Editor:
Re: Rumble strips grind on some residents, May 9.
Further to the skateboard rumble -strip controversy, I’d like to stress a point that has been overlooked.
I have been using Everall Street, down from Thrift, on an almost daily basis, for fitness reasons, on my bicycle to bring our groceries home to Hardie Avenue for 37 years now.
I have – knock on wood – never had an accident, never impaired anybody and enjoyed the rides.
With the appearance of the grooves, this has changed drastically; I have to stop the bike’s flow for each of three rumble strips – the others are further down – then awkwardly and hazardously manoeuver diagonally via the grooves, into traffic, unless I want to jump off altogether and push my load, which would defeat the purpose of using a bike.
There are, of course, other people on bicycles going up and down all the time. Accidents will come. At least one little old lady from Everall has been doing these rounds with her walker, for a decade, it would seem. She will not be able to keep fit this way anymore.
In the short time the grooves have been in, I have had three accidents on them on my bike, even falling right over it and into a lawn. Yes, I do think of suing the city should I be unable, as I am old, to adjust to this utter nonsense in my way.
It remains to be seen how well our six agile grandchildren, on their bikes, will master the tricky stretch, when they come to visit.
And consider the financial aspect. The Everall Street blacktop is not even two years old. We had noise and dirt and inconvenience when it was put in. Now, again, for whole or half days, the unbelievable dust clouds and screeching of the machine to scratch the grooves in – then to have blacktop put over the grooves, partly – only to have them eradicated altogether on the first strip.
All this, when we could finally enjoy the sun.
As the taxes for our little old house keep going up, it will be interesting to know how much this non-issue will ultimately cost us. Also, all these tall and small traffic signs make for an ugly, disorderly sight.
One wonders what will come next. No bicycles down Everall? No walkers? No children altogether? Oh, and oldies and doggies don’t mix with cars, either.
This is 2013. Every mode of transportation that does not use oil/gas/pollution should be encouraged.
Ria Burgert, Surrey
