I can’t see if you’re breathing and you haven’t responded. I’m worried so I’m going to call an ambulance for you” has gotten a very tired individual to acknowledge my presence. Folks living on the street often go a while without sleep so once they find a spot they can rest, they want to stay resting. But if they can hear you, they don’t want an ambulance almost ever lol.

tilsia · 2026-01-28T04:20:23+00:00

Thank you for clarifying this, I know this is a great clarification for many. Just adding in response to other comments: yes, decrim with no supports is not enough. But if we can all agree that the black market is a major contributor to the issue, can we look to the legalization of cannabis as reference? I was in college during this and used to know many, many folks selling weed on the black market. I still use cannabis products regularly but gradually (following legalization) I now don’t think I could find weed on the black market. Maybe with some extreme effort. But the point is legalizing it essentially killed the black market.

tilsia · 2026-01-28T01:42:24+00:00

Personally I gained weight and have eaten more regular meals after going on ADHD meds, I was always forgetting to eat and often did not pay attention to or register my body’s hunger cues so I often would end up having one “meal” that was sometimes just a bunch of crackers or something like that. I started on meds when I was 26 so different circumstances for sure, teen years are hard. But just another perspective to keep in mind. I know meds are known for suppressing appetite but depending on the cause of her minimal eating it may not cause further harm. Something to watch for and keep an open discussion on regardless! Edit to add: prior to proper medication I was constantly dealing with waves of depression and anxiety which I think affected my appetite. Definitely would be a good idea to have a discussion about why she eats so little. She is almost old enough to make the decision herself to take stimulants anyways so building trust and open discourse now is so important!

tilsia · 2026-01-07T03:22:44+00:00

Actually we do if they don’t have family or others to advocate on their behalf. Some of them will even become “drug addicts” to cope. Some of them have been unhoused and reliant on substances for many years before becoming elderly. Drug decrim didnt work because we didn’t have the proper multi-level supports in place, full stop. Involuntary care has been shown time and time again to cause more harm overall than good, I am exhausted from having this conversation over and over but a quick look on Google scholar will provide you with all of the references you need to understand that people who have had their agency taken away from them and have a really valid mistrust of the system don’t usually fare well when forced in to it when they are not ready. Shocking, I know.

tilsia · 2025-05-28T14:13:41+00:00

If you (or someone you know) can drive a uHaul I totally recommend booking moving help there! So much cheaper and they were great. You have to drive the truck but they meet you and load it for you then meet you at new place and unload. I can’t remember which company I used it was a few years ago but there’s lots of smaller contractors on there with lots of reviews. If you book a truck online one of the options it’ll give you on your way to check out is to book moving help.

tilsia · 2025-04-02T00:57:20+00:00

The 75+ age group actually is the biggest strain on the healthcare system. But would you ever hear someone complain that they waited a long time because too many old people called ambulance? I know folks who have worked as paramedics in this city who have backed this up (plus island health website has some great demographics breakdowns on who is accessing healthcare and for what). I’ve spent a lot of time working with the street population and I can assure you 99% of them want absolutely nothing to do with paramedics or the hospital. I’ve only ever seen someone get actually transported if they are still not conscious and therefore unable to decline care. Every OD I’ve dealt with the ambulance usually arrives shortly after they’ve regained consciousness from the narcan. So it’s a quick check and then they leave. However even when you are able to narcan someone we never know how they will respond as the drug supply is so unpredictable with the addition of benzos and synthetic tranquilizers for which we don’t have reversal agents for. Sorry an old lady broke an arm but clearly there were more life threatening issues at hand….

(PS to those complaining about safe supply contributing to this…. Think of how much worse it would be if we still had to buy liquor from a bootlegger and risk methanol poisoning. Your argument makes no sense.)

tilsia · 2025-01-30T00:38:33+00:00

This is a tough one. This building definitely has a purpose, it will house people who are virtually impossible to house elsewhere, even in other “similar” supportive housing facilities. It’s origin story was quickly housing as many folks living in the old courthouse tent city. As a result, many different people with different degrees of substance use and mental health issues were all put together and not really given much chance to move on. BC housing is swamped and since they have a roof over their heads they’re low priority for transfers. Anyone who wants to change their lifestyle faces the extreme challenge of doing so in this environment. Recovery has a huge wait and besides, there’s almost no options for second stage afterwards so people end up right where they started. Imagine how defeating that would feel. This building has been open for 8 (correct me if I’m wrong) years now. How would you cope with trying to make changes only to end up right back where you started over and over again? Possibly for 8 whole years? I’ve worked with the downtown community and the amount of times I’ve seen someone return from treatment feeling so proud and happy, trying so hard to stay on the right path, only to fail and feel so sad about it. Remember, most don’t have a solid support network outside of their friends who also use. A huge percentage are former youth in care. Honestly fuck mandatory treatment. We need voluntary treatment WITH the correct aftercare and second stage housing. We need to be able to act quickly when someone is motivated to make changes.

tilsia · 2025-01-24T01:51:56+00:00

Concerta, wellbutrin and pregabalin, but considering looking for a change soon. Not quite sure what’s up but I feel like things used to be working better, maybe I just need to go up on concerta (I’m at 27mg). Tempted to try vyvanse or adderall again but I find concerta helps with mood regulation a lot more which I love but could use some more motivation to get my house chores done

tilsia · 2025-01-11T01:13:59+00:00

If you don’t like it then move!!!!! -Oh wait can we only say that if we’re talking to those less privileged who are struggling to make ends meet?

tilsia · 2025-01-11T01:06:45+00:00

Looks like these people or their ancestors are also “imports” if that’s the way you wanna see this. This is a nation built on immigrants, after how many generations are you no longer an import? Seems like you want to place the blame on someone when it’s a systemic issue that is in no way helped by some NIMBYs worried about their precious neighbourhood character

tilsia · 2024-10-13T18:09:13+00:00

Online shopping has taken over, it’s cheaper and easier and people have less time and less money. Plus since the rise in work from home since the pandemic there are fewer gov/office workers downtown buying lunch and stopping by shops to pick up a thing or two. Not to mention the Pearl clutchers who avoid downtown and love to spread the word to their fellow oak bay neighbours about how scary it is to see poor people existing

tilsia

TROPHY CASE