Are You Listening?

I don't know why but I wake up at the strangest times and can't get back to sleep. It goes in a pattern where for 3 or 4 days I will wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning wide awake. Nothing really on my mind but just awake. After tossing and turning for a bit I turn on the TV and pick up my phone and start scrolling with hopes I will get tired and fall back asleep for a couple more hours. Normally I don't or I fall back asleep and then it is time to get up which can be the absolute worse. But then I will go for a few weeks of sleeping like a baby until 4:30 -5 am when I normally wake up.

During those really early hours when no one else in their right mind is up it is really quiet. I mean really quiet. There isn't the noise of the phone ringing, text messages, emails coming in, DM's or all the other distractions and notifications that happen throughout our normal days. This time I can slow down and "listen" or think about something that someone has said. Sometimes, that is replaying a conversation that I overheard or had, or rereading an email, or a text, a comment.

But one thing I think I have discovered is how many people ask for something and then argue with the advice or suggestions that people give them. Or how something may be promoted that doesn't go over as intended. Not on our group so much but so many other places online. I have seen several post that have been put out recently announcing changes to streets, traffic patterns, etc. And just about each one are filled with comment after comment voicing the displeasure, questioning the reasoning and safety of a number of the changes. There are always a number of questionable comments but rarely do you ever see a response back to legitimate concerns. 

Just a Couple

Let's talk about just a couple hot topic issues that I see brought up quite often.

Scooters. As a number of people that have voiced concerns they are left all over yards, sidewalks, even in the middle of the road around Salisbury. Concerns are brought up that a number of the people riding them do not follow the traffic laws. Neighboring resort towns such as OC, and Chincoteague have a large number of rental bikes, and mopeds. And you do not see them left all over like this. So what can we do to make this a better system here?

Four wheelers, dirt bikes. This one blows my mind. I am as pro police as they come. But I can not drive more than a few miles without seeing a police car around. Do you think it would go over well if I ran red lights, cut cars off, took the tags off my truck, canceled my insurance, and didn't stop for a police car? Of course not. But unregistered vehicles ATVs, and dirt bikes fly up and down business 13 and rt 50 and all of the surrounding areas. I do not know anyone who hasn't seen them and I have been on the other end of having a few customers being hit by one of these uninsured, untagged vehicles. Most people are not happy to learn how that ends up working out.

I fully understand it is a challenge and no I don't want highspeed chases running up and down our communities but really this should become a priority to enforce. With all of the cameras and technology we have today surely there is a way to follow, ticket and or impound these vehicles. So what can we do?

Bike Lanes. Unlike so many comments that I  have read, I have actually seen a few people use these although not that many. I love to run and exercise. Having more than a few close encounters with a distracted driver I am all for creating safe space for people to ride bikes and exercise. However, trash and debris is piled up all over the place now that the street cleaners can't get into many of these areas. Don't worry I will get to trash and litter in just a minute. And people with larger cars have trouble making turns and it can create a distraction. Once again the people riding bikes in these bike lanes are often not following the traffic laws. Not stopping for stop signs, pulling out in front of cars. I have seen a number not even using the bike lanes or riding in the wrong direction which is just asking for a bad accident. Try making a left turn and then have to worry you aren't going to hit someone riding in the wrong direction. I have had this happen a couple times myself pulling into my office. Again anything that we can do here?

Littering. It is disgusting to see trash thrown all over. It is even more disgusting seeing the wonderful clean up efforts being made by some really awesome groups and then weeks or even days later trash thrown all over the same place. Craig Faunce shared a picture with me of the trash he had cleaned up by office in Salisbury. I even pay a lady to clean the trash out of our parking lot too. Well I pull up to work on Tuesday afternoon and guess what. A beer bottle busted all over the parking space I normally park in and beer cans and bottles tossed all over. So I went in and grabbed a broom to get it all cleaned up again. What can we do? Let's see littering is illegal, there are open container laws that prohibit drinking in areas like my parking lot and many other places that we see littered with beer cans and bottles? What happens to the people who are littering?

Traffic calming patterns. I am going to take a unpopular stand on this one...I think from most of the comments I have seen. These do what they are intended to do. They slow traffic down in residential areas. And you know what if someone can drive a school bus, or a tractor trailer through there you can too. But you have to pay attention to what you are doing so you don't hit the curb. Guess what that means they are working. I don't always drive the speed limit and I have had my fair share of speeding tickets. But I can not stand when people speed in residential areas. And if this slows them down I am all for it. I know from reading many of the comments that I have seen regarding these people don't like them. I had a discussion with someone about them the other day. He told me how much he hates them and I asked why? He said they make it hard to turn and you have to be careful not to hit them. I have seen people outraged because they ran into them and damaged their tires or rims. Heck I could hit one on my way home...but seriously if you can't drive your car between them then you are going to fast or not paying attention.

A few years ago we had a couple of cars run off of the road past our home. A number of neighbors and I called and emailed the Sherriff's Department to see if there was anything that could be done. I was advised that this was the number one complaint that they get. For people speeding in residential areas. So in my humble opinion they can put these traffic calming devices all around all of our neighborhoods to slow people down a little. And remember if someone can drive a trash truck or a school bus through there you can fit your car or SUV too!

If You Want Change Make it Happen

We don't do politics on our group. I have been asked more than once to support or help with political campaigns or events. NOPE, NOT going to happen. I really despise the world of politics and so many politicians. I don't think anyone should have a job being a politician. That is my opinion but I really feel it is why so many of our "leaders" are out of touch with the people that they are sent to represent. 

With all that said everyone sees the campaign signs all over right now. If you have issues that are important to you talk to the people who are asking for your vote to find out their position on the issues that you care about and what they plan to do about it.

To the politicians that are running. Good Luck to all and if you get elected remember who elected you and why. And will you listen?

David

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