On the road

What the H E double hot patch is going on with our county roads?

This past weekend, LOML and I spent a bit of quality time in the car. Forty-five minutes of our five-hour drive to CFB Borden was spent getting out of the County. Forty-five gutwrenching, cheek-clenching, tooth-loosening minutes on poorly maintained pavement, courtesy of the ghosts of municipal leaders past. And I’m not talking about the recent past. I mean the ’80s, the ’90s and the early part of the 20-somethings. These are roads that bring tourists to our beaches, wineries, restaurants, accommodations and retail shops. These are the roads our ambulances travel with patients in fragile condition. I know we have experienced a couple of really cold, snowy winters but the damage began long before two years ago. And the minimal maintenance for 20-plus years doesn’t make things better. Yeah, we voted for the stagnation of our property taxes, but it was a stupid notion. Sooner or later, we’ll have to pay the piper.

Next, in case some of you hadn’t noticed, we do have stop signs strategically located around in the County. I might be an old fuddy-duddy about this, but if you want to be randomly kind and you happen to be bouncing along one of the county roads, I suggest you consider coming to a full stop at the stop signs. This is a suggestion not only for County residents cruising around, but also for municipal employees and the OPP. Think about the pedestrian who might already be crossing at a stop sign. Those people don’t stand a chance with approaching traffic and the rolling stop. What with hopping over potholes and trying to gauge whether or not a driver will come to a full stop at the sign, it’s a risky business crossing a road on foot. What the H E double crossing the road is that all about?

And dog poop. Holy crap, we’ve got the turds of pooches piled on our sidewalks. Come on owners. Don’t tell me you didn’t know your fur baby dropped a load. Isn’t that why you take your pooch outside for a walk? You don’t want dog poop on your carpets. Well, hello. The rest of us don’t want to play hopscotch around your dog’s poop and risk tracking it into our homes. Grow up. If you’re old enough to have the care and control of a pet, you’re old enough to know the municipal bylaw regarding the poop. Don’t blame the dog for this one. If you see someone walking their pooch and not doing the stoop and scoop, consider saying, “Hey, something just fell out of your dog. I think you should pick it up and see if it’s an irreplaceable part.” It’s worth saying, if only for the surprised look on their face.

And finally, if I’m responsible for the little strip of land between the sidewalk in front of my house and the roadway, does that mean I can plant something other than grass there? I know, I know. It’s not my property, but if I don’t mow it, the municipality will take care of it and send me a bill. So, I think I’m going to plant tomatoes or onions or green beans or, perhaps, flowers. Something for passersby to enjoy.

theresa@wellingtontimes.ca