Handydart employees on the picket line

Most people know from the news that Handydart has been on strike for the past couple of weeks. They keep their buses in a parking lot on the south side of Highway 10, inbetween 176th Street and Highway 15. Next to Red Barn Antiques and across the road from the Husky/Mohawk gas station.

The striking employees are standing on the sidewalk in front of their parking lot on Highway 10 with their signs and waving at cars.

Remember when we were kids and walking down the street and a semi truck would drive by and we'd pump our arms in the air to get the driver to blow the air horn? That was fun as a kid. Most of those drivers probably had kids back home or otherwise liked kids and were happy to comply.

But darned if those strikers aren't doing the same thing, pumping their arms up and down in the air to get the truckers to blow their horns. And these are adults. How childish is that? I realize it must be pretty boring standing out there on the street if they have to resort back to their childhood jollies. If I'm driving in the area I can hear the truckers blowing their horns at the striker's request. We were driving down Highway 10 the other day and heard a trucker. Kerry said a truck must be running a light and blowing his horn to alert the other drivers at the intersection. I said it was more than likely the strikers encouraging the truckers to honk. I said that must be pretty annoying to the people working in the adjacent business, hearing these truckers honk all the time. I live a few blocks away and I can't hear the honking when I'm inside the house, but if I'm outside I can hear those truck horns blaring away.

I even had the opportunity to talk to someone who works near the intersection and she said the honking is driving her up the wall trying to get her work done. She's also talked to some of the picketers. What I didn't know is that Handydart is owned by an American company. Doesn't make any difference to me who the owner is, but that might explain the huge Canadian flag that the stikers have out on the picket line.

The other thing the employee said is that the strikers are being rude to any cars that drive past with American plates. Screaming obscenities and giving them the finger. I actually witnessed this, before I knew about that. I wondered what their problem was. I just figured it was one of their managers driving past. But I guess it was aimed at a car with Washington license plates. She said that she spoke with an American couple who were cursed out as they drove past the picket line. They couldn't believe what had happened to them. Their impression of Cloverdale is that its an unfriendly town and they don't feel safe here.

Nice going Handydart employees!

I don't think anyone is challenging your right to strike for the issues that are important to you. But childish antics at getting truckers to blow their horn, creating noise for the locals, and flipping off cars from the states is not the way to get your message across.

Grow up.