In the local rag that the delivery person surreptitiously leaves down at the end of the driveway by the street that I refuse to pick up and look at until garbage day, after which I toss it in the garbage, there is a story about the hubbub in town over the re-paving of a road along the railroad tracks, which separate our town, which the imprisoned former mayor-felon said is blessed by God, from the dregs of the Earth to the south. Originally, sewers, sidewalks, and two more traffic lanes were to be part of the project to accommoddatte three new housing developments, the cost of which was to be charged to the property owners along the road, which is parallel to the railroad tracks, upon which trains fly by at about 70 mph, and which is a favorite, but unpublicized, spot for those who want to put a quick end to things.
That project was to cost a couple farmers with acreage fronting on the road, whose homes have been paid off for many, many years, a couple hundred thousand bucks each. In the meantime, those in three new upscale housing developments, who are pushing for the project with great vociferousness, would pay nothing, since none of their properties have any frontage on the road. The railroad, while having frontage, has little acreage, and would pick up about 6% of the cost. Needless to say, the project has been stalled by the several farm property/home owners who refuse to sell to developers and who will foot most of the bill.
What is even more insane is that a group of the people in the new upscale housing developments want the grade crossing changed at a cost of a couple million dollars. Now, nobody told these yuppie types to move into these new upscale developments. It is fairly obvious to anyone driving on the road where the entrances to these developments are located that the railroad tracks run alongside the road. And it is fairly obvious to most of us that trains make a lot of noise when going 70 mph down the tracks, whistling as they approach the crossing ahead. If someone wants to pay several hundred thousands of dollars to experience such pleasures, then that's okay with me. But stop the fucking whining.
And the railroad grade crossing? The gates and flashing lights work. The sight lines are not the best, I will admit. Be careful when driving there. Go a different way when you're coming home from the country club a little tipsy. Sell your house to some other lame-brain and move.
I've never had a problem driving the white VW Beetle with the black "The Who" sticker on the rear bumper at that crossing.
And to you out there complaining: From the vantage point you have in the driver's seat of your SUV, SUT, or luxury pick-up truck, you should have no trouble at all seeing.
Posted by Bill at September 24, 2004 10:12 AMYou do have your pet peeves, don't you? ;-)
Around where I live, there are (were) some huge lots that were split, with houses being built behind other houses. A friend lives in one of those huge lots, and behind here, where once she had a lovely view of the forest preserve, she now stares instead at the side of a house.
Recently, this neighbor was complaining about the lot on the other side of her, which had been split and the resulting houses which are being built. It's messing up my view, she said.
Oh, the ironies...
Posted by: lucy at September 24, 2004 04:16 PMHere in the Santa Barbara area, I think the costs of road upgrades to accomodate new developments are generally saddled on the developers. I don't think it makes any sense to charge the farmers for it.
Posted by: Kyle at September 25, 2004 02:39 AMand that's why Pattie is saving her precious pennies to move somewhere she can still see vistas of nature and try as she mightly can to escape the soul-killing, mawing city.
Posted by: Cowtown Pattie at September 25, 2004 10:49 AM