It shouldn’t be up to regular citizens to find creative ways to slow down reckless drivers.
But we’re willing to do it to save lives.
That’s been the situation for the past five years since I moved into my current neighbourhood in the UniverCity housing development next to SFU on Burnaby Mountain.
The streets are narrow and there are a lot of drivers with ‘N’ stickers on their vehicles due to the high number of students who live here. These new drivers are reckless and dangerous – I’ve seen too many near-misses for my liking.
The City of Burnaby has taken action, adding speed humps along our street. That made me happy and we rested easier thinking they would do the trick.
Except you can never underestimate the recklessness of new drivers. I’ve seen these folks – often driving $100,000 vehicles – actually get some air because they didn’t notice the speed hump and drove over it going full speed. (I guess if mommy and daddy and paying for the car, who needs to protect it?)
And so residents have taken action by buying orange road cones and placing them at strategic points, including at a crosswalk that few drivers ever notice.
We literally have to shine orangeness into their eyes to get their attention so they don’t speed through a crosswalk and kill someone.
We have so many young kids in our neighbourhood. I worry about them every single day.
I see some parents shaking their fists at drivers who blow through the crosswalk – not that the drivers even see that, they are so clueless.
It’s too bad we have to take such extraordinary steps to get the attention of drivers. Not sure what’s next. Maybe I’ll have to make a giant sign that says “Slow The F**k Down, You Maniac!”
Maybe that will get their attention.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
