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Once again, the cement contractors are out ripping up sidewalks that have heaved beyond a half-inch and replacing corners without curb cuts with nice ramps so bicyclists can scoot out and almost kill themselves as they use the “handicap” access to enter the street without hesitation.
I wish I had kept track of how many bicyclists owe me their lives this summer. I’m beginning to accept the city’s asinine policy of making all the sidewalk corners in the city accessible. It’s a waste of money. Less than half of the curb cuts are built at a pitch so a person in a wheelchair can use the new ramps. Granted, most of the popular scooters can use them. Baby strollers and shopping carts are aided by the new ramps.
What is ridiculous is the curb cut simply increases the grade by 5 or 6 inches. I blame this on the reality that contractors and engineers don’t use wheelchairs. If they tried to ride a traditional wheelchair up one of these new ramps, they would soon be looking at the sky.
I have two bloody elbows from flipping over on an incline I should have known better than to try going up. Most wheelchair users have more sense than me. They don’t even try going up one of these new ramps without help. Even the ramp on the corner in front of my house is inaccessible. I can barely get up it going backwards.
As worthless as these new curb cuts are, each year the city moves ahead with them. Like I said, they aren’t a total waste of money; bicyclists can zoom across the street without having to slow down. As for people using wheelchairs? If we don’t get a push, you’ll see us going up the new ramps backwards. It’s the only way the new ramps work. That strikes me as very funny.
The frustration of flyingI read in a magazine that almost 9,000 flights sat on the runway for more than two hours last year. I seldom fly, but what I read about our airlines convinces me the airline industry is broken.
I hear stories from my friends who fly that would drive me crazy. I read that almost every aspect of the business is either in disrepair, underpowered or losing billions of dollars. I understand almost every part of the industry is nearing a crisis. Air traffic controllers are in short supply, pilots who were once paid well are looking for different work, Flight attendants are being laid off and airports are overcrowded.
With more people flying — 1 billion a year by 2014 — shouldn’t the airlines be making record profits? Instead, the airlines are looking for government bailouts and air passengers have new horror stories with each new flight.
I know security is a nightmare. The last time I went through airport security I had to take my shoes off and I wasn’t allowed to have breath mints in my shirt pocket. I could have been sitting on a bomb in my wheelchair, but I wasn’t going to point out the flaw in their security or we’d be sitting on the runway for two hours.
I hope your next flight has few delays. When you prepare for your next trip, don’t take a magazine — take a book and make it a long one.
Obama and McCain transformLongtime supporters of Barack Obama and John McCain are upset with their candidate because of all flip-flopping each candidate is making as they try to posture themselves as the most desirable presidential candidate. McCain is softening on some of his conservative agendas and Obama is trying to shed some of his ultraliberal labels.
Both candidates are simply trying to appeal to the masses. If loyal supporters are upset with their presidential candidate now, wait until he gets voted into office. I doubt if any of us will recognize the new president from his campaign promises. It’s the American way. The purpose of our president isn’t to lead this great nation. His job is to take the blame for all the things wrong with the country.
Billboards don’t belong on the streetThere’s new scenic litter in Winona. Resourceful business owners have learned that if they have a trailer painted into a billboard, they can park it on a busy street and get more attention than many of the popular billboard locations in town.
The problem with this resourcefulness is the new advertisement blocks our view as well as gets the merchants’ message out. It’s a moving target, so it will be hard for the city to write an ordinance that will rid us of these obstacles.
The busier the location, the more tempting it is to park a sign there. Huff Street near Lake Winona and busy downtown intersections are popular parking spots for these traveling billboards.
I’m not sure how dangerous these new “billboards” are, but the owners should be careful where the obstacle is parked. Blocking the view of the pedestrian crossing on the bike path or putting the trailer too close to a busy intersection transforms the trailer from an annoying advertisement to an outright hazard.
Galewski is the retired editor and Opinion page editor of the Winona Daily News. His views don’t necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper. If you have an idea or tip about a Winona issue, call Jim at (507) 452-3960. His e-mail is editor@luminet.net.
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