How could all be so blind?

Oct 19, 2013 Letters

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Dear Editor,
For about one week there had been a disruption of the regular programmes of both radio and television in Linden with all kinds of music on the radio filling the gap continuously, 24/7 without a single word; the TV station played whatever as the entire community kept guessing what’s wrong, not a solitary word from anyone.
If this does not fit the definition for disregard – though some refer to it as “eye pass”- then would someone tell me what is?
You know life does run on cycles. What I’m going to say here will not raise eyebrows or cause surprises, having been spoken about so many times before, and hardly likely is there going to be any action taken. This letter will be glossed over until sometime once more someone comes along with the same complain-cycles. Yet this letter would not have been made public if there wasn’t a glimmer of hope somewhere.
As a Lindener I have to say something which many know to be true, but still there will be some in denial and ‘screw face’. Among whatever commendable and daring things Lindeners are known for, I singled out the 2012 electricity protest as the pick of the crop when it comes to protest/demonstrations.
I am yet to learn about another in this country comparable to or surpassing it, this very question I posed in an article I have on the protest. Like I have said before; we – Lindeners – must not be contented with being acclaimed as champions of protest only; we need also to draw the line and equally demonstrate and be recognised as a people/community/region possessing the fortitude and craving for things wholesome, positive, of quality; of standard, raising the bar way above and beyond mediocrity – like in the poem I wrote for our Town Week which states: “As we celebrate let’s up the tempo, set standards high, deserving of every man woman and child”.
A casual talk with Lindeners will reveal that many do not have that gut feeling that on the front burner the best is being pursued for the Town/Region. Many are not convinced that the majority of those in the top functionary positions – leaders – are keenly interested in the welfare of the community/region. Everyone appears to be wearing a mask.
One elderly gentleman said to me that people see all the wrong things when out of office but go blind when they get in. As former union president Jacob Braithwaite was fond of saying: “when the rice out the pot it hard and stubborn, but after boiling becomes tender”.
Deplorable roads/Traffic
Now here’s a case for the traffic department which has very little to do but does it not. Pine Street and Potaro Road has been made into a parking zone for hire cars plying the Amelia’s Ward and Wismar/Wisroc route – and there are many. As all Linden knows, Pine Street like most roads/streets is a dry weather street in deplorable condition, a street with craters that was not so long done, and is not so wide either, so that vehicles can easily cross each other.
Just use your imagination to create the scene when it rains, it becomes a sloppy dam with pedestrians, cyclists, hire, private and all vehicles competing and jostling for some solid spot. Understand that Pine Street is a little over 100 metres long with about 10 business places, so there’s a disgusting confusion and encumbrance caused when other vehicles pull up to purchase or deliver goods -it’s a kind of madness.
So there is definite need for some semblance of traffic order. But instead, the cops, whenever they arrive, take up their position at the head of Pine Street and Republic Avenue and seem oblivious to what is taking place in front of their eyes. There is also a zebra crossing right there, which many drivers ignore and some hire cars even stop directly on to take in or let off passengers…with the cop standing right there! And by the way, how faded must those zebra crossings become before they can be repainted?
Well if you think that Pine Street is in a terrible situation, let’s examine the road that takes you to and from Regma Primary School that also has not so long ago been fixed – let’s forget Dakama Circle and Damon Avenue for a moment.
Long before it was redone it was a “day-mare” to students, parents, teachers and residents of Retrieve, so much so that at one time the P.T.A closed the school down and staged a protest – it was that bad! And though it was attended to, there’s no kind of improvement to shout about.
Like Pine Street it is another fair-weather situation, quickly deteriorating because it was poorly constructed, and when it rains it becomes even worse, because even though Pine Street has blocked gutters this Regma School road has none; on both sides are mounds covered with high grass, thus the sides become flooded and muddied.
Now there’s a substantial amount of students who go to and fro by taxi, many teachers too have their own cars, motor cycles, bicycles, pedestrians – so here is the Pine Street scenario to an even worse degree, all caught up scrambling, negotiating for dry land to avoid the mud and circles of water.
But it has got to be that things are not being done right, inspite of all the millions boasted about that are spent on roads. But one would have to believe that the engineers and bosses of the Town have all been in a slumber when this road was being done.
You mean to say none saw the need for a sidewalk taking into consideration the hundreds of students, many just out of Nursery trodding along daily thus making it much safer for them? And just why are most of the roads now being constructed made so narrow? Don’t our leaders represent? And why is it that almost anything that starts to go bad and which we know to be well within the grasp of our local authorities is left unattended until it reaches crisis level – beyond repair? Why isn’t there a regular maintenance crew whose primary duty is to identify and repair roads? I just hope that some relevant body is paying attention to Accara Drive-Back Road – by the next heavy rainy season I’m sure those massive trucks will render it impassable.
So weary I am of saying this: that large portions of water are left on the side of the Sir David Rose Avenue next to the Johnsons’ home every time it rains – forever flooding, forcing pedestrians and vehicles – massive timber trucks – to compete centre road until the sun dries it up, and its worse at nights where like most streets/roads in Linden, it is dark. You mean to say nothing can be done, period? Can the traffic department say why there are no traffic signs from the forestry location along David Rose Avenue leading into Republic Avenue, where speeding is regular and fashionable, even reckless driving?
Lindeners have got to thank their lucky stars that accidents are so few and far apart on this stretch of road. And again, why is it so difficult to attend to this blind corner at Dageraad Avenue turning left into David Rose Avenue? Same thing at the corner of Greenheart Street and Harder Road where the M.S.C Basketball court obscures clear vision.
How could all be so blind? Come on, little things still do mean a lot. The observations listed above are those on the McKenzie shore, we haven’t crossed over to Wismar as yet. Is there still a campaign on loud music in mini buses? Why is it that cops turn a deaf ear to vulgar and boisterous foul-mouthed expressions that is the trademark around every mini-bus/hire car park that goes on without rhyme or reason, be it Good Friday or else?
Finally, this for me seems to be one way beyond cops: getting drivers – all drivers -to desist from carrying on lengthy discussions and gossip on cell phones whilst driving. Don’t we have enough unpleasant evidence to go by?
Frank Fyffe

 

 

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