Who's Online
We have 8 guests online
|
|
|
Stuff that Really Bugs me ... |
|
Written by Gary Moffat
|
I suppose it may be attributable to my advancing age, but some things are really starting to bug me. Unlike you, however, I have this little space available to me weekly for venting. So, here are some recent happenings that really teed me off:
Stoplights with Blind Spots – I’ve been riding motorcycles for more than 40 years, and I own two – a 1999 Triumph Trophy and a 2000 Harley-Davidson Road King. For me, riding on two wheels has always been the optimum way to get any place in any weather, but with gas prices threatening $5 per gallon, it is also my most economical mode of travel (now that I’ve sold my little electric car).
Riding in Auburn is problematic, though, because many of the stoplights here are controlled by sensors that “see” vehicles at intersections. More and more frequently when I am stopped for a red light and there are no autos in front of or behind me, I end up sitting there, baking in the heat of the day, wearing a black brain bucket with 1340 ccs of motor searing my legs ... waiting interminably for the light to flash green.
Idling there, engulfed in a pool of my own sweat as traffic glides by merrily in the other direction, is really, really irritating. It’s even more exasperating at night, sitting in the dark ... waiting and waiting for a left turn signal to finally glow green...
So, here’s a head’s up to the APD: I ain’t waiting any more,
especially at intersections I know to be blind, such as Auburn Folsom
Road at Lincoln Way and the goofy confluence of Lincoln Way and High
Street. Traffic permitting and under safe conditions—I’m just
going—particularly since the City has been aware of the problem for
years, that according to a former mayor to whom I mentioned the
situation.
Probable Cause ... Who Needs It? – “Gary, it happened to me,”
lamented one of Auburn’s leading citizens who related a tale of a
recent curbing by one of Auburn PD’s crack DUI specialists. The crime?
Simply exiting the Auburn Alehouse after participating in a gathering
there.
“I spent 35 minutes on the street next to my car, going through all of
the drills until the officer offered to let me blow into a
breathalyzer,” my friend explained. This community activist was
stone-cold sober and only too willing to submit to the mechanical test.
After blowing a .01, the officer had no choice but to release an
innocent person.
The police officer’s reply when asked why the stop was made in the first place: “You exited a driveway too aggressively.”
Too aggressively, my ass. This is but another example of the random and
senseless nature of how APD conducts its business. Officers know they
do not need a valid reason to pull you over. Simply exiting a
restaurant in Auburn is cause aplenty. And the fact that innocent
people are subjected to gross humiliation on the street in front of
their peers and neighbors is immaterial to the cowpokes in the black
Dodge Chargers.
Note to Chief Harris: I speak for myself, but I know every respected restaurant owner in this town is vigilant about monitoring consumption by their guests. In an increasingly difficult economy, we’d appreciate it if your staff employed defensible criteria for hitting the cherries when our customers exit our premises. I stridently support law enforcement’s critical role in keeping our streets safe, but suggesting that innocent people must pay in the process is, well, self-serving baloney.
Note to folks out on the town: Having an adult beverage with dinner is not a crime, but moderation is essential. Here are two tips for when you leave a local establishment: Scan the street for police cars ... they usually hide behind SUVs and other large vehicles. Don’t continue the party in the street; walk to your vehicle quietly and depart slowly, obeying every traffic rule.
Is There a Point Here? – In this week’s Sunday edition of the Auburn Journal, the newspaper presented its semi-annual, slap-upside-the-head editorial exhorting the Auburn City Council to get off its collective butt and do something. Headlined, “Auburn City Council needs to light some fires,” this piece was a well-worn recital of the AJ editorial board seeking to prove it really isn’t a part of the City’s public relations team.
While I’ll acknowledge that it was a bit less benign than the previous week’s Father’s Day tribute, and vastly superior to its scintillating ode to Flag Day editorial (I kid you not), I can’t believe that anyone reads this drivel, much less shakes their head in agreement.
Much like an overwrought parent urging a child to buckle down in school, it demanded: “City Council, set some goals. Act with a sense of urgency. Forge a plan and then take the initiative to do everything in your power to bring in ventures with long-term prospects and good-paying jobs.” Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Gimme a break, guys. You boys at the Journal need to cease and desist with recycling your tired little nasty-grams to the City’s leadership. Why don’t you geniuses come up with some fresh ideas? In fact, why don’t you inject some creativity into your lame news pages for starters?
When Richard J. “Boss” Daley ran Chicago, he was often taken to task personally for the city’s woes. His response to the media: “All you do is criticize. Where are YOUR plans? Where are YOUR programs?” It was usually enough to quiet his detractors, even those who made valid points.
Anyone familiar with this City knows that our elected officials work their butts off and they do it pro bono. In a small town such as Auburn, it can be very difficult and time-consuming to get anything done, even when funding is available. When money is tight, it is even tougher.
So taking a cue from Boss Daley, I have two questions for the Auburn Journal. Where are YOUR plans? Where are YOUR programs?
Gary Moffat is a journalist and owner of Carpe Vino in Old Town Auburn. He can be reached at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
 |
|
|
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed
