Yea, verily. Ocassionally, something does get done, though.
Much to the surprise of the locals in Lancaster County, PA -- the Goat Path project has resumed. This was/is a dual highway designed to take some of the misery off Route 23, a two-lane road much used by Amish buggies AND trucks... it connects to the PA Turnpike. Well, they have had overpasses built, and the dirt piled up nicely, but goats, horses, and cattle have been grazing on the grass of the future highway for several decades because no one could agree on how best to connect this road to Lancaster City. The most efficieint thing was to cut through the old-money country club and you knew godddamn well THAT wasn't going to happen! But... some sort of decision has been made, construction has been happening and the country club has been spared.
Amen Brother Corey! I live in Houston, TX which is one giant construction zone. I've lived here 40 years, and one highway has been widened four times. It's takes about 10 years to do one widening. As for good for nothing politicians who promise the world and deliver nothing, Texas is filled with them. And we've exported quite a few news-making good-for-nothings to DC -- Ted Cruz (gak), Louie Gohmert, Chip Roy...the list goes on.
I'm going to kinda break my "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" rule in order to comment on your uncle's antics. LOL
A year ago I maybe would have found it humorous, but then our place became the site of a massive roundabout project and, hoo boy, the way people got bent out of shape over needing to take a 90-second detour. Dang!
One driver went so far as wanting to drive over the live blasting caps even though the road workers were screaming at her to stop because of active explosives. Another said she was going to go home and bring her husband back with his guns because she couldn't drive through the active work zone. Lady, there's literally no road to drive ON!!! The dummies were trying to go off-roading in their "definitely your father's Buick" or junkers with their exhaust systems held together with baling twine and a prayer.
It made for an interesting six months of observing people's behavior, I'll tell you what. "Surely the large metal barricades and "no thru traffic signs" don't apply to meeeee." "I'm just going to plow through the orange ropes that are blocking off the meticulously prepared road bed and destroy the work, and then I'll bitch about my tax dollars being wasted and projects going over budget and over time." Or they'd get pissed off to discover that, actually yes, the road really IS closed and they'd whip a U turn and send up a rooster tail of gravel and dust, and I was about ready to make some spike strips of my own. LOL
I don’t live to far from Chickamauga, but if you’re familiar with Hwy 153 and the road that you turn on to go to Northpark Memorial Hospital - the road where the police officer was killed when a lady plowed into him while he was investigating a manhole cover - there was construction going on and it was a complete mess coming off of Hwy 153 to merge onto that road.
I was sitting in traffic & I looked over at the CVS parking lot and saw a man in his 50’s the construction worker (trying his best to help direct traffic) in a face to face confrontation and then the construction worker clocked this guy to the ground. I saw the construction worker put his head in his hands and started pacing around because he knew what this meant for him. I can’t say I can fully side with either person because the workers directing traffic were just screwing up everything and there was a 3rd car in the lot so it’s possible the construction worker caused a fender bender.
I feel your angst Corey. As you might be aware ( then again you might not be, whatever the case is) we up in the great White North have just two damn seasons. First is winter second is construction season. Both are miserable from that point of view. Sorry for the old trope but I had to complain to someone and it was you that set me off! Keep it up!
I love this essay!
Since the 80’s. We’ve been conditioned that the “government is bad” and we are powerless to control “the government.”
It’s time we reject this fallacy and engage more in our democracy.
We can fire these dumbasses. We just gotta get out and make our voices heard and vote.
Yea, verily. Ocassionally, something does get done, though.
Much to the surprise of the locals in Lancaster County, PA -- the Goat Path project has resumed. This was/is a dual highway designed to take some of the misery off Route 23, a two-lane road much used by Amish buggies AND trucks... it connects to the PA Turnpike. Well, they have had overpasses built, and the dirt piled up nicely, but goats, horses, and cattle have been grazing on the grass of the future highway for several decades because no one could agree on how best to connect this road to Lancaster City. The most efficieint thing was to cut through the old-money country club and you knew godddamn well THAT wasn't going to happen! But... some sort of decision has been made, construction has been happening and the country club has been spared.
Amen Brother Corey! I live in Houston, TX which is one giant construction zone. I've lived here 40 years, and one highway has been widened four times. It's takes about 10 years to do one widening. As for good for nothing politicians who promise the world and deliver nothing, Texas is filled with them. And we've exported quite a few news-making good-for-nothings to DC -- Ted Cruz (gak), Louie Gohmert, Chip Roy...the list goes on.
I'm going to kinda break my "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" rule in order to comment on your uncle's antics. LOL
A year ago I maybe would have found it humorous, but then our place became the site of a massive roundabout project and, hoo boy, the way people got bent out of shape over needing to take a 90-second detour. Dang!
One driver went so far as wanting to drive over the live blasting caps even though the road workers were screaming at her to stop because of active explosives. Another said she was going to go home and bring her husband back with his guns because she couldn't drive through the active work zone. Lady, there's literally no road to drive ON!!! The dummies were trying to go off-roading in their "definitely your father's Buick" or junkers with their exhaust systems held together with baling twine and a prayer.
It made for an interesting six months of observing people's behavior, I'll tell you what. "Surely the large metal barricades and "no thru traffic signs" don't apply to meeeee." "I'm just going to plow through the orange ropes that are blocking off the meticulously prepared road bed and destroy the work, and then I'll bitch about my tax dollars being wasted and projects going over budget and over time." Or they'd get pissed off to discover that, actually yes, the road really IS closed and they'd whip a U turn and send up a rooster tail of gravel and dust, and I was about ready to make some spike strips of my own. LOL
And don’t get me started on Potholes To Hell Road. I’m surprised a car hasn’t got stuck in one!
I don’t live to far from Chickamauga, but if you’re familiar with Hwy 153 and the road that you turn on to go to Northpark Memorial Hospital - the road where the police officer was killed when a lady plowed into him while he was investigating a manhole cover - there was construction going on and it was a complete mess coming off of Hwy 153 to merge onto that road.
I was sitting in traffic & I looked over at the CVS parking lot and saw a man in his 50’s the construction worker (trying his best to help direct traffic) in a face to face confrontation and then the construction worker clocked this guy to the ground. I saw the construction worker put his head in his hands and started pacing around because he knew what this meant for him. I can’t say I can fully side with either person because the workers directing traffic were just screwing up everything and there was a 3rd car in the lot so it’s possible the construction worker caused a fender bender.
Hwy 153 in and of itself if a crap shoot.
Such a great analogy with good storytelling to support it.
I feel your angst Corey. As you might be aware ( then again you might not be, whatever the case is) we up in the great White North have just two damn seasons. First is winter second is construction season. Both are miserable from that point of view. Sorry for the old trope but I had to complain to someone and it was you that set me off! Keep it up!