Sunday for Monday #1
Do you want these devices in the downtown area? Two issues come to mind: one is the size and location and the other is the size of the advertising.These bins, the number has not been specified, but in Colborne bins are placed about 50 metres, sometimes less, and are prolific so how many bins do we want? The other issue is that the adverts on the sides will be bigger than the dreaded "sandwich" sign boards. So do we want commercialism to detract from the heritage slant to the area?
All is not lost, these ugly and advertisement driven receptacles will be on a 60 day trial. My opinion is simple - unless we can improve the capture rate of the existing facilities why should we go for it unless of course the royalities from the ads/bins are so great that we can't refuse the offer!
18 comments:
The bins will stay, bet on it. Whenever you combine the twin forces of enviro-mongers and compliant politicians afraid to question the enviro-mongers, enviro-mongering wins out. So does Big Business. Big Business like windmill manufacturers and VIA Rail -about which there is nothing enviro-mentally friendly whatsoever. But who's going to stand up to crazed cyclists when they've got their hands around your throat, or Paul Gipe 'Mr. Windmill' himself shouting down naysayers like Matt Galloway on CBC or anyone else who might dare to suggest something like these Save The Planet bins are anything but a marketing scam?
Believe me -the bins will stay.
DJC
Port Hope has now installed talking, beeping walk signals at downtown intersections, going one better past Cobourg, whose walk signals only beep.
I have a theory that our small towns are just concerned that city slickers will visit and laugh at us if we don't have all the latest gadgets in public places, and by installing these bins the hope is that we will be seen to be up to date with all the latest junk, just like the cities.
And I agree with DJC, we will be stuck with them whether we like it or not.
Too bad we can't install some tolerance for diversity too.
anon from Cramahe
Don't believe the "60-day trial" rhetoric. Cramahe agreed to host more than 20 of these bins, including two in Castleton, and four or five at the Keeler Centre. The rest are crammed into the commercial core of Colborne, which runs roughly from the art gallery at the corner of King East and Burnham, to Toronto Road, just west of Johnson Motors. Only two ads have been placed since their debut many, many months ago (think about that 60 days), and one of them is from the municipality itself. The hook ... Cramahe would get a rebate equal to five per cent of the revenues generated by ads. My understanding is that the bins are collecting as much garbage as they are recycling, because they are located more conveniently than town-owned garbage bins, but rarely policed for content. Not to mention that these monstrosities are fixed securely to the concrete sidewalks, necessitating drilling and lag bolting. Who pays for sidewalk repair when they're removed? And finally, we already have one of the best recycling programs in the province; why would anyone want to buy advertising on these ugly, space consuming, oversized "garbage" bins?
Not to lean too much on Marshal McLuhan but in my opinion "The bins are the garbage" -much in the same way the media is the message.
DJC
Deb O said...
Port Hope has now installed talking, beeping walk signals at downtown intersections, going one better past Cobourg, whose walk signals only beep.
I'm not sure about Port Hope, but I know that the beeping, chirping, and once upon a time talking, walk signals in Cobourg were installed for the benefit of the blind.
What you describe as "the latest gadgets" actually serve a pretty useful purpose.
... and for the record, Cobourg's units also do a verbal countdown of time left before the light changes. They are only activated after the button is held in for about 4 seconds, and yes, they are an asistive device for the visually impaired.
But why are the directional sounds the same? East-West still beeps the same as North-South
The Ontario gov't has guidelines for the walk signals:
http://www.accesson.ca/mcss/english/pillars/accessibilityOntario/accesson/business/environment/pedestrian/toc.htm
Apparently the way it works is the guidelines will eventually become a standard, and then the standard will eventually be become law.
"Beep, beep, zoooooom!"
-- Wild E. Coyote
Ben, either you need your hearing checked or I need mine checked. East-west is a very distinctly different sound than North-south, to me. Are you sure you're pressing a different button for each? You do have to do that. It would be catastrophic if a blind person stepped off east-west when the sound for north-south was pealing!
Where was that pic of a bin taken? I don't recognize the view in the background. Is it an image of the bin in another town that you are posting to illustrate something coming to Cobourg?
The pic was taken right out of the background material for the Council agenda. I think it was photoshopped by the applicant - it's their pic not mine
Yes. There are 3 pix of the bins there -- Council agenda. 1st one shows the bin in front of some all glass-front building. Toronto, maybe?
The other 2 show the bins in Cobourg, one on the south side of Kind St across from Edward Jones and on the east side of McGill with Vic Park in background and the building at the corner of Church.
Maybe they were photoshopped. I can't imagine them bringing actual bins to town just to take the pic. My point would be: this blog should use one of the 2 Cobourg ones, not the Toronto one.
Not if you want the best shot of the obsecene advertising
Oh yee of diminished imaginations -- there are soooo many of you.
A municipal by-law would take care of "obscene advertising" by requiring the space be filled with art or poetry or photography from Cobourg's arts community.
Perhaps the Historical Society would get the space for a three month season to display an historical photo. The Art Gallery could sponsor a bin. The Cobourg Poetry group could display their member's work. The library could do a book-related image.
Stuff like that. These bins can be an enhancement if you deal with it properly -- instead of wallowing in a whine-fest of moan, groan grunt and foam at the yap.
Use your imagination -- oh yes, it was taken from you in high school when you became a unround peg in an unsquare hole. Pity about that.
Wonderful suggestioin but unless somebody pays the owner of the bin nothing gets to be put up. Pay the freight and these guys would probably put up anything dross or wonder. just get a benefactor Wally and your stuff could be there too. Unless of course Council negotiated a number of the bins to be designated "public service" fat chance of that!
Ben Burd said...
But why are the directional sounds the same? East-West still beeps the same as North-South
Ben, I think the beeping you are talking about are the short beeps from the poles that the buttons are on. These beeps tell the blind where the buttons are located. (close your eyes near them and you will get an idea of how they work)
Press and hold the button for about a 3 count. The walk signal will chirp in one direction and koo-koo (like the clock) in the other. The walk signal will verbally count down the time left to walk before the walk signal changes to don't walk. These signals are designed to the CNIB standard, and can be found everywhere. The first time I heard one, I was in Peterborough. It scared the heck out of me until I realized what it was.
So what would be the price per month to fill the available space on one bin? $1000 per month? Would it be in terms of thousands or hundreds of dollars.
The Art Gallery receives all sorts of gov't funds, why wouldn't they invest in one bin for their shows, especially the bin nearest Victoria Hall.
Cobourg Library receives considerable govt funds, so they may be able to sponsor a single bin.
The DBIA might want to do a civic public service bin.
Depends on the price of the ad space. If it is in terms of hundreds of dollars, things shouldn't be too difficult.
The small-minded small-towners slagging on big city gadgets are ignorant of how well those bins work for recycling vehicles -- contributes to efficiency.
So much small town intolerance! Sheeesh!
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