September 17, 2005

  • Speaking of the necessity of Staying Alert while driving, I drove
    downtown this afternoon to go to the library, plus get a gift
    certificate to Texas de Brazil for Alex's birthday present.  Being
    a creature of habit I got on the freeway, exited at Cherry, headed
    north, turned right on 5th then immediately left on Burnett, where
    there was a car on the left side of the street parked facing me, and
    behind it a car parked facing the same direction I was driving.

    Which was to be expected as Burnett is one-way heading north.  I ought not see a car facing me.

    Except it was swiftly borne in upon me there have been changes afoot
    downtown, as I finally noticed the brand spanking new yellow lines down
    the middle of Burnett, indicative of a two way street, and when I
    reached the intersection with 4th, which normally has only two stop
    signs as Burnett is (was) one way going north and 4th is one way going
    east, there's now a stop sign on the north side of that intersection.

    Well, a toaster needn't drop on my
    toes . . . immediately I grasped Burnett, which has been one way for as
    long as I can remember, had morphed into a two way street.

    The young lady acting as receptionist at the Texas de Brazil restaurant
    warned me that not only did Burnett switch, so did Taylor. 

    Is it too much to ask the traffic people to leave the blinkety-blank streets alone,
    except to fill in the potholes and keep the traffic lights working
    properly?  Or at least to put up warning signs on the affected
    streets?  I just made that same trip a couple of weeks ago, and
    everything was as usual.