Archive for February 11th, 2011
Titsa, Big Choppers, And Getting A Length In…

…Are there enough double entendres in that title? If you think I’m being rude, shame on you, all will be revealed phnarr phnarr. A funny thing happened on the way to the bus stop today. It was an early start for me from Los Cristianos to Adeje to cover the European Day of 112, the emergency service here in Tenerife as in most of Europe. Getting on the bus there was the usual little scrum down when suddenly a second driver sat up front on his way to the station leant out and shouted at people to hold their bags tight and gestered at 2 men in the middle of the melee. The Titsa bus driver then pulled out his mobile and rang the police as these 2 men made their melted away from the scrum.

There has been some problem with pick pockets at the Los Cristianos main bus stops and this observant driver had recognised the 2 culprits and did all he could to warn people. The chancers got away but it’s good to know that someone is looking out for us, often there are now plain clothes police patrolling the area and they have nabbed quite a few scum bags. All very appropriate as the 112 event  I was headed to included representatives from nearly all branches of the Tenerife police force as well as ambulance, fire and rescue staff. It was a fabulous show and tell morning with pride of place going to a government rescue helicopter that had the many school kids attending spellbound. The climax, oh there goes Finbarr again, was a reconstruction of an emergency car rescue involving the chopper dropping in medical staff and air lifting the dummy passenger. You can read a full account af that at Tenerife Magazine.

Back with the buses and lots of changes going on, you may have noticed the new stream lined bus stops reflecting the new logo on the buses with no emission exhausts. There is also a new timetable so throw away those old fold out map formats and pick up the new booklet style, damm it’s too tall to fit into my shorts pocket, no consideration. Titsa have also taken delivery of a fleet of new mini buses for short hops around urban areas and hope to have the new La Laguna station open by Easter.

The 112 open event finished at 2 pm, before the word got around that today would be a good day to go on a crime spree elsewhere. I was long overdue a trip up to T3 – Tenerife Top Training in La Caleta to see what was cooking up there so headed across on the bus. You may recall that T3 was were Robinho did a bunk from his Man City team mates a couple of seasons ago, hope they come back soon, be worth it to see Tevez sat in the scorching Tenerife heat still wearing his snood. The football pitches are just a part of the complex, the swimming pools are used a lot by Olympic swimming teams and many a top athlete has used their state of the art gym to pump some iron. It was pretty quiet for my visit, just a few rippling the water and some keen volleyball players kicking up the sand on the beach area. Hopefully I will get a nod next time a big name football team takes a break at T3.