Give 'em a taste of their own fumes
Re: "Bing's wrong bus stop" (Aug. 19), our public transportation system cannot afford any cuts. Instead it is in a dire need of improvement. I know: There is no money. But as the old saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way. That is what is dramatically lacking in this whole issue: strong political will.
The users of our public transportation are deemed uninteresting, without power or influence. Many of them do not vote; some might even be "aliens." They can be disposed of without any major political risk. A few bellyaching liberals might shed a tear by their graveside, but they soon will be forgotten.
As a daily bus rider, I have a suggestion to remedy this apathy. When someone works for Ford, it seems appropriate that they drive a Ford. The staff of DDOT, from supervisor on down, should be required to ride to work on the bus. Let them have a taste of their own medicine. I bet that we would soon see a lot of improvements: buses on schedule, shelters at bus stops, sanctions for rogue bus drivers, increased safety, etc. If the sense of public service seems to have vanished, let the instinct of self-service kick in and generate an eruption of new ideas, initiatives and programs. This could be tried for one year without costing DDOT a single cent.
I know, I am dreaming. The managers of DDOT are far more important than Joe Biden who, as a U.S. senator, used public transportation daily for decades. Besides, they would run the risk of being mistaken for common Detroiters. —Jean-Marie Allion, Detroit
Post Mortem
We got a lot of comments on "Artiste confidential," Josh Buckenberger's piss-take on art school. Here are some of the spicier entries:
LordDirk posted: Though an entertaining read, I found this neither ego-shredding nor cliché-busting. In fact I found this compiling upon already established stereotypes and a slight bias toward the photography department. If this was intended to not be serious, then great, I did get a chuckle out of it, and I found some truth to speaking to your fellow artist. If you really wanted to bust those clichés I'd say you should have addressed them, as you did, but then elaborated on the variety you can find in every department. If you didn't find that, then I feel quite sorry for you. It's was a tickling read, but I would have liked more. Peace.
kateburck posted: Dear lord! Who let you write this article? Who saw it fit to publish it? I'm incredibly offended by it. I find it absurd that you've so thoroughly perpetuated the base level stereotype of every department and aspect of CCS. What is this article trying to achieve? To me it reads as a bitter graduate who just wants to whine about his college experience. Honestly there are too many points for me to address in this article. It would be a waste of my time. In the end, any intelligent reader will see this article for what it is: an ignorant whining festival of angst.
CCSRULES posted: Not surprised seeing articles with brainless thoughts like such nowadays. I'm just deeply sorry that you had to spend a fortune to prove yourself ignorant and worthless.
Erratum: In the review of Merle Becker's American Artifacts rock posters documentary ("Art Brutes" by Bill Holdship, Aug. 19), it was reported that Becker was inspired by the book, The Art of Modern Rock by Paul Gruskin. The 2004 book was actually written by Paul Gruskin and Dennis King.
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