Kingston Anonymous

I made this blog at my liberty to record my experiences around Kingston, Ontario. With reviews ranging from transit to food to local events, there is nothing I won't write about. 

[ygkanon]

To The Man Who Thought He Was Entitled To A Doggy Bag At A Buffet.

Admittedly, this is not one of my classiest posts. 

I went to a lovely restaurant in Kingston, Ontario this morning and witnessed something that greatly disturbed me. I’m not sure why I’m so upset over this, but in the name of etiquette, it definitely unnerved me. 

There was a stoutly man sitting a couple of tables away from my group and he asked to bring home some food from the buffet. No, it wasn’t food he already touched. He wanted untouched food that he could have “on the road”. 

What cheeses me off is the fact that we are all paying the same price for the same singular meal. This fart thought he was entitled to a second meal, for the same price. 

And I know this is a petty issue, but does he not have any self respect to say “Maybe I’ve had my share of food.” or “I should pay the same price as everyone else.” OR EVEN “I am no greater nor lesser than others”. 

He had the audacity to ask the staff for a “take home container” and when she said politely that it was their restaurant’s policy with the buffet that food is not taken home, he asks for the freakin manager of all people. DO YOU THINK YOU WILL EARN RESPECT OUT OF THIS?

Reluctantly the manager let’s him take some food home (as if his fourth plate was not enough) and I could tell he was only giving in to keep the peace. The glutinous man then proceeded to give the manager his business card. AS IF HE WANTS TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU AFTER THIS RIDICULOUS ENCOUNTER (YOU PIG). I don’t even know where I’m going with this post. 

I’m just outraged that he had the guts to think of himself as better than others, so much so, that he was entitled to more than everyone else without shame. 

I wish he sat on his fork. 

[ygkanon]

James Brett Downtown

As you know, I’ve been searching for a good hair salon, and I think I’ve found a winner! I went to James Brett and booked an appointment with Chrissy for a hair cut a few weeks ago. Here’s a rundown of my experience:

When I arrived, I was greeted by friendly staff who offered me a tea, coffee or water. I chose tea and it was good quality, no complaints there! One thing that did bother me, was that no one started on my hair until 15-20 minutes until after I arrived. 

The young lady that washed my hair was very friendly. She was very new so her scalp massage skills were not the best. 

I was then seen by Chrissy, who was also very friendly and easy to talk to. She was very fast at cutting my hair, which is very impressive in my opinion. She did a great job and gave me exactly what I wanted. She would check back with me every so often to ensure she was cutting my hair the way I wanted it. 

In the end, it only cost me $66 with tax, which is a great price for a cut with a senior stylist. They even threw in a complimentary hand massage!

A great review for a great salon, I highly recommend James Brett!

~Anon 

[ygkanon]

Queen’s University: The Bad, The Ugly, The Shameful.

I brought my concerns to a page on Facebook titled: Overheard at Queen’s, shortly after posting, I receive a message from a Julia asking “Was this something you overheard?” Thinking that this was a cheeky and rhetorical remark, I did not respond. Another person asks if they can quote me in some sort of song or slam poetry and when I go to respond, I found that my post had been  removed 

In no way did I go against their posting rules, since this topic is quite overheard at the moment. But somehow, someone thought this post to be too controversial and/or inappropriate for the wall. 

Firstly, I am completely outraged with the behaviour of the students. Secondly, I am astonished at what little effort the faculty has shown to prevent and handle such instances (This is not the first occurrence.) And thirdly, I am disgusted with the response and lack of concern that some students show.

Below is a copy of my post, and I understand that by sharing this, my anonymity may be compromised, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make to have my opinion heard. Queen’s needs to understand that this behaviour is NOT acceptable and should be met with consequences. 

“It's sad that a few bad apples can ruin the reputation of Queen's. It's even worse when the grave is continuously getting deeper. There are so many students that work hard academically and do not deserve this reputation. There are many students that try to promote a cohesive attitude between Kingston and Queen's students. Then you have the self-proclaimed, pompous elite that think they are above the law, breaking that partnership and trust, year after year. I am truly saddened and disturbed by this behaviour. I am almost ashamed to say that I went to Queen's. Some people are clearly not mature enough for post-secondary education. It's about time that these students are held accountablefor their actions: Expulsion with no refund is not harsh, or difficult by any means. An example needs to be set. Queen's shouldn't have to teach their students to be adults but if they allow such crimes to be committed, and to go un-addressed, it only reinforces this inexcusable behaviour, portraying that there is no consequence. I understand that in such a large crowd, it's hard to pin-point those that are breaking the law, but SOMETHING must be done. I was considering my Master's through Queen's, but after this, I am no longer interested in being associated with this University. I don't work hard for my degree just to have its credibility tainted by some drunk partiers. Queen's can apologize up and down but that won't prevent something like this from happening again.”

If you want to share your opinion on this Facebook page, member beware, as this page is only conducive to selective thinking. 

As for Queen’s: it’s current students and faculty: UNIMPRESSED. 

Post note, Please understand that there are many other factors to review about Queen’s. This is not a sole repertoire of the University, however very significant. 

Post post note, Many students are proud of their “Party School” reputation. 

~Concerned Citizen

[ygkanon]

Not-So-FABulous

I have been searching for a good hair dresser for... I don’t know... a year? After hearing a lot of great things about FAB, a local salon in downtown Kingston, I decided to give it a try. I needed a typical cut and colour. My roots were growing in for about 6 months and I needed to have it fixed ASAP. Of course, afterwards I was planning to keep up with my root touch-ups, so a dramatic change was OK with me. I called to book an appointment and ensured that the stylist I was working with was experienced (not junior.)

To be honest, it really wasn’t that much of a task, I just wanted the ends of my hair to blend seamlessly with my roots. A full colour seems like a no brainer, but apparently for this one stylist, Nicole, it was either too difficult of a task, or she was too lazy to do it properly. I choose to believe the latter. 

My hair turned out to be a mess! Not even a hot one!

I kid you not! My hair was dark brown on the roots, light brown in the middle (about a 6 inch patch) and dark brown on the ends. After she blew out my hair she had another stylist come over to give her a second opinion on my colour, which was when the red flags began to pop up. 

At the time, it looked like hi-lights to me, because my hair was curled when she revealed a 360 view of my hair. After I got home and styled my hair normally, I found the undeniable 6 inch gap of colour. I WAS OUTRAGED!! That cost me $120, plus tax, plus a tip! I had half a mind to go back and demand it to be fixed for free. And then I thought, NO, they’ll probably just mess it up even more. My hair might even fall out! I don’t trust any of them with my hair now. How could they let me walk out of their salon with such low standards?!

Eventually I fixed it on my own with 2 boxes of dye that totaled $12. If only I did that in the first place, I could’ve saved so much money. Kingstonians, don’t waste your money here. 

~Your Girl

[ygkanon]

KINGSTON KRAZY CALLS BUS DRIVER BITCH

This morning while taking my usual commute to work, I had some entertainment on the bus in the form of, what I like to call, a “Kingston Krazy.” Seeing as though this is my first post, I will do a little explaining. A Kingston Krazy is a local Kingstonite, whether born-and-raised or just a student residing in Kingston, who appears to have a little bit of crazy mixed into their bowl of sugar and spice. Someone you could just look at and KNOW there is something about them that is a little bit narcissistic, a little impulsive, and a little red-flaggy. A great example was Leather-vest-pony-tail Guy, as seen on the bus earlier today. Let me narrate this scene for you. 

The bus driver pulls up to a stop. A man walks on asking if she goes up Princess St. The bus driver replies “No, but I go down Princess, if that’s where you mean.” Man says OK and takes out his bus pass. The pass is invalid, however the man insists that he has fare on it. The bus driver calls her local station to check the card but it was confirmed to be over 7 days expired. The bus driver then asks if the man has change instead. 

Then Leather-vest-pony-tail man decides to make his appearance. “EXCUSE ME!” He begins, “STOP EMBARRASSING THIS MAN AND LET HIM ON. WE ALL HAVE PLACES TO BE!” The bus driver (a new female employee, may I add) responds surprisingly calm with “I’m not embarrassing this man, I can not let him on until he pays. Sir (speaking to Man) do you have change to pay for your fare instead?” “YOU’RE A BITCH! YOU’RE SITTING AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD DOING NOTHING AND YOU’RE MAKING US ALL LATE.” Krazy yells.

“Sir, I am only doing my job.” She responds. AND IT’S TRUE! She was only doing her job! A man wanted to board the bus, but like everyone else, he needs to pay his fair way. Why should this bus driver let someone on the bus that didn’t update their card? It’s our responsibility as residents of Kingston to ensure our bus passes are loaded and up to date, not Kingston Transit. The bus driver even tried to help the man verify his bus pass, and gave him another option to pay for his fare. She did what she could to let him on the bus, but in the end, he couldn’t board. 

As for Leather-vest-pony-tail guy, apparently he was harassing her on Saturday also. We could hear her reporting the guy to her security department and as soon as he realized he might be banned from the bus, he started apologizing and making excuses. 

Playing devil’s advocate here, I really need to add that yes, it is inconvenient and inconsiderate for the bus driver just to sit on the side of the road while many of us have jobs, classes and appointments we need to get to... But one thing I can say is that this bus driver handled the situation the best she could. I would like to commend this driver for facing a difficult and escalated situation with such confidence and poise. Good for you!

One of the many things I have learned by being in Kingston is this: Always expect to be late when using public transit. It’s an unfortunate truth, but leaving early will be a lifesaver in this city.

~Kingston’s Mystery Shopper