Cones, Signs, and Waiting

Wood stakes with numbers on them run on a portion of the road I drive daily. A quiet reminder that soon road construction will begin and I will be enduring the extra hassles and delays of road repair. The road needs it. It’s cracked, bumpy and irritating. I’m glad my tax dollars are going toward that repair. But, it brings mixed feelings. I know it’s a short season and I’ll survive. But, still…This summer I’ve gotten a glimpse of the other side of road construction. People I know are running the trucks, pavers and packers on a crew that’s working around here. They tell stories of people who don’t stop for the flag-man, pass the pilot car or maneuver through the cones and drive on the newly paved surface, leaving track marks that I’ll get to bounce over until that road is repaired again. Worse, stories of near-misses due to people not paying attention – often busy on their cell phones. And, by the way, drivers in trucks get a birds-eye view of what the driver is doing down in the car or pickup below.So, just a friendly reminder that, while we don’t like the delays, road construction is necessary and needs to be done. Real people with family and friends, dad’s with children and loving husbands, are making our roads better and need some space. Slow down, follow the rules, and for heaven’s sake, stay off the phone and pay attention.