Seventy-two minutes! That's the length of time it took me this evening to get from Bamboo Junction to Sunset Ridge.Guess what? Both points are located in the same district: La Romaine.They say that there's a price for progress, but this is way past the point of ridiculous. With my current stress levels, I am doubtful if I will even live long enough to drive on this glorified new highway.
And I'm not alone. When I look at my fellow commuters as we crawl past each other along Bay Road and South Trunk, I see sheer frustration etched upon every face. I see expressions of anger, irritability, impatience, helplessness, and above all, tiredness. This is the manner of madness us Southerners have been facing over the past few months.
At every bottleneck intersection (with or without traffic lights) you find multiple lines of traffic with drivers angrily jostling to get past a foot or two of you, as though KFC had suddenly decided to offer freebies just ahead. With tempers flaring, drivers selfishly encroach upon your precious rightful space, shooting you with piercing looks that would make a serial killer cringe.
They create lanes which defy the laws of physics. Not to be outdone, the truly delusional ones cut through Bel Air and hungrily approach a saturated junction like predators seeking out prey.
But who cares? Can you imagine this situation in December? Such lively entertainment and not a single police officer in sight to restore order where chaos openly resides.
Is it that we, as a people, have collectively accepted mediocrity as a way of life? Commuting along the South Trunk Road today is a harrowing, dangerous and tiring event. This poorly lit, narrowed (thanks, OAS!), busy main road is devoid of a shoulder on either side. You lose traction and end up almost five feet down in some places. And please, don't even think of shutting down!
Why can't these lofty OAS jefes or the geniuses at Nidco entertain some consideration for us mortal drivers in the short term? What about the TTPS Traffic Division? Can't you grace us with your authoritative presence during peak hours?Mind you, I'm not against progress, but this abomination cannot continue and I call upon the relevant authorities to act now! Our very lives and mental wellbeing are at stake.
In the same breath, can someone please repair the single streetlight at the narrowed entrance to Sunset Ridge before a resident misses the road altogether and ends up dead in the dark of night? Placing a second one might be construed as asking for way too much. Thanks.
Shane Bissessar
La Romaine