OW!
I'm glad I go to BarCampLondon and suchlike, or I might not know about sites like
fixmystreet.com, one of whose creators was at BCL2
Funded by the Government, yet strangely not promoted by them - perhaps because it proves that one or two people can create an effective web-based solution for a few thousand quid max, and no money given to EDS or Andersen - it allows one to report a problem that your local authority should fix, pinpoint it on a map (they got all the OS mapping for free because it's a Government-funded project), describe it, and submit it - whereupon the site will automatically work out who to send it to: is it the City Council? is it the County Council? - who cares, the site will send it not only to the right one, but to the right
department therein (because it's got all of their departmental email addresses mapped to the category of complaint)
Here's my report tonight (certain details elided):
A few yards to the south of the junction of Thingummajig Street and Oojamaflips Road the paving slabs are uneven and not properly seated. This has been a problem for a long time (over a year), in that the slabs will rock if one treads upon them. If it has rained recently then a gush of dirty water is sprayed up one's leg, usually in sufficient quantities to then run down into one's shoe.
Although I have suffered this ignominy on numerous occasions, I vaguely assumed that this problem would be fixed at some time.
However this evening, walking northwards and being preoccupied with looking at the world around me rather than the pavement two feet in front of me, I stubbed my toe on one of the slabs which is now tilted to such a degree - more than inch-and-a-half elevation, in my estimation - above the normal surface as to present a serious tripping hazard to pedestrians.
FYI, it's tilted down northwards, which is why the trip hazard is presented to those walking northwards - those walking southwards just get a slab that rocks beneath them. It's one of the square ones.
Given that this was the foot in which a most painful episode of arthritis had only just subsided, and that said foot is now hurting like hell, I can only hope that the pain is due to bruising, rather than a triggering of a recurrence of the arthritis.
This stretch of pavement has been an abominable mess for ages now. Please fix it. If you need a photo before you take action I will go out and take one tomorrow and attach it to this post on fixmystreet.com, if my foot is sufficiently recovered to let me walk that far.
And in a day or so, judging by past experience, I'll get an email from the council begging forgiveness, and there'll be somebody working on the problem in short order
I'll let you know how it turns out - in the meantime, try it yourselves
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