Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Impassable At Any Speed

Street repair and improvement is a necessary evil no matter what town, village or city you live in. And it is always going to inconvenience somebody. Mostly just the people in the immediate area of the improvement work, sometimes it spokes out to encompass neighborhoods. But there seems to be no halfway to the inconvenience recently created by our town leaders. They have now undertaken a project that severely inconveniences every citizen on this island. Or at least those that eat, need to see a doctor or want to go to church.

Just before the stormy days of IDA were upon us, the City started tearing up the street, the only street, that runs along the east side of downtown. It is the main route to get to the grocery store and the hospital, as well as numerous hotels and the central market. And they are not doing it block by block so traffic can continue to move about downtown. No. They are laying new sewage and drainage pipe while they have the street pulled up so (they say) they have to tear up the whole length of the street before they can do anything.

Here is a view looking north past Hotel Carmelina and the Hotel Frances Arlene. No traffic is allowed down this street all the way to the market.




But it's looking south that is the most annoying. Just past that ambulance parked in the road is the Hotel Rocamar and the curve that goes down past the basketball court, next to the church. Next to that ambulance is the entrance way to get to our only supermarket on the island. We have little tiendas scattered about, but downtown is our central grocery store.




They are putting in new sidewalk the length of the street. A good idea for those of who have to drive here. Tourists just don't seem to grasp the concept of not walking down the middle of the streets. I guess they allow that in Disneyland, so why not here? Before anybody says anything, there are existing sidewalks on every street here already. Tiny, uneven, unpleasant things, but they are there if tourists would like to step up on them and wait for traffic to clear. Maybe it would give them a second to consider their surroundings also and take their thumbs out of their asses for just a minute too.

As a driver, I am a bit concerned about the size of these sidewalks. As you can see from the forms already installed, there is not going to be much room for traffic as it is. And I will bet you anything, anything at all, that once this street is complete, people will park their motoscooters just as before or leave their car in the road while they run a quick errand. I'll let you know.




I guess I understand the need to do this and although I complain about the inconvenience, I do believe it is for the greater good. I just wish that if they were going to work on it, they would work on it. Why tear it all up and then go for days without a construction crew in sight?

TIM at his best.

10 comments:

lisa said...

I hope the street is a one way! Holy cow what a mess! Looks like a ghost town to me!

lisa said...

I hope the street is a one way. It looks like a ghost town to me!

Anonymous said...

I understand they are using colored pavers. Wouldnt it make sence to make road and sidewalks the same height? Then use one color for the "suggested" road, and another color for the "suggested" sidewalk? at least if someone parked, you could still get aroung them without jumping a curb? Maybe that is their plan:-))
carl/debbie

Anonymous said...

Oh, Carl, you are HILARIOUS!!! "They have a plan!" ROFLMFAO

Just catching up on your blog from last week, Wayne. Very obvious that the hospital & road improvement are run by the same folks!

Linda
(you know)

Life's a Beach! said...

Wayne, that's why they sent a man in a big white truck the morning Ida hit to get me out of the Rocamar. A taxi couldn't get up that hill in that mess!

For some reason, the street crew had strung fishing line across the entrance to the Rocamar. When I came home that night, you can guess what happened! Only in Mexico would they string a 'trip' line across the entrance to a hotel and leave it!

I have a feeling this one's going to take awhile!

1st Mate said...

After a hiatus I have again taken up editing a novel that takes place in your part of the world, specifically Isla Mujeres and CancĂșn. Your posts about what's going on in the 'hood make my labors that much more enjoyable, because I can picture so clearly the setting of the book.

Anonymous said...

Please don't have such a disgruntled character in your novel. I swear I've never seen anyone so Grumpy before. ABOUT Anything!! Yes I read it every once in a while but I now can remember why its only every once in a while....

No offense intended.
Smile

Jackie said...

I predict the street will be still torn up when I come back after Christmas.
It's just not on Isla that people walk in the way of vehicles. Here they think that they can leisurely stroll down the middle of the drive at the grocery store or mall parking lots.

Anonymous said...

I have always had an issue with the sidewalks on Isla. They put in a sidewalk with big holes in the middle and use the hole for planters. Bushes, trees, trash and the unsuspecting tourist end up in those holes. You have to step off the sidewalk to walk anywhere. Can’t they just put in a sidewalk.........

Venting - thanks

Islagringo said...

lisa: it used to be 2 way. We are hoping they make it 1 way now. There is no way 2 cars could pass.

carl/debbie: that might work elsewhere, but not here. People would ignore the suggestions and it would be a mess.

Linda: possibly. The hospital was recently "renovated" inside. They still haven't put doorknobs on the new office doors and the waiting room chairs have most of the seats missing already.

Beck: I just don't know what to say. Hope you didn't hurt yourself!

anonymous: no offense taken. I must say though, they way things are done down here is enough to turn anybody grumpy once in awhile. I just don't see kittens and babies and pretty flowers and brightly painted doorways everywhere I look. And I am not going to give my readers a fake impression of the place I live. I try to tell it like it is, even if it comes across as grumpy once in awhile. Read me if you want. Or don't.

jackie: i agree with your prediction and you make a good point about people ignoring traffic everywhere.

anonymous: i think they are really trying to make the sidewalks more people friendly. I agree with you though about how they are. And just not here. Read some other Mexican blogs and you'll see that it is basically the same everywhere.