LFP will post Letters to the Editor prominently. Send Email letters to EDITOR-LFP.
To: langleyfreepress@canada.com
Subject: Unsafe in this City
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 21:13:53 -0800
Dear Mayor Fassbender:
I am sure you receive a lot of mail. I am hoping you will make time for this letter of mine.
I have met you a couple times. The last time was the Arthritis Society Tea, where I was helping out.
Anyway, I am quite concerned about the lack of safety in Langley. I have been witness to a couple of bad accidents at night, and in broad daylight. Time seems to make no difference.
Three times last week while I was walking my two dogs, I almost got hit. I was in the pedestrian crosswalk, and had the signal to walk. TWICE cars came screeching to a halt,
inches from hitting me. It also happened one evening. I don't wear dark clothing and most people/businesses in the downtown core know me to see me. I am going to get a
flashlight and start using it; yes, even in the daytime.
The arrogance I encounter is incredulous. I have had people gesture to me to get out of the way, (ie. come on, come on,) to being sworn at. It is as if I am the big inconvenience.
I am fairly fit for fifty because of all the walking I do. Rage is all the age lately.
Last night I was walking behind the park just north of the Rogers Video store at Fraser Crossing. Yup; me and my two dogs. I saw a lady get out of her car, (rental) and she
was swarmed by five kids on bicycles. Another couple closer to her saw what happened, and the kids were hurling racial slurs at her. She was terrified. I saw this from the
corner by the dental office and called the RCMP, kept them on the phone, walking towards the woman in the parking lot. Something was obviously wrong. One of the kids had scraped her rental car and she was upset because she thought she would have to pay for the damage.
The other couple who had pulled up by the park were there to walk their dog. They were the only people who helped. I asked them to speak to the Constable I had on my cell phone, since they were witnesses. They were more than co-operative.
How did Langley get to be so indifferent to the safety of its citizens? Too many people want to complain, are in a hurry and will purposely NOT do anything about something
that is so blatantly amiss. And don't get me started on drivers who yak on their cell and steer............or try] to. The brain cannot engage in several tasks at once and stay focused. THAT is why employees who do a lot of overtime start making mistakes after a certain number of hours worked. Their concentration is not as sharp.
I have never encountered anything like the apathy I have found here. I have lived in Fredericton, Moncton, Halifax, Ottawa, Kingston, Kitchener, and Waterloo. We moved here six years ago and it used to be a nice community to live in. If Langley is the Place to Be, etc, etc, etc., I think you will find many people living with fear. Even my neighbours
tell me (I live in a condo) they NEVER go out walking at night anymore.
When we moved here from Waterloo, ONT, many of my friends said, "Oh, you're going to La-la Land." Now I understand what that really means; la-la-la-la-la; we'll just continue along ....... and get out of my way. Oh yeah; funny thing is the most popular phrase here is "No Worries".
And after having said all that, I have met some exceptional people here and have some terrific friends. Some of those dedicated people are the Parks and Recreation crew, who do such a wonderful job of maintaining the Off-Leash Dog Park @ 206 ,merchants in the downtown core who love have us visit and some of my neighbours, and my dog walking buddies. They are congenial, and never complain. And they stop to pat my dogs!
I am still going to walk my dogs when they need to go out. If anyone physically comes after me, I assure you they will be ready to act.
What is the City of Langley going to act on?
Sincerely yours,
A Maritimer out of Water
(Melanie Lynch)...
No comments:
Post a Comment