Every morning Mr. Jazz and I trudge to the car and head out to work. We cross Mount Royal, Montreal's own little mountain/parc - designed by the way by Olmstead, the same guy who did Central Park in New York. But that has nothing to do with anything.The "mountain" (more of a big hill actually) is smack dab in the middle of the city. Every day we cross it to get from Outremont (which translates roughly as "the other side of the mountain" where we live) to Westmount (you don't need any translation here, obviously) where we both work.
Yesterday, I noticed that they had repainted the yellow lines on the road across the mountain. In itself, this is good as they had faded away to nothing.
But (of course there has to be a but doesn't there...)
But there has been snow in Montreal, it's winter after all. And when you say snow on the mountain, you say sanding. It's the first road to be sanded because it's a nasty ass hill. So what did our wonderful muncipality do? Yep, they painted over all that sand - they even painted over snow and ice in some places. Because they were scheduled to paint the lines on November 20 and that is what they did. Why not wait until spring? It's not as if people don't realize we drive on the right. Montreal drivers are maniacs, granted, but not such stupid maniacs they drive on the wrong side of the road. We're maniacs in our own lanes. Why waste my money doing this? Because evidently they can...
Obviously, lots of cars use this road, and cars displace sand. So now the whole centre of the damn road is bright yellow. And eventually the rain will wash all this yellow sand away, which will leave the lines extremely, well, unliney. Not to mention the fact that all that sand will be washed into the earth and I'm thinking that ain't very environmentally friendly.
But what do I know? I'm just a stupid taxpayer.
The mind, it boggles.
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In other news, I don't know what's been happening with this blog, but over the past couple of weeks I've been getting comments from tons of new people. I don't know how you found your way here, but welcome over.
They only problem with this is all these new interesting blogs I've discovered. I can't keep up! I'm reduced to reading the boys one day and the girls the next.
I need to stop working to earn a living and spend all my time blogging and reading blogs. Yep. That sounds like a plan.
15 comments:
Beaucracy is and always shall be, a mindless entity. Its meant to be that way: things cannot get done if there's too much thinking and debating going on. Unfortunately, that means that things that should not be done are done, for lack of thinking--classic catch-22.
As to the road line painters, you have to wonder when common sense is going to kick in. I would think when the ice and snow melt, it's going to look like someone peed all over the middle of the road.
Wow, painting sand and snow. That's some mighty impressive stupid there.
Me, too! Why work when you have blogs you have to keep up with!?!
Jazz, you're wrong. What the municipality is doing is a giant Tibetan sandpainting, they just forgot to paint the sand blue and red and green.
Poor lil sister, you should never underestimate the stupidity that can be shown by the Montreal municipal bureaucrats and blue collar workers. Must admit though that this one takes the cake. You should tell the "Journal de Montreal" they would have a field day.
That's hee-larious. I'm also exhausted from trying to keep up with all the blogs. I need to quit my job and become a full-time blogger.
It's OK, I'm just one of your 'old' bloggers so you don't have to give me special consideration -- although I'll be hurt if you don't.
That is hilarious about the yellow lines, but oh so sad. Bureaucracy in action is a frightening thing.It's a good thing some people have government jobs because they'd never be able to do anything else. I don't mean 'all' government employees of course, or Wendy wouldn't speak to me again.
LOL! Make sure you get some photos of the roads when they look their worst! :)
The mind, it boggles!
Indeed it does.
If you figure out how to get into the full-time blogging biz, can you let me know? It sounds like a job I'd like, too!
Typical government workers, they just follow orders, don't use their brains. (I can say that because I'm a government worker, and I work with them). Be sure to take a picture for us when it all melts.
Goodness.
I'm totally in agreement that ideal blogging could be a full-time job. I'm having trouble being even a part-time one these days, but...
I like your approach of girls one day and boys the other. Make sure you leave behind a bright yellow streak of paint at each blog you visit.
Geez, and I thought I had a patent on getting up on the stupid side of the bed!
Rachel - Yeah but hell, a call to a supervisor saying "Dudes, the road has been sanded, this is stupid" might've helped. Naw, scratch that, it wouldn't have.
POP - Common sense / municipal bureaucracy. Nope it just doesn't work out.
Furiousball - Impressive stupid. Damn I like that expression.
Rhea - Unfortunately, so the bills get paid.... damn bills
Ticknart - Damn, I knew there had to be an explanation!
BB - Yep, the cake is taken.
UP - Lets start a blogging collective
Ian - of course you get special consideration... Every time I come on, I rush to see if you commented and I contemplate suicide if you didn't. How's that for consideration?!?
Dan - the roads always look their worst in Montreal. Montreal is one big pothole. The reason Montrealers drive like maniacs is cause they're trying to slalom around the craters.
Tai - I guess you gotta be a Dooce. With all the ads and stuff on the blog. I used to read her but stopped because it was getting annoying. Well, that and reading about her daughter's poop issues every day. I'm thinking that kid is gonna hate mommy when she's old enough to read.
Josie - You work with them? My heart goes out to you.
Joce - Segregating the sexes is the only way I've found to do it. One day estrogen, the next testosterone. Though truth be told, I do usually manage to get through everyone before work and over lunch.
Geewits - Obviously you don't.
I have to say I'm not terribly surprised - it smacks of a time the city thought they would save money by not plowing between Christmas and New Year's only to have everything melt and refreeze repeatedly when the ice storm hit. I was a student living in Montreal at the time moving from one heated apartment to another.
*melanie from www.meli-mello.com
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