Lost in the Noise

I was talking to my community manager a few weeks ago about an ongoing problem that was recently fixed.  It wasn’t a complicated problem, but it took two years to fix it? Two years…mainly because the problem got lost in the background noise.  

That’s what got me thinking about all the things that get lost in the background noise on my rides. I’m talking about those problems that you see, but don’t really register because it’s been a problem for so long. Or those problems that just blend into the background because it’s the new normal.

When’s the last time you really looked at the road infrastructure as you went zipping by and really looked at it? More importantly, when the last time you looked at it, registered it and then did something about it?  

Now calm down, I’m not bashing anyone here. Hell, I’m only writing about this because I’m guilty of letting things get lost in the noise. Something like riding down the Odenton Road Shared-Use Path and cussing about the foliage encroaching on the trail – and just cussing.  Anne Arundel County has a nice 311 App for Smartphones – how easy would it be for me to stop and report the problem for correction.

Now beyond that – take a look at the state of the infrastructure.

-          Are there potholes? Report it via the 311 App.

-          Crash debris from last night’s car crash left in the road? Report it via 311 App.

-          Death dealing storm water drain gates? Report it via 311 App.

Now look at the signs and warning signs on the road. Look at the traffic calming devices (chokers, pedestrian islands, flexi-pole baffles, etc). How many of those have been hit by someone driving a car? Look at the tire scrubs.  Light poles that have been hit and snapped off? Fire hydrants? The flexi-poles have been hit and broken off.

Heck I was riding down Dairy Farm Road a few years back and came across a woman in a mini-van that hit the traffic calming device at the bottom of the hill dead-center and was now stuck on top of it – high-centered is a beautiful thing. .

You can even look at those dedicated trails to see this type of damage. If you frequent the WB&A Trail in Odenton – check out the tunnel that goes under Old Waugh Chapel Road. You’ll notice that the left side of the tunnel has a slight bend as you approach from the north.  What caused that? Why a drunk driver about three years ago hit the guard rail on Old Waugh Chapel Road and came down the hill there, impacting the metal culvert that forms the tunnel. 

The six-foot high fence that prevents riders/walkers from exiting the WB&A trail onto Waugh Chapel Road?  That’s new-ish.  It was taken out a few years back by someone in a car.  Who does that? Seriously…

Now that we’ve wandered through the wilderness, take a second and see what you’re losing in the background noise.  What are you seeing, but not recognizing? And what can you do to fix the problem.