Feathers

As previously noted, although I looked, I couldn't find any suitable safety reflectors at *any* stores.  I finally found these feather ones as giveaways at a table at a sort of "all possible activities in Port Alberni" event one time, staffed by people from Parks and Recreation.  Then, when I went to get some more, nobody at Parks and Rec knew anything about them!  So it was *another* search around civic offices, trying to find out who knew what they were and where they were from!  I *finally* found some at the Public Safety Building/office.  Then, noting the ICBC source, tried other locations.  They are sometimes available at the ICBC claims centre, *never* at the ICBC office at Service BC, never at any of the insurance offices in town (who mostly survive on ICBC renewals), and sometimes, in limited amounts, at the RCMP detachment.  (ICBC used to have square ones with the little silver bead keychain type chains.  The feathers seem to have been around for about three years, now, and First Nations groups and individuals are keen on them.)

Mostly they are white, both sides, and even the coloured ones are white on the back.  I have built up a stock of the various colours: orange, blue (which everyone else calls purple), and, briefly, rainbow.  I managed to find some pink, which I am kind of hoarding, because of Gloria.  (The Filipino guys *love* the pink.)  The ICBC public safety/info rep on the Island, says we should have some yellow and blue, soon.

My contact with ICBC, now, is mostly through Community Policing.  ICBC does a lot of support for Community Policing, due to speed watch, distracted driving, and other traffic safety related stuff.  Community Policing operates out of the Public Safety Building, and they usually have a stock of the reflectors.  Even more so, now, since the ICBC public safety/info rep knows that I give them away, around town, so she makes sure she brings a box whenever she comes.  (At the last all-Island ICBC/police volunteer groups meeting, I met a couple from Nanaimo who are "the feather people" there.)  Apparently I am known, around town, as much for being "the feather guy" as "the walkin' dude," and one of the other Community Policing volunteers insists that I have a First Nations name: he always refers to me as "Glowing Feather."  I wear at least one on pretty much any outfit I have on, and usually have a small stock in a pocket or in my pack, and, whenever someone comments "I like your feathers!" I generally immediately ask if they want one.

The feathers are good because they are *not* on the jacket or clothing.  You clip them on to something, and they flop around and move.  Having a shiny object moving makes it even more noticeable.