I just want to give a big shout out to the city for such a dynamic job of paving 14th street last Friday morning. Oh wait, I completely forgot, they abandoned the project for the weekend. As a resident living on the heavily-traveled stretch between Newport and Galveston, I have to say I am awed by the fact that the project wasn’t wrapped up this past Friday. After all, I was awoken a little after 7 a.m. by the earsplitting sound of grinding asphalt, and bewildered to find a brightly orange clad worker standing in the center of my well manicured grass lawn yapping away on his cell phone, and even more so when I opened my front door to ask “wtf?” only to receive a shoulder shrug and smirk as he meandered across to a piece of equipment. I would have thought that with the army of workers that perhaps the project would have not headed into the next week – after all, with multiple sign bearers slouching around at either roundabout, it is quite obvious that no money is being wasted to ensure a smooth ride from one westside main vein to the next. Maybe someone could clarify though why it takes three sign holders per end, a whopping total of six, to dissuade drivers from traveling the stretch being worked on? As if the large signs, cones and barriers were not enough… Oh, and I also forgot to mention a big scraper machine thingy and semi trucks, a pretty obvious “don’t drive down here,” signal. I totally understand that this needs to be done, but my gripe is that with so many individuals, so much equipment, and the fact that the road is completely shut down, why not just finish? Instead all of us ‘westsiders’ get the pleasure of driving the equivalent of a Third World alleyway for the weekend – minus scavenging dogs and beggars of course. Who knows? Maybe the foreman suggested the entire crew knock off early for pitchers riverside because the weather was so nice. But at least I get to look forward to some strange man yapping away on his phone mid lawn come Monday morning. Who knows, if I offer him coffee, maybe he won’t smirk at me.
Thanks,
AK, Bend
This article appears in Jul 31 – Aug 6, 2008.
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I hope your life gets back in order soon. Meanwhile, some people have lost their jobs, are wondering how they are going to afford school clothes for the kids this year, battling medical problems, hoping to get another years use out of their car, etc.
Somehow your temporary inconvenience with the noisy scraper “thingy” and your stepped on grass seems trivial.
Soon, all the noisy heavy equipment “thingy’s” and the orange guys will be gone and all will be back to normal again.
Ever wonder why the that orange clad guy was smirking?
There’s more. The street department painted new pretty lines on Mount Washington BEFORE they did the repaving job. A prime example of waste tax dollars. Next time you get a chance call the Public works department and remind them that they need to do better.
the reason there are so many “sign holders” is because the average driver needs that many signs to understand they are not supposed to go that way. why it was not finished I have no idea, but just survive with it a few days and it will be nice and new. Probably get it done before the beggars start moving in.
Sympathizer: Smirkers smirk. To wonder why a smirker smirks is like wondering why poop stinks. Considering that smirkers smirk, and the tone of your post indicates you are clearly a smirking expert, why don’t you enlighten us?
“Maybe someone could clarify though why it takes three sign holders per end, a whopping total of six, to dissuade drivers from traveling the stretch being worked on?”
“Flagger” seems to be one of Oregon’s leading professions.