Today was the day when the ACT Government sent the motorised tractor based lawnmower to the median strip on the major road near me. It’s a semi-regular occurence, and it has to happen, but at 8:30am? In the middle of peak hour?
That road is busy enough, and for a pedestrian trying to cross it, there are some safety issues. I personally use the median strip to assist in crossing that road as it is much easier, quicker and safer than using the footpaths. I cross one side of the road onto the median strip and then cross the road the goes across the major road onto more median strip and then cross the other side of the major road to my bus stop. This makes dealing with the traffic much easier as I only have to deal with one oncoming direction at a time and don’t have to worry about who might turn the corner without indicating. Here is a map to make it a bit easier to understand my journey.
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The lawnmowers add an extra dimension of difficulty to this journey as they tend to act as if they own the grass, and anything on it is part of the grass and needs a good mowing. The exception to this is small children and the elderly, everyone else gets to run for their life.
I can understand street sweepers attending major roads at 5am and suburban roads during business hours, I can understand CityScape Services cleaning civic at 5am, I can understand commercial lawn and garden businesses doing their work during business hours, but I fail to understand why the government insist on sending large uncourteous lawn mowing tractors onto busy median strips in the middle of busy roads during peak hour. They are a menace, and they scare the oncoming motorists when they approach the road.
We have traditional business hours of 9am-5pm, so why can’t the government employ people for those hours unless the live in an office?
Beats me…
Samuel
Comments Disabled To "Motorised Lawnmowers"
#1 Comment By tiepo On September 14, 2005 @ 12:30 pm
Your angle of attack whilst crossing the road is not a perfect 90 degrees. You are jay-walking.
#2 Comment By Samuel On September 14, 2005 @ 12:37 pm
The picture isn’t to scale.
Apart from which, the pedestrian road rules are rarely enforced, when was the last time you saw somebody booked for crossing against the lights (and nearly being hit by a bus at the same time)…actually, when was the last time you crossed against the lights?
#3 Comment By tiepo On September 14, 2005 @ 12:41 pm
I obey all forms of road rules, including pedestrian road rules. However I strongly agree with you… The police never enforce pedestrian road rules… I sometimes wonder what the world is coming too.
#4 Comment By Samuel On September 14, 2005 @ 12:44 pm
That is good to hear, I personally follow the pedestrian road rules, and I fail to understand why the police don’t appear to be interested in enforcing them. It is that lack of enforcement that contributes to future lawlessness and a general contempt for authority.
It is appalling and something should be done about it.
#5 Comment By tiepo On September 14, 2005 @ 12:47 pm
Indeed, young people these days have no sense of morality. Frankly they should be taken out and given a good belting.
#6 Comment By Samuel On September 14, 2005 @ 12:50 pm
Well, I think that is taking things a bit too far. Certainly some could use a good re-education, but I’m not sure we are quite at the stage of belting them yet.
#7 Comment By tiepo On September 14, 2005 @ 12:52 pm
Yes they should be guided in the ways of the lord. Especially in public schools. Public schools are full of heathens. I blame public education for the loss of morality and the loss of respect for our highly respectable police force.
#8 Comment By Samuel On September 14, 2005 @ 12:57 pm
That is an interesting comment, but I can’t say I necessarily agree with you. There is a general christian element to our society, but I don’t think we need to enforce it in schools. There are general values of christianity that are accepted as normal by our society, and these should be (and for the most part, are) taught in schools. To the same extent, I don’t believe that we need to be preaching religious beliefs in our schools, as we are (supposedly) a tolerant society. I have no problem with specialised religious schools, but I do have a problem with public shools being turned into them.
#9 Comment By tiepo On September 14, 2005 @ 2:13 pm
I have a problem with public shools also.
#10 Comment By Samuel On September 14, 2005 @ 2:22 pm
Yeah, OK, fair comment.
I suspect public shools are schools with public pools on the roof. This was the common promise of school captains at my primary school, not that they ever did anything about it…typical politicians. Lots of air, not much action.
Now, to correct my previous statement, “I have no problem with specialised religious schools, but I do have a problem with public schools being turned into them.”
#11 Comment By eebl On October 7, 2005 @ 7:27 pm
I have a problem with private schools, tiepo. Wanna fight about it? C’MON!