Fay in Bray

Learner drivers on the motorway

2007-12-04T11:26:00.000Z

Learner drivers are not allowed on the Motorway. We all seem to believe that this is only barely enforced and maybe that's true. I see many L signs when I'm on the M11 or M50.

Still, I was kind of surprised to see that at Carrickmines all traffic is being diverted onto the Motorway due to road works.

The road to Cornelscourt is closed (due to Luas works?) and there are orange diversion signs indicating that traffic should use take the M50 to the next exit (Louglinstown/Dun Laoghaire). That means any learner driver who comes across the motorway there to get to Cornelscourt is being directed onto the Motorway. Is this legal? Just curious.

Christmas lights

2007-11-29T14:22:00.000Z

Two years ago I criticized the Christmas lights in Bray. Well, this year they've outdone themselves. The lights are fantastic. Great work.

New license

2007-06-21T15:03:00.001+01:00

I had to get a replacement driver's license because my old one went once too often through the washing machine. (When will we ever get a credit card sized license?) Anyway, I sent off the form, the fee and the photographs and got the license back in no time.

I know it's easy to argue that it should always be like that, but we all know that there are some public services that take forever to complete the simple tasks. I'm impressed at how efficient Wicklow County Council was processing my license.

N11 shut down

2007-06-15T13:50:00.000+01:00

Not nearly as bad as I first heard (feared). The road will close at 8:00 Saturday night and reopen on Sunday at 2pm. Still, I will not imagine that getting anywhere will be possible Saturday evening or Sunday morning. We'll be in lock-down.

N11 to close?

2007-05-14T11:08:00.000+01:00

I heard this over the weekend and it didn't sound too convincing so I'm not sure if this is just a rumor or what. Anyway, what I heard was that the N11 would be closed over the June bank holiday weekend between Fassaroe and Bray South. Surely not. Right? Because I can only imagine what it'll be like trying to get around here if all that southbound traffic is redirected through the town.

Bray's N11 'Blackspot'

2007-02-13T10:14:00.000Z

At least once a week I witness something particularly dangerous at the S. Bray entrance/Enniskerry exit on the northbound N11. That has to be sorted out. Yesterday, I saw my life flash before my eyes when a young girl - clearly scared out of her mind - neither entered the N11 nor went left to Enniskerry, but carried straight ahead over the white painted lines and into the entrance lane for those coming onto the road from Enniskerry.

If not for the foresight and quick thinking of the guy driving a large truck who was just about to pull out to enter the road I'd have witnessed or been involved in a serious (possibly fatal) crash.

I came down the entrance ramp (sorry can't remember the word used here) just behind this girl and was alongside the back of her car when I realized that she wasn't turning left towards Enniskerry. I couldn't go to the right because of the traffic. I waited for the inevitable crash as she plowed into the truck or for her to jerk her car right and into me.

There's too much traffic for the way the N11 is laid out here. Traffic exiting the northbound N11 for Enniskerry should have to exit at the Bray South exit. Same goes for those cars entering the southbound N11 off Herbert Road. That too should be ended.

Parking disc

2007-01-15T11:51:00.000Z

I found one of the old €0.38 parking discs just before Christmas and used it before it expired on Dec 31. Whew. I miss parking in Bray for so little. I suppose €1.00 isn't really that much, but compared to €0.38 it seems astronomical.

Post office

2006-11-27T23:04:00.000Z

Whenever I have to pick up a parcel in the depot near the post office on Quinsboro Road I'm struck by how lonely that small lane can be. This evening as I was walking out I saw a decidedly dodgy looking individual coming up the lane. As I walked by him I felt some relief, but I did wonder how the three women who were behind me in the office would feel when they walked down that dark, lonely lane. Surely a better, brighter approach is possible?

Christmas lights

2006-11-27T23:00:00.000Z

What purpose is served by having the lights on during the day?

East Coast FM

2006-11-23T08:27:00.000Z

I rarely listen to East Coast FM radio station. I prefer talk radio. Last night, however, I figured I'd go to their web site to look for information on the traffic, but there was nothing. I was surprised. I couldn't believe they had no important local news section for just such an emergency. That's something they should consider.

Silversbridge

2006-11-23T08:21:00.000Z

I've only lived in Bray for 7 years so I probably just need to accept that I don't know the geography as well as someone who was raised here. Yesterday, during the traffic chaos I kept hearing that there was a major problem at Silversbridge. That's what the AA had on its web site too. I had no idea where that was. At 10pm I heard someone on East Coast FM announce that the problems were at Fassaroe, which I did know.

I doubt I'm alone in not knowing where Silversbridge was. I also didn't know where the Wilford Roundabout was. I guess this is how we learn about our locale.

No more A & E bin service

2006-08-23T11:08:00.000+01:00

I came back from my holidays in July and found out that my much loved bin service is no more. A & E is gone and Allied Waste Management has taken their place. Too bad.

Allied is still honouring the Allied tags, but when those are gone I'll have to pay €10 for each tag. And, starting in September we'll have to pay €5 for each recyncling collection. I suppose I understand because I'm sure recycling costs the refuse companies a fair amount, but charging for recycling seems to defeat the whole idea. I probably won't put that bin out too often as I can take my recycling around to the new Bray recycling centre for free.

Helicopters

2006-08-23T11:02:00.000+01:00

What is with all the helicopters that have been hovering over the S. Cross Route the past few days. I'm fed up with them, particularly those that take up residence overhead after 11pm.

Switching to A & E

2006-05-25T09:17:00.000+01:00

Last year, I was paying Greenstar €23 and change for each collection (I only put the bin out once a month). Now I'm paying €7.50 for each collection. I cannot believe more people are not availing of A&E's service. There are only a few of the blue bins around the neighborhood. I'm not sure if it's due to laziness or fear that the new service will not be as good. I really don't know. It's not as risky as changing phone companies - you can always call and ask Greenstar to bring their bin back if A&E doesn't work out.

St. Patrick's Day festival

2006-02-24T16:51:00.000Z

This week's Wicklow Times quotes Councillor David Grant as saying, "Last year's Parade and Festival were a great hit and everyone who attended it knows that it was".

Well, not everyone agrees with Cllr Grant. In fact, anyone I talked to last year said it was a joke. My kids have already told me that can't be bothered this year.

A & E

2006-02-24T16:50:00.000Z

Despite a few hiccups, I have my tags and my bin has been emptied by A & E. I hope this works out. Feels great to be out from under the Greenstar yoke.

That's ACE

2006-02-03T14:22:00.000Z

Got a notice in the door about a new wheelie bin service in our neighborhood. ACE Skip Hire is offering domestic wheelie bin collection. I'm going to switch to them because they're charging €7.50 per lift and no charge for the recyclng bin. Based on last year's experience, I'll get my rubbish collected for €90, a savings of €190 when compared with what I have to pay Greenstar for a year's collection service.

Two new waste collection services in the space of two weeks. Incredible.

UPDATE: Feb 18 Ummm, well, I'm not so bright. The name of the firm's not actuallly ACE, but A&E. I misread their logo.

Oh what fun it is to ride a monopoly . . .

2005-12-15T11:41:00.000Z

Having a monopoly must be great fun. I'd love to control one myself. I'm sure the folks who run Greenstar are having a whale of a time.

For the year 2005 I will owe Greenstar be €264. However, due to Greenstar's policy of making sure ~~they always have a lot of cash on hand~~, oh sorry, no, that's not it, of making sure that no customer leaves the EU owing Greenstar for their rubbish collections, I will have paid €392. (Is there any reasonable explanation for this business of charging everyone the maximum?)

I'll be getting my €128 back on January 27, the day the first 2006 payment is due. Now, whatever about Greenstar's decision to charge everyone the maximum amount during 2005 when they had no history to go on, it is practically criminal to insist on this again in 2006. My monthly charge should be €23.34 (approx), but instead Greenstar demands €37.82 each month. They promise I'll get a refund in 2007.

Thanks, but no thanks. I see no reason for Greenstar to hold so much of my money. First of all, I already have a bank and don't need a second one. Second, companies sometimes do go bankrupt. What are the chances I'll get my refund if something goes seriously awry with Greenstar's accounts? Yeah.

Greenstar's behavior is almost loan shark-like. They know we can't go anywhere else for our rubbish collection so they shake us down for far more than we should have to pay and promise a refund next year. In the meantime they have the use of money belonging to thousands of customers who have no say in how that money is used or how Greenstar manages its accounts. How could they resist that much fun?

Two thumbs down

2005-12-15T11:40:00.000Z

That's the verdict from my children on the Christmas lights in Bray. They prefer the colored lights used in Dun Laoghaire. All white holds no appeal for them.

More on the N11

2005-11-28T15:54:00.000Z

On Saturday night I was witness to the after effects of a bad accident at the Enniskerry exchange on the northbound N11. I was stunned on Sunday morning when I didn't hear that there had been fatalities in that one. There were 8 or 9 ambulances as well as fire trucks and a number of police cars.

The N11 - north and south - is a mess from Bray South to Fassaroe. The interchanges are too dangerous. And, I have no statistics to support this, but it does seem like traffic is a lot heavier since the M50 opened. The connection to the Enniskerry road going north and the connection to Herbert Road heading south will have to be closed someday soon.

Shopping locally

2005-11-28T15:49:00.000Z

I can't imagine ever going to Smyths in Bray again. That big, new store in Carrickmines is just as close to me in time and it has a nice, big, FREE parking lot. And, I can indulge my weakness for computer supplies at PC World.

The new Woodies in Bray is another matter entirely. I'm not a huge fan of Woodies as it is, but I don't know what they were thinking when they designed their parking lot. There isn't enough room between the rows of parked cars. There will be many minor accidents with people backing into the car behind them. Fortunately, I doubt it will ever be packed there, but if it is it'll be a mess.

No water

2005-09-09T14:23:00.000+01:00

Just got an e-mail from Caroline Burrell, one of our local councillors. I'll post the e-mail here for anyone who might come to this page in the next day or two.

Upgrade Works are taking place at Roundwood Water Treatment Works so there will be NO Water Supply to most of County Wicklow including Bray town and its environs from 9.00 a.m. on Tuesday 13th until approx. lunchtime on Wednesday 14th September.

Most areas will experience a severe reduction in water pressure with a total loss of water in most areas.

Please make note of this and try to conserve water as much as possible.

UPDATE: 8:10pm Sep 10 I just got another e-mail from Caroline Burrell. The dates have been changed. The outage will now be from 9am Sep 20 through lunchtime on Sep 21.

UPDATE: 4:00pm Sep 19 Now it seems that tomorrow's not the day either. Waiting for Dublin City Council to provide the date, according to the Bray Town Council.

Art

2005-08-30T16:10:00.000+01:00

I had a digital camera with me the other day and I was inspired to take pictures of my favorite public art. My biggest regret with regards to this sculpture (? installation? what should it/they be called?) is that I wasn't there the day the crane was blocking traffic so that it could lift and replace the two big blocks. People I know who live in the vicinity thought that these blocks were left over or misplaced construction materials. Needless to say, they were stunned when they were turned in order to change the "aspect" of the "piece".

Even the speed limits have been set

2005-08-08T12:23:00.000+01:00

I have nothing left to complain about now? Wow. 100 km/h is the limit from Loughlinstown roundabout to the M50 interchange. It all seems so 'final'.

I'd like to thik that they'll someday prevent M50 traffic from exiting at Shankill and force them onto the next exit (about an extra mile or two of driving) as there is too much happening in a short distance.

Greystones baseball

2005-08-06T07:19:00.000+01:00

I do some coaching in Greystones. Here's an article on a US town that is the model for what we need to do in Greystones (yes, yes, I'm just kidding).

Interchange

2005-08-01T09:45:00.000+01:00

I'm not impressed with the layout of the new road whatsoever. Southbound is particularly bad and when traffic gets heavier I think we could see some nasty incidents.

I think the M11's right lane should have run paralell with the merging two lanes to the right for a much longer distance. The short run means that people are compelled to shift lanes, possibly before a safe gap exists and/or before the M50 traffic has adjusted to the large influx of merging traffic. Really, the road should be three lanes beyond Bray (four until Shankill). I also think traffic coming along the M50 should not be allowed to exit at Shankill, but should be forced to the first Bray exit.

We'll see.

More on the speed limits

2005-08-01T09:43:00.000+01:00

I love the consistency with which speed limits are posted. I figured I'd give it a while, but it looks like there will be no speed limit posted at the start of the M11 (south). That means coming off the Loughlinstown roundabout's the 50 km/h speed applies right up to the point where the M11 merges with the M50.

So far I haven't seen a single soul traveling anywhere near the 50 km/h speed.

Missing anything?

2005-07-12T20:07:00.000+01:00

Dear Wicklow County Council,

By now I'm sure you've realized that Greystones Beach is missing. If you'd like to know where it is, it's in my bathroom, left there by my three children this afternoon.

Please feel free to collect it whenever you're ready.

Regards,

Fay in Bray

Thanks NY Times

2005-07-10T09:39:00.000+01:00

Today's NY Times has two articles about places in Ireland. One is about Galway and the other is about Bray. The Galway piece is about all the great things you can see and do if you travel there. The article about Bray talks about how rubbish from the old dump is falling into the sea.

I can just see the tourists jumping at the chance to experience this 'natural beauty'. I have to explain my 'new home town' to all my friends back in my 'old home town'.

Flies

2005-06-30T13:27:00.000+01:00

I wrote about this over at my other blog, but am I the only one who believes that we have more flies this summer? It seems to me that there has been a significant increase in the fly population in our neck of the woods and I blame the new rubbish collection regime. Household waste is now lying around for weeks on end whereas it used to be collected on a weekly basis.

How long before rats and other vermin start showing up?

June 30, 2005

2005-06-30T13:24:00.000+01:00

Will we be disappointed? Will today's momentus event not actually satisfy. Only a few hours to go, but by day's end the last stretch of the M50 will be open. It's just so exciting.

Blog death

2005-06-17T15:42:00.000+01:00

I just seem to have run out of gas with this blog. I think the best option would be some form of local multi-person effort. If anyone else is interested, I'd be happy to help get such a thing going.

I forgot to mention

2005-03-29T12:42:00.000+01:00

If that is the best we can do for Saint Patrick's Day, then my recommendation for the town council is not to bother next year. The parade was a joke and the "fun fair" not much more than an eye sore.

Free Compost bins?

2005-03-26T08:34:00.000Z

Wow! South Dublin County Council is giving compost bins to anyone who asks for one. They must really want people to composte their waste. Out here, you gotta fork out the €50 (or €120 or whatever) for you composte bin.

I still haven't bought one. I've been separating the rubbish pretty faithfully, but at the end of the month when I'm putting out the bin (so far once a month) I just put all the cartons and composte in too. It doesn't cost me anything and I'm not that keen on having a composte bin in the yard. I suspect that the bin will be full long before anything has broken down into spreadable composte. What then?

Near the end of the year, I'll probably get one because it looks like we'll have to pay by weight next year.

{I'm not keen on government bodies giving things away, to be honest. However, the argument in favor of free rubbish collection in urban environments that existed when it first started - waste is a health hazard - is no less relevant today than it was years ago.}

One law for everyone

2005-03-11T16:20:00.000Z

Noticed this afternoon that the authorities, in their wisdom, have resolved the multiple speed limit situation. Now we're all allowed to do 120KPH for the entire stretch from Shankill to Bray, where the limit drops to 100KPH. Is that two full miles at motorway speed? I might just die with excitement.

Parking in Bray

2005-03-10T15:08:00.000Z

Is there any organisation that simply raises its fees by 160% without batting an eye other than government? Today was the first time I had to pay €1 for a parking disk that cost €0.38 up to December.

I doubt I'll bother with the library again and I may look for a new barber. Also, I see no reason to shop in Bray at all. I used to like the fact that it didn't cost an arm and a leg to park my car, but those days are over now. The only store that makes commercial sense to me in Bray now is Smith's and with no parking in front and the fact that I'll soon be able to get to Tallaght nearly as easily as to their store in Bray, I suspect that Bray will soon be nothing more than a series of traffic lights along the route to Shankill.

Snow job

2005-03-07T12:17:00.000Z

Unbelievable how 3/4" (I'm being generous) of snow caused so much trouble in Bray and beyond last week. Was there even a single truck out salting or sanding the roads? I have my doubts. Traffic was at a standstill through the town and only barely moving on the Southern Cross.

And, as if the roads weren't bad enough, there were the morons who helped make a tough situation impossible. I know snow is rare here, but surely the basics could be explained, maybe with radio spots on snowy days? Here's what I remember from driver's education classes in upstate NY:

bring a bag of sand in the car in case you get stuck on an icy patch (I realize that very few people had this available to them last week, but it's not a bad idea to get one)
accelerate and decelerate SLOWLY – quick pumps are better than slamming on the brakes and holding the pedal down
drive in as high a gear as you can without stalling
leave a lot of room between you and the guy in front
signal turns well in advance

I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two items, but this would be a good start.

Signage

2005-03-07T12:12:00.000Z

I noticed last week that the DLCC (or whoever) had removed the speed limit sign on the entrance to the M11 at Shankill. That means the limit is no longer 120KPH for drivers entering the road there and 60KPH for drivers who joined at Loughlinstown. That has to be seen as progress. Still, the new limit for those who join at Shankill is 50KPH, which means there are still two distinct speed limits on that one stretch of road.

As well as the two legal limits, there's no doubt that many (most?) drivers believe the 60KPH zone ends when they get past the last of the road works. Many of these drivers are hitting speeds approaching 120KPH beyond Shankill, but there are still a sizeable number who insist on obeying the legal limit of 60. This is an invitation to disaster and the DLCC or Wicklow CC MUST erect signs beyond Shankill indicating what the limit is on that stretch of road.

Back again

2005-03-07T12:09:00.000Z

Another long spell where I failed to keep you abreast of my insights about life in Bray has now ended. I know you were gasping and I'm sorry about that.

Earth to DLCC

2005-01-25T10:56:00.000Z

(or whoever is in charge of speed limits on the M11)

I had nearly forgotten this incident.

The other day I witnessed a near miss that could possibly be blamed on the authorities in charge of setting the speed limits on the M11. A car in the left lane was still obeying the 60KPH speed limit beyond the Shankill exit. I watched as another car that had entered the motorway at Shankill was increasing speed rapidly and didn't seem to recognize just how slowly the car in front of it was moving. The trailing car had to slam on the brakes and pull to the right to avoid hitting the car in front.

The car that had entered at Shankill was, of course, trying to get near to the 120KPH limit that is signed as you enter the M11. However, the car in front, which had Galway registration plates, hadn't passed any sign indicating that the speed restrictions they encountered at the Loughlinstown roundabout had been lifted. There is NO sign ending the 60KPH zone.

In effect you have two speed limits for the same stretch of road (Shankill to Bray): one is 60KPH for those who enter at Loughlinstown and the other is 120 for those who join the road at Shankill.

I'm old school on this and believe that one speed limit per road should be sufficient.

Greenstar apologizes

2005-01-24T16:07:00.000Z

Greenstar has apologized for causing confusion regarding the pay-by-weight or pay-by-use system for 2005. And, it seems like they're going to spell out the exact charges for each lift.

A spokesperson for Greenstar said the company wished to apologize for any misunderstanding.

'With regard to any confusion that may have arisen over terms such as pay by use, Greenstar wishes to apologize for this. The situation will be made clear next week, when Greenstar announces specific charges for the number of bin lifts over the 12 months of 2005. This will be done by means of a presentation to Wicklow Co. Council, a letter to individual customers and by press release,' a spokesperson for Greenstar concluded.

What's funny about this is that Greenstar's customer service people knew the truth in early December, but those running the company never bothered to issue a definitive statement on the matter.

Early finish

2005-01-20T13:49:00.000Z

Greenstar's truck was through my neighborhood early today. A sign that they have less to do now? I didn't put my bin out again. I think we can make it to Jan 27.

I called Greenstar again the other day for clarification on the fees. I was again told that there is no weight feature in the fee structure. This is at odds with what my local councilor, Caroline Burrell was told and what Kathleen Barrington wrote in the Sunday Business Post last Sunday.

Jennifer told me that the fees will be based on bands determined by use. If you put the bin out once a month, your fee will be €262, including 12 annual black bin collections. If you put the bin out 3 times a month your fee will be €392. Two pick-ups a month will cost €328.

All of this sounds reasonable, but why the bands? I suspect the reason for the bands is that they afford Greenstar sufficient flexibility in what fees any customer will pay. Otherwise, Greenstar could quite simply tell customers that your base fee is €262 and each time you put the bin out will cost you €5.50 (or whatever).

Compost

2005-01-14T11:20:00.000Z

Off to the garden center today to get a compost bin. I never thought I'd see the day that I was composting. My grandmother used to tell my parents, "you're throwing money away". Now she's more right than ever.

On a related note, it seemed like most people had their bins out yesterday. I didn't. I felt we could make it to next week, by which time some of the garbage will be ready to walk away on its own.

I wonder if Greenstar will find its wages bill falling as the number of bins collected each week falls? Same goes for Dun Laoghaire CC and, really, all rubbish collection services.

Speed limits

2005-01-10T13:00:00.000Z

I wrote about the metric switch over at the Eagle, but I just wanted to add some local flavor.

I've been noting how many roads in Dun Laoghaire have the speed limit painted on them. How will these be removed/replaced by Jan 20? I'm guessing they won't be. There's the potential for some confusion there, no?

Also, I see very few new signs under wraps compared with all the small, out of the way speed limit signs along our roads. Will all of those be replaced by Jan 20? And, will the speed limit on the N11 between Cornelscourt and Loughlinstown be moved up to 80 KPH or will we still have to crawl along at 50 KPH?

By the way, it's pretty damn clear that NOBODY obeys the current 30 MPH speed limit on that stretch of road. In the past few days I've been passed by a Garda car doing close to 50MPH (and not in any emergency hurry) and by a bus using the bus lane to do 45-50 because the rest of the traffic was only going 42 or so. If buses are using the bus lane to exceed the speed limit by nearly 20 MPH (approx. 30 KPH) surely it's time to either (a) crack down on speeding there or (b) acknowledge that the limit is too low and should be raised.

Cartons

2005-01-05T13:26:00.000Z

What happens if I put my rinsed milk & juice cartons into the recycling bin? I don't know, but we're switching to plastic. How's that for positive environmental impact? Greenstar's refusal to recycle the cartons means it's now a cheaper for us to buy plastic containers and put them in the recycling bin.

D U M B

Making work for themselves

2005-01-05T13:19:00.000Z

Why do letters from Greenstar come in these huge envelopes? The only explanation I can think of is that they want to help fill our bins.

Today I got a sticker that has to be put on the bin (what about the one they put on recently? expired already?) and a note wishing me a Merry Christmas and explaining that there would be no collections on Dec 27 & 28 and Jan 3. Thanks.

Still no explanation of how the new system will work. I assume nothing's changed from my phone conversation and that we're paying strictly by volume.

The cost of rubbish in Bray

2004-12-10T13:03:00.000Z

is an obsession of mine.

This week's Wicklow Times had an article about Greenstar and the fees for the new year. Nothing Greenstar was quoted as saying in this article was as clear-cut regarding the cost for putting the bin out as what Aoife told me last week.

I just don't trust them, but for the moment I'm assuming that Aoife had it right.

What is the N11 speed limit now?

2004-12-07T14:06:00.000Z

Twice over the weekend I drove along the N11 from Cornelscourt to Bray. The first time I thought I had missed the signs indicating that the speed limit is 30MPH. The next day, however, I was sure I didn't miss the signs. They are gone. So, the speed limit along the Loughlinstown stretch (southbound) of the N11 is now 50 MPH, right? I mean, that's what it is from just past Foxrock and it's unchanged all the way to the roundabout. Right?

But, then, last night I was entering the N11 Southbound from Wyattville Road and I saw no sign indicating that the speed limit was 50MPH. So, it's 30MPH, right? Only, how can it be both 50 and 30 simultaneously?

This mirrors a similar situation along the M11 a couple of miles south. Cars traveling south along the motorway are in a 40MPH zone until they get completely past the Shankill exit. Yet, cars entering the motorway at Shankill are told the speed limit is 70MPH as they go along the slip road.

So, any car entering the motorway at Shankill could easily be doing 70MPH by the time they get ready to enter a road where the traffic should be going 40.

These may be minor points, but they're indicative of the half-assed efforts by the authorities in setting speed limits. I sometimes travel at 40MPH right to that point on the M11, but I know my life is in danger because I'm going WAY TOO SLOWLY compared with the rest of the traffic.

All of these minor speed limit problems tell drivers that these limits are not serious. Is it any wonder that so many people break the speed limits when it's clear that so little effort goes into setting appropriate limits and ensuring consistency.

I called Greenstar

2004-12-02T17:24:00.000Z

Why is it the companies that I trust the least have the friendliest people on the other end of the line? When Aoife answered my call this afternoon I was ready to get angry, to fight, to spit. Two minutes later she has me eating out of her hand. I practically told her that Greenstar is a fine company and is just trying to make a profit like any other decent small business. You'd think it was a Mom & Pop operation run by the Claus family.

Anyway, Aoife told me that the €264 charge was for someone who put their black bin and green bin out monthly. The €392 charge was for someone who put it out as often as they do now (that is, 40 collections per year for the black bin and 12 for the green). That works out at around €4.57 per (black bin) collection. I now know what I'm dealing with and will work hard to get the charge down to around €300 for the year. Will take some effort.

Guessing game

2004-11-23T08:45:00.000Z

From today's Irish Independent:

Customers of one private bin company in Co Wicklow have already been told that their charges will increase from €372 to an "interim payment" of €392 in the New Year. They will then weigh the bins and the charges will range from €264 to €524 and the company will either bill the household for the extra cost or refund the overcharging.

Hmmm. I wonder what this anonymous company might be called?

We are being ripped off. Either we're going to pay by weight or we're not. Why do we have to pay in advance and then wait to see if we get a refund or additional charge? Is this legal?

I can see two reasons for this:

They don't think they'll make enough if they charge us by weight because too many people will be encouraged to cut back on their waste. If that happens, obviously Greenstar's profits will be affected.
The other problem is that they'll keep the refunds for anyone who's due one to make up for all the people who do not chip in the extra charge they'll owe if they produce too much waste.

I'd rather pay €10 each time I put the bin out. No other charges. I think I could get my annual waste bill under €200 if I really worked at it. Obviously, this is what Greenstar fears most.

Pay by weight

2004-11-19T11:46:00.000Z

According to the Wicklow Times, Greenstar claims to have sent a notice explaining how the new 'pay for use' charges will work in the new year. I no longer have the paper, but that's what I understood. If that's right, then it seems Greenstar missed me.

From what I read in the paper, we still have to pay the annual charge - now €395 or so - and we will then pay for each KG of rubbish on top of that. If that's true, it's outrageous.

As a family we have worked hard this past year to limit our waste output. We now produce less than two bags each week. I think we can reduce our waste even further. However, I had expected that this effort was going to mean a reduction in our annual waste charges. Now all I can hope for is that we'll be punished less severely.

Coming soon!

2004-11-09T16:21:00.000Z

To a blog near you —

I know, I know. Not much happening here lately. Too busy with the election, I guess.

I figure I should be able to do better here now that's out of the way.

Recycling

2004-10-11T14:46:00.000+01:00

Last year at this time I was all over Greenstar for the manner in which they introduced recycling. In the end, it worked out better than I feared at the time. We got a green bin and I found that I didn't really need a waste collection every week. Once we as a family got serious about recycling, we were able to reduce our weekly output to a couple of bags. Our black garbage can was not overflowing after two weeks without a pick-up.

That doesn't mean I wasn't right to wonder why we have to pay more than our neighbors in Dun Laoghaire for one collection less each month, but it was not the disaster I half expected. {I'm also glad that our son grew out of nappies before this new policy kicked in.}

Now another year is winding down and we're supposed to be getting mandatory usage charges for our household refuse in 2005. I haven't heard whether Greenstar plans to charge us by weight or volume, but either way I want to know what the story is with milk and juice cartons. Our milk cartons tell us they can be recycled. My children tell me that in school their teachers tell them that milk cartons can be recycled. In Dun Laoghaire, they specifically say "Yes" to milk and juice cartons, but the last time Greenstar mentioned this to us customers, milk and juice cartons were explicily listed as not recyclable.

This will be a big point in the new year. Cartons are probably our biggest garbage problem. We go through a lot of milk and juice and if we can recyle the cartons we'll greatly reduce our waste bill (and, oh yeah, help the environment. The Irish environment, anyway. Maybe not China's.).

€250,000 for what?

2004-10-01T10:45:00.000+01:00

Okay, I actually acted like a concerned citizen (usually, I just talk like I care). I followed Caroline's advice and went to the civic offices on the main street to view the plans for the new €250,000 seafront development I talked about below.

As I was walking in, I was actually feeling kind of up-beat. I went in figuring that what I was going to see might really be impressive enough to change my view on this. Yes, I have my reservations about the seafront generally, but I thought to myself "this might be a nice start to a change down there". I wasn't just trying to corral my cynicism; I was positive, hopeful.

How foolish I was. First, I was surprised that the plans weren't on display. In my total ignorance, I expected to find some form of model or at least some nice artistic rendition right inside the door, near where you pay the motor tax. Uh-uh.

I asked at the desk and I was told I had to go stand at the far of the end of the counter. Now I'm feeling like a moron. Already my positive feelings are waning. But, still I figured that when I see the plans I'll feel better about it.

A polite, pleasant woman came out to ask me what I was looking for. I explained and she left and then came back with a small green folder.

I opened the folder and my disappointment turned to annoyance. There were a few pages with words describing the development and one colored picture that was really just a technical drawing. Lots of lines and explanations like "granite seating", "raised mounds", etc. No artistic rendering. I had to try and conjure up a picture of it from the technical drawing.

If our town officials really had to sell this plan to the Bray public, they'd have done a much better job than this. I left the office feeling that the officials don't want us to see how little we're really getting for the quarter of a million euros. Some granite benches and two mounds of dirt is the impression I was left with. I'm sure a lick of paint is included somewhere too.

I don't really mind if the seafront is changed, but if this is all we can get for this amount of money then I say save the cash and leave the bandstand as it is.

Bandstand

2004-09-23T10:22:00.000+01:00

While I'm on topics raised in this week's Wicklow Times, I have to say that spending €250,000 doing up the bandstand does seem a colossal waste of money. Don't get me wrong, I think it would be great if the seafront in Bray was spruced up a bit, but I believe they're putting the cart before the horse.

Before the seafront is beautified, someone has to convince the owners of the public houses along the seafront to get rid of all that outdoor drinking. I know I'm just about the only person in this country who believes this, but I think drinking belongs inside or at least out of sight. If they want to develop beer gardens, have them out back not in the front. Outdoor seating at cafes and restaurants can be pleasant, but not for pubs.

The seafront in general (other than the actual sea) is simply ugly. I can't think of a single attractive commercial premise along the seafront. The pubs and their outdoor drinking areas are like urban blight - they have to be tackled before the rest of the area can improve.

I don't see how spending so much public money on the bandstand makes sense. I'd be happier if they were going to plant loads of trees to try and separate the commercial premises from the sea - that would be a far better investment if they want to improve the seafront.

Dell leaving Bray?

2004-09-23T10:18:00.000+01:00

The Wicklow Times's front page story this week deals with this real possibility. Of course, I've seen these rumors before and they do make sense. Why would Dell maintain two separate operations when they could consolidate all of what they do in Cherrywood?

However, if there is any truth that Dell may soon be leaving Bray, what about the new roundabout? A few months ago, traffic at the end of Veevay Rd. was disrupted so that a new entrance/exit could be added to Dell's car park and a new roundabout was added to the Veevay Road. If Dell was really thinking of making a quick departure would they have wasted their money on this project? Or, would the council have paid for this improvement if Dell was leaving so soon?

I don't know who paid for these 'roadworks' (& I'd like to know), but regardless of who paid, if Dell is bugging out, it was a waste of money.

Sorrento Park

2004-09-14T14:46:00.000+01:00

Thanks to a scheduling foul-up - basically I thought I was supposed to be meeting someone at 11:45, but it was actually supposed to be 12:15 - I had a chance to go for a walk in Dalkey this morning. I walk around Dalkey a lot, so nothing unusual about that.

Today, I walked down Coliemore Road past the Harbour and up again towards the corner. Then I made a spur of the moment decision to go into Sorrento Park, where I probably haven't been in more than five years. I had forgotten how amazing this place is.

As you approach it, your impression is of an overgrown, not very well maintained walk through some bushes. But, once you get past the entrance you see the park is actually fairly neatly kept. First thing you see (from where I entered, anyway) is a mosaic of John Dowland. I had never heard of John Dowland before, but he was apparently a composer of renown in the 16th century (and there's a lot more than you ever wanted to know about John Dowland on this site, which has an odd design so don't be put off).

Anyway, Dowland was, possibly, born in Dalkey. "Dowland was a friend of Shakespeare and musician at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. It is said his descriptions of the Dalkey coast inspired the setting for Elsinore in 'Hamlet'." Who knew? (Obviously, lots of people, but not me.)

Anyway, continue on up and you come to the top where the views are spectacular. A sunny day is great, but even better is a day like today when the seas are a little rough and there are dark clouds on the horizon. The sun shining on Dalkey Island with rough seas racing past - just great.

I lingered at the top for about 15 minutes - looking at the island, at the tops of the houses of the rich and famous, and in the distance at the people (men presumably, lunatics certainly) who were getting in for a swim at the Vico bathing site.

Motorway speed

2004-09-07T08:10:00.000+01:00

For the first time I can remember the Gardai were checking the speed of cars entering the work zone on the north bound side of the M11 on Saturday. I hadn't seen them there before.

I don't know if their presence was related to the new roadworks, which I haven't witnessed yet. I only saw the signs warning us of delays starting September 6.

ESB fault

2004-08-13T15:48:00.000+01:00

Just called the ESB hotline and found out that the power isn't only out in our area, but that there's a "major fault in the area of . . . Bray".

There's some comfort in knowing I'm not alone, but the fact that half an hour after the power went out that ESB has no estimated time of restoration is disappointing.

Still, if it weren't for the power fault, I wouldn't be enjoying the song-birds of the modern world - house alarms. So many going off at the same time that it's like a chorus of birds on a spring morning. NOT!

Parking in Loughlinstown

2004-08-12T10:54:00.000+01:00

Of course, just as metered parking was introduced in Dalkey a brand new, large, free car park was being opened in Loughlinstown. It's only open in the evening hours and it's called the M11 Southbound. There's another occasional car park in the area too - Shankill.

When they had to close one lane going north they at least had the decency to let us know when that situation would end. There's no sign indicating when the second southbound lane is going to open, but I really, really hope it's before schools open. Once schools open you could easily be looking at a one hour journey from Killiney to Bray.

Parking in Dalkey

2004-08-12T10:51:00.000+01:00

I can't believe it costs €1.50 per hour to park in Dalkey when it's only €0.38 to park on Main Street in Bray, half that if you're willing to walk a short distance.

Misty

2004-08-12T10:45:00.000+01:00

I'm back from my extended leave.

The weather's been all right lately. Not great, but not awful either. In fact, in one respect it's been perfect because it has generated a lot of sea mists, which I find interesting.

I've been really struck by the speed that the mist can come off the sea and cover Bray Head. The other day I was just watching it as it seemed to race around the top of the mountain to get down the far side. In fact, it looked like a giant hand and the fingers were slowly wrapping themselves around the hill while the palm settled on the top. Only lasted for half an hour or so and then it retreated. Never reached our neighborhood even though we're only a few hundred yards from the top of the Head.

I grew up 200 miles from the Ocean. Even though I've been living near the sea for five years, I don't think I'll ever tire of it.

Speed traps

2004-07-08T15:22:00.000+01:00

Last night I was driving back from Shankill to Bray. Just before I came to the big round-about at the beginning of Bray, I passed two Gardai checking for speeders. I've often seem them there around the same time (9pm). I was half expecting them to be there.

Anyway, what struck me is that this road is clearly designed for traffic to travel at greater than 30MPH. Before the road was resurfaced, the speed limit was 40MPH. Now with a new surface, the road is safer and cars could do 40 without causing too much danger. It's a struggle to keep the car going at 30 or less.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the Gardai trying to tackle the speeding epidemic here. I'm all for it, but I do wonder how they decide where to set their traps. As I've said I've seen them in this location many times, but I haven't once seen a Guard checking for speed along the roadworks on the M11. And, that's where real danger is.

I've mentioned it before, but I'll say it again. I try to go around the 40MPH between Loughlinstown and Shankill, particularly on weekdays when the work crews are out. Keeping to the speed limit is, however, nearly suicidal. I'd love once to see the Guards along that road even if they're not looking for people doing as much as 50. But, the gap between my 40MPH and those who are doing 70+ is so great that it can be frightening.

Junk yard

2004-07-08T15:16:00.000+01:00

I had to go to the junk yard to get a piece for the car. The junk yard I go to is in Dun Laoghaire down by the sea, beyond the west pier (and run by a very helpful, very nice guy). After getting what I needed, I went for a walk along the sea-front to Monkstown. As I was walking back I was admiring the view and thinking that surely no junk yard in the world could have so scenic a back-drop.

When I thought about the view and the convenience - the junk yard is about a five minute walk to the Salthill train station - I was surprised that there wasn't a big apartment building/hotel complex there. It really is a great site.

M11 madness

2004-06-28T09:11:00.000+01:00

I could say that I was nearly killed yesterday, but that would be a slight exaggeration. Only, slight.

Around 5:00 I was driving south on the M11 and had just pulled out to pass someone who was maintaining the 40MPH limit past the end of the roadworks. I was doing about 50 or so myself. {I hadn't yet seen the new - why did it take so many months? - signs indicating that the 70MPH limit resumes just after the first Bray interchange.}

Anyway, as I said I was doing about 50 or so. I was keeping an eye on all that was happening around me - checking to see what, if anything, was entering the road from Shankill, trying to determine whether it was safe for me to return to the left lane. All of a sudden, I see a guy pull out in front of me from the verge on the right! He was barely moving. I had to slam on the brakes to keep from slamming into him. Neither I nor my wife had seen him until it was almost too late.

After I settled down I realized that he had decided to bale out on the northbound M11 because the traffic was so bad. He figured it was better to risk his life (as well as all of ours) to avoid a few minutes in traffic. I also realized that he was not alone as other cars were following his lead. Unbelievable.

I understand that road works happen, but I don't know why they can't be better signed? Why aren't there signs way back announcing that a lane is closed between Shankill & Loughlinstown? That would allow people who have other options (go through Bray/Enniskerry, whatever) to decide.

Still, nothing excuses what that moron (and the other morons behind him) did yesterday. I was really disappointed that the police weren't there to arrest him - a ticket would have been insufficient.

Posters

2004-06-22T14:07:00.000+01:00

Driving across Bray this morning and through Shankill to Dalkey I saw quite a few posters still up. Mairead McGuinness on the main Bray-Shankill road was the most prominent.

Results found

2004-06-22T14:01:00.000+01:00

I finally found the election results online. Wicklow County Council and Bray Town Council results can be found here. The results for Dun Laoghaire County Council are available here.

I have to be honest, I don't know enough about the politics of the area to know if any of these are surprises. Nice to see Caroline Burrell elected, even though I have reservations about the Green Party.

Results?

2004-06-14T12:36:00.000+01:00

Where can I find the local election results?

Voting

2004-06-11T12:08:00.000+01:00

I'm sure I'm not the only one who was (will be) surprised when handed 4 ballots at the polling station. The referendum and European Election were no surprise, but I hadn't realized that there were two separate local elections. We get votes for both the Bray Town Council and the Wicklow County Council. Now, many of the faces are the same on both ballots, which is strangely annoying.

I'm soothed

2004-06-10T11:55:00.000+01:00

Went to the Bray Motor Tax office first thing this morning to apply for driving license renewal. Very friendly woman behind the glass (is that really necessary?) who helped put yesterday's frustration behind me. I handed in my application, old license and fee and was told a new license will be with me in a couple of weeks.

{By going in person, you can get a letter from the motor tax office that will suffice if the Gardai ask to see your license. If you post it to Wicklow's main office, they will not send you such a letter!}

One further note about the stupidity of government. On the official Irish government web site (I think that's what this is) the reader is instructed to "download and complete application form D.401 (PDF)", which I did. I brought the form with me this morning figuring that having a completed form would speed things up a little. Well, it doesn't.

As the helpful woman beind the glass pointed out to me, the proper form has a sticker on it for your signature. This sticker is then used on the actual license. And, of course, that sticker can't be on anything downloaded and printed out, so my completed downloaded form was a waste of time. Typical.

Renewing the driving license

2004-06-09T14:49:00.000+01:00

Just had one of those ridiculous conversations that only seem to come up when you talk to people who work for the government.

I only noticed yesterday that my license had expired a few weeks ago. So today I called the Wicklow motor tax office to ask about renewing my license. First, I asked what are the hours for the motor tax office in Bray. 9-12:30 & 2-3:30. {I had hoped the web site was out of date now that they were working in that nice new building.} People used to use the phrase "banker's hours" to describe the short work day that bankers worked, but even bankers didn't manage these kind of hours.

I then asked if notices are sent out when driving licenses are expiring. Of course the answer was "no". It would be too much of a burden to send out notices to hundreds of thousands of drivers when their licenses are about to expire. It's the driver's responsibility to notice when the license is about to expire. {But, who looks at their license? I only happened to see mine was out of date when I was renting a car. Fortunately, the guy from Hertz didn't notice.}

I pointed out to the woman that even New York State's enemies of people - a.k.a. the government - managed to send out renewal notices to what was probably 10 times as many drivers as live in Ireland. "Well, you chose to live in Ireland, blah, blah, blah." As if a stupid policy is somehow justified because I chose to live here.

Then she informed me that the people in the Bray office couldn't actually process my renewal, but would be sending it on to them in Wicklow. But, I could post my application if I wanted. What followed was almost farcical.

me — Do I have to send in my old license too?
her — Yes.
me — But, then I can't drive because I have to have my license with me in order to drive.
her — that's the law
me — So, no one should really post in their renewal application, should they?
her — That's you saying that

It slowly dawns on me that these people are operating a system devised before the recent law change requiring drivers to have their licenses with them. Typical of government employees – they're afraid of any change that might upset their staid existence, so they're just using the same system and helpfully encouraging Ireland's drivers to break the law rather than implement any changes.
{Yes, it's not just Wicklow, but every county in Ireland that is asking for the old license while they process the new one. How many people in Ireland are driving without having their license with them because they had to post in their old one?}

More on the leaflets

2004-06-01T13:41:00.000+01:00

I mentioned in the comments below that I generally pick up all deposited political leaflets and bring them straight to the bin (recycling, that is). Well, it was only yesterday that I was shown the error of this strategy. Some of the leaflets have my full name and address on them!

I couldn't believe it. I never throw anything away with my full address intact, so I had to go out to the recycling bin and start going through the pile looking for any leaflets with my address. I found 4 - two from Sinn Féin and two from Labour.

I presume these campaigns got my name and address (and my wife's, which is why we had two each) from the voting register. Is there any way to indicate that you'd rather not get such "droppings"? Can I take my name off the "mailing list" aspect of the voting register? Or do I have to renounce voting altogether in order to be safe from the local political parties sending me personalized campaign leaflets?

Sex appeal

2004-05-27T10:30:00.000+01:00

Steven King, writing in yesterday's Belfast Telegraph, asks if sex appeal wins votes. Funny enough, a friend of mine and I were having exactly the same conversation with regards the PD's Mary Mitchell O'Connor. She's running for a council seat in Dun Laoghaire.

King doesn't really answer his own question, although he does say that what he calls the "phwoar factor" (sex appeal) should not be dismissed. My friend and I came to the same half-baked answer, although we ended up more focussed on the aging process and its effect on what appeals to us as regards the opposite sex.

Leaflets

2004-05-26T12:31:00.000+01:00

I wish I could understand why some people insist on ringing my bell in order to hand me a leaflet for their candidate? Happened last night with Chris Fox's leaflet. The guy distributing them didn't really want to promote Fox, just give me the leaflet. He wasn't looking to engage in political discussion with me (maybe he's heard I'm an obnoxious so and so). He just handed me the Fox leaflet and was ready to leave until I started talking. He was pleasant, but was clearly happy to be on his way when the conversation was over.

And, why is it the Green Party hands out leaflets? Will they be sending someone around later to collect them? Or am I supposed to throw them away?

I'm not a fan of the Green Party and can't imagine voting for them, but my kids want me to vote for the Green candidate in the local election because "she's really nice". And, I know they're right. She is really nice. She even patched up my daughter after a nasty spill off her bicycle outside the woman's home.

So, I'm torn between voting with my political prejudices or for the nicest person.

Actually, most of the Green Party people seem really nice. Even Mr. Sargent and Mr. Gormley. Too nice to hold real political power if you ask me. Would they ever support any tough military or even police action (other than against illegal dumping)?

Civic centre

2004-05-14T10:40:00.000+01:00

While I think of it, Mr. Vance's "Newsletter" cites the new civic centre as a great success. I'm sure it is. But, why is it that almost all the parking spots are taken up by people who work in the building? Surely, they should have to park elsewhere.

Us poor saps who are only running in to pay our car tax should be given a chance at a spot. There should be meters on every spot outside and maximum stays of 90 minutes. There really is no need for the head of the council or anyone else to have a reserved space. Employees should have to use public transport or pay at a private car park somewhere else in the town.

Coming to the door

2004-05-14T10:29:00.000+01:00

Last night a nice old guy came to my door campaigning for Pat Vance. He handed me a pamphlet called "Bray Newsletter". I turned the "Newsletter" over and saw a picture of Pat Vance and this sentence, "It has always been my policy to keep you up-to-date and present an honest picture of local issues".

Well now. It may have been Mr. Vance's policy, but that policy has not been effectively implemented. Until his sign went up a week or two ago, I'd never heard his name. I've lived in Bray for five years and this is the first "Newsletter" I've ever seen. I haven't been kept "up-to-date" by Mr. Vance.

There are 11 topics mentioned in the "Newsletter", none of which is refuse. When I pointed this out to the man at the door he gave me the "there's nothing we can do" line. Excuse me, hello, your Mr. Vance is an elected official. He's in a position to do something about it. I pointed out that environmentalists have too much say in what can be done and Mr. Vance, as an elected official, is in a position to stand up to them. I suggested new landfills - what about an off-shore, uninhabited island or a big new landfill in the huge expanse of empty land in the hills above Glencree? - or a new transfer station at least. Why does it cost so much to bring your rubbish to Greenstar's Fassaroe facility?

Mr. Vance has nothing to say on this issue, so he won't be getting my vote. Vote for Pat Vance? Fat chance.

All I can say to you door-to-door campaigners is that you'd best have a good answer about the garbage situation if you want me to consider you for a number 1.

Irish Echo

2004-05-06T10:08:00.000+01:00

Now that Stephen McKinley has mentioned this blog in print, I'll have to make a better effort to keep it up to date. He's shamed me into it.

Bray Head

2004-04-14T10:03:00.000+01:00

I know, I know. It's ridiculous. I've lived here nearly 5 years and yet, it took a visiting family member to get me to walk up Bray Head. I did that on Monday morning and all I can say is that it's fantastic. It was much better than I anticipated and I can't wait to go up again.

Worse than anticipated

2004-03-22T09:58:00.000Z

The M11 speed limit is probably more dangerous than I had expected. The left lane traffic tends to move at around the 40-50 range (about 10MPH faster at night, however), but the outside lane is still humming at 70+. The left lane has been narrowed by the placement of the large concrete blocks, but the right lane remains unchanged.

This situation is a disaster waiting to happen. Why put up those big 40MPH signs if no one is going to enforce that limit? Already, I've seen some close calls - particularly when someone going 50 in the left lane pulls out to overtake someone doing 45.

These are the changes that need to be made pronto:

Enforce the speed limits
Cover the 40MPH signs (or increase the speed limit to 60MPH ) after dark and on non-working days
Move the concrete blocks back so that the left lanes are the correct width (if this is done, the speed limit can probably be safely raised to 50MPH).

'Polluter pays'

2004-03-09T08:12:00.000Z

Minister Cullen wants us all to pay for our waste according to the volume we produce. I suppose, given the problems we have with landfills, that's fair enough, although it is anti-family. (Families generate a lot more waste than single people or even a household of two adults.) However, before he rolls out such a scheme, I hope some pressure can be brought to bear on our own local refuse collectors – Greenstar.

If I'm going to pay for the amount of waste I generate (as opposed to the amount of recyclables I use, presumably) Greenstar should ensure that they are as flexible with regards to recyclables as other local authorities. We are forbidden from putting juice and milk cartons into our recyclables bags, yet in most other areas that I'm aware of, juice and milk cartons are allowed in the recyclables. These two items probably make up 30% of my refuse each week. Without those, I could probably get down to one big bag of waste every two weeks.

{The article from the Independent seems to believe that paying by volume and paying by weight are the same thing. Obviously, that's not true.}

New speed limits

2004-03-09T07:58:00.000Z

Last night I experienced the 'new' M11 for the first time. Entering the Motorway at Loughlinstown I was greeted by a big, fluorescent green sign indicating the new speed limit – 40MPH. I made every effort to maintain that speed, but, of course, I was being passed by people who hadn't heeded the new speed restrictions. Traveling at 40 when those who you're sharing the road with are doing 70 or more is totally unsafe. The new limit must be enforced or scrapped.

Also, why is there no "resume your normal speed" sign? I continued at 40MPH well past any obvious sign of construction - right to the end of the Motorway where 60MPH is the limit.

More on the M11

2004-03-02T20:07:00.000Z

It seems that Newstalk may have got it slightly wrong. I drove from Bray to Loughlinstown and back this afternoon and saw a much longer work area, but no speed limit signs. At all. Even the 40MPH signs that had been there are not there. At least, I didn't see them. So, it's either legal to go 70MPH for the full stretch along the road works OR the signs are totally insufficient for the purpose intended.

And, southbound appears unaffected. I don't think there'll be any speed restriction on the southbound traffic.

M11 speed limit

2004-03-02T15:43:00.000Z

I heard on Newstalk today that the speed limit on the M11 between Loughlinstown and Bray (both ways) is going to be set at 40MPH for the foreseeable future. This is not only annoying, but almost certainly ridiculous.

If you didn't live in the area you'd surely believe that this reduced speed was a new development. Yet, anyone living out this way knows that the speed limit for the last mile or two has been set at 40MPH for a long time now. And, you'd also know that NO ONE observes the 40MPH limit.

When the reduced speed area was first introduced, I tried to travel at 40MPH. But, because it was totally unenforced, most people carried on at 70MPH. This was going to lead to a serious accident someday as the gap between those two speeds was too great. Eventually, those of us who obeyed the signs started going a little faster until we got back up to around 60MPH through that zone. I'm still generally stuck in the left hand lane at that speed and passed by those who are going 70+.

The key question really is whether this extended 40MPH zone will be regulated or not. If not, then this announcement is a joke.

Heroin deaths in Dublin

2004-03-02T10:18:00.000Z

I was stunned last night watching the main evening news on RTE to see Liz McManus being interviewed {requires RealAudio} on the Bray seafront when talking about heroin use. Her image with Bray Head behind her was shown just after shots of heroin being drawn into a syringe and scattered heroin waste. The impression I got was that the Bray seafront was a hotbed of heroin use.

I wish Ms. McManus had chosen to be interviewed in her office. The report was about Dublin as a whole and there was no need to include identifiable scenes from Bray in the report.

Green Party - what nerve!

2004-02-20T15:51:00.000Z

Or, I guess I should say "what cheek"! In this week's edition of the Wicklow Times, Deirdre de Burca and Caroline Burrell of the Greens are quoted as complaining about Greenstar's service and charges. Now, I yield to no one when it comes to disgust with Greenstar, but I don't go around making political issues out of dumps and waste. The Green Party does all it can to make it nearly impossible for anyone to dump anything anywhere.

Now, they turn around and try to make it seem as if they're on the side of the householder when it comes to refuse. Well, they're not. They're anti-householder. They're in favor of some recycled waste-free, organic utopia that is totally unachievable. They are clearly panicking that people will hold them primarily responsible for the waste fiasco in this area. I hope they pay a BIG price in the coming local elections.

New follies?

2004-02-09T16:40:00.000Z

When I first moved to Ireland I used to find it amusing (charming, what have you) that there were these "follies" scattered around the country. I lived near a huge one in Maynooth, Co. Kildare (visible from the M4) for a while.

However, I never imagined that I would see the day that new follies would be erected. Yet, there are two structures (erections? - I'm reminded of a man I met who referred to the archer on the sea front in Dun Laoghaire as "Willie Harvey's Erection". Although I'm not really sure who Willie Harvey was, I believe he was a local councillor.) in Killiney/Ballybrack that seem to fit that bill.

One is a brand new, miniature pillar that I thought was going to be a monument to something, but which has no description, etc. The other is a pair of huge concrete blocks near the intersection of Shanganagh Road, Ballybrack Road and Killiney Hill Road. These blocks look like refuse from a big building project. I had thought they were just cast-offs until the day I saw a large construction vehicle come along and realign them, for whatever reason.

I'd love to know the story behind these two bits of "art(?)". Any locals I've asked have been as baffled as I am.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour

2004-02-06T14:24:00.000Z

My winged alter ego was talking about the Harbour this morning. I'm not really keen on any of the proposed new buildings on the Carlisle Pier.

I love the Harbour. Everytime I crest the hill on my way down into Dalkey, I take a peek out to see what it looks like. It's part of a spectacular vista, but it's the man-made part. There are virtually no man-made features in Ireland that are part of a beautiful scene. In many cases, the man-made items in a scene are a detraction from what is nature at its spectacular best. Dun Laoghaire Harbour may be the one big exception to that.

Looking out over Dublin Bay from the top of Dalkey Hill is tremendous. The view of Howth in the distance, Dalkey Island up close and the bay and the distant city make a fantastic picture. The Harbour adds to the picture. Seeing the Harbour from just above the quarry from which the Harbour stones were taken enhances the enjoyment - you can imagine the sweat and tears that went into the Harbour's construction.

All of this is important for those who are considering what to build on Carlisle Pier. I would prefer if nothing was built and the Pier was simply removed. Or, if the Pier was part of a floating Maritime Museum, intended to complement the current Maritime Museum.

But, simply building a large glass building to house a cultural center or whatever, would spoil the Harbour. The Harbour is man-made, beautiful, functional. It makes sense. Unless the new building fits in with these criteria, it will aesthetically ruin the Harbour.

There's a tree growing in Bray . . .

2004-02-05T16:51:00.000Z

Driving along the Veevay Road, I saw trees being planted in front of Centra, etc. Nice touch. They'll look great above the red brick foot path. Is there no limit to the spending of public money when beautifying what is, after all, a shopping area? Shouldn't the shop-owners pay for these improvements? Are their rates being raised in response to the increased custom that this beautifying will bring?

I don't know whether the shop owners are paying for these improvements, but I doubt it. I'd love to know for sure.

No refuse collected today

2004-02-05T13:00:00.000Z

Today is the first day that Greenstar will not collect refuse from all of us who paid them €370 for the weekly collection. I haven't seen any bins out, so the neighborhood got the message. Although, there are no bags of recyclables in front of many houses.

There are a few things to notice about the recyclable bags.

Most people have not crammed them full as I have. And, because the contents are mostly empty boxes and plastic containers, the bags are not heavy. Many are blowing around on the road.

Also, the fact that the bags are clear makes it possible to see what the neighbors are discarding. You can find out what papers they read, what cereals they eat, what soft drinks they consume, etc. Vaguely interesting as far as your regular neighbor snooping goes, but if I were running a local retail outfit, I'd have people up looking at these bags to see if there are any lessons to be learned.

The big test for this "no refuse collection" policy will come next week. I'm half expecting some people's bins will be so over-full that they will have extra bags lying beside the bin. Will the Greenstar collectors pick those up too?

M50 delayed

2004-01-30T10:17:00.000Z

It's easy to not miss something you don't have. When you don't have something the benefits having it will bring are often difficult to identify.

The M50 is a good case in point.

The unfinished M50 is a five mile stretch of roadway that, by rights, should have been completed quite a few years ago. Due to one problem or another the section from Loughlinstown to Ballinteer remains a building site. Now it's been delayed again, and the September 2005 completion date is in doubt.

The press has included a lot of details about the amount of money that all these delays will cost. But, what about the cost to North Wicklow? I think we should be practically marching on government buildings demanding that this road be completed as soon as possible.

Consider one aspect of the M50 debacle — getting to the airport.

Anyone in Bray, Greystones or the surrounding area knows that a trip to the airport can now take over 2 hours. From Bray, the airport is less than 25 miles away, but because we have to use the slow, often congested Dublin city streets to get to the airport, the journey seems much, much longer. I would be willing to bet that the average journey to the airport from Bray is longer than the average journey from Dundalk, with the new M1.

The cost to us normal travelers is generally our time, but not much else. But, what of the cost to businesses? If I were thinking of locating a factory or an out of town office, I'd definitely choose to locate it near Dundalk rather than Bray simply because of the road infrastructure. This is a real economic cost to us in N. Wicklow.

Additionally, what if you were a bus tour company? Would you rather spend the last night of your Irish tour in the Wicklow Mountains or the Mournes? I know which one I'd choose — the one with the shortest journey to the airport. And, until the M50 is completed, that means the Mournes will be the choice.

I'm all for preserving Ireland's past — within reason. I love all the old buildings and historic sites that are scattered throughout the country. But, we can't live in a museum.

It's all well and good for a student from Kerry to protest about the loss of an old wall, but anyone living here knows that the planned route of the M50 was hashed out over many years. It's too late to change it now.

If we don't get this road completed soon, it may never be completed. That will permanently stunt the development of North Wicklow. If the government finds that the M9 to Waterford will be less hassle than the M50, that will become the road to the port at Rosslare that they want. The road system and scarred landscape around here may remain as they are for a long, long time.

Playing on the road

2004-01-21T10:01:00.000Z

Fay is wrong. No, not this Fay, of course not. I haven't been wrong since 1984 (and we don't want to go there). I mean Liam Fay of the Sunday Times.

Writing about speeding in his area, he says that he has "never seen a car travel at anything approaching speed inside the estate". I find that very difficult to believe, unless his neighborhood is distinctly different from mine here on the Southern Cross Route. He describes his estate as a "labyrinthine estate where speeding is almost impossible anyway". Again, I doubt it.

Our estate is tiny and the roads are fairly twisty. What that means is that for many people, driving through our estate gives them the opportunity to hone the skills they'll need on the streets of Monte Carlo. They have no regard for the safety of children. They cannot even imagine that anything above 10-12 MPH is excessive where little kids are playing. They don't know what all parents do know — children often make completely irrational and bizarre decisions and can easily find themselves running out in front of a car.

Fay (I'm guessing he has no children of his own) has highlighted the chasm that exists between those who have children and those who do not in our suburban neighborhoods. Those with children know (and, yes, KNOW) that it is absolutely nuts to suggest that "parents should keep their kiddies off the roads, in the interests of child safety". True, some parents (too many, really) are excessively lax in allowing children who are too young to be out playing alone and others are too lax in allowing children to be outside when darkness falls. But, children MUST be able to play outside in the streets in front of their own homes. This is particularly true when your house is in an estate and on a cul de sac.

Too many childless people living in our estate (and in the estate we lived in previously in Co. Kildare) seem to believe that children should only play in their back yards. I've seen neighbors quarrel over this issue. I've often wanted to ask those without children where they played when they were children, but I'm sure the answer would be "our parents didn't let us out to play on the road". I'm also sure that for most of them, that would be a lie.

Most of Fay's article is about the spread of speed ramps (bumps). His point about the regulations regarding these ramps made me wonder if all the new red brick ramps in Bray (Putland Road, etc.) & Killiney (Killiney Hill Road) are meeting these guidelines.

Christmas lights

2004-01-13T11:02:00.000Z

On St. Stephen's Day, I complimented the people of the area for the Christmas lights adorning the houses and businesses. However, I do think it's time they came down or were at least not turned on. In the past few days I've seen Christmas lights on a service station on the Barnhill Road and on a pub (O'Dwyers?) on the Lr. Kilmacud Road.

There's also a house along the sea front in Bray that still has a lit Christmas tree in the front window. At first I just thought that was bizarre, but today I wondered if it was possible they were Eastern Orthodox or something. I've heard Russian spoken in Bray, so I suppose it's not beyond possibility. The tree appears to be a real one, which had me wondering how long could it last before it became a fire hazard.

Cllr Grant

2004-01-13T11:01:00.000Z

I never heard of Councillor David Grant until this weekend. He's from Fianna Fáil, and, I would guess, a candidate for a spot on Wicklow's County Council. I don't want to pick on Cllr Grant - I'm sure I'll get similar items in the coming weeks - but when I got his newsletter in my door over the weekend all I could think was, "It's obvious that there's a local election coming". Interestingly, his newsletter doesn't mention refuse collections, which (I HOPE) will be a BIG issue when the local vote is held this June.

Killiney Hill round-about

2004-01-13T10:31:00.000Z

As bad as the round-about at the intersection of Killiney Hill Road and Victoria Road is, the one outside the gates of the Killiney Hill Park apartments is even worse. If two cars are waiting to enter the gates, traffic heading towards the Druid's Chair cannot pass.

I can't help wondering who it is that lives in those apartments that the 90 second (at most) wait to enter the road was too great a delay in this important person's life. I can think of no other explanation for this ridiculous round-about.

I'm dyin' here

2004-01-08T17:02:00.000Z

I feel awful. Sort of dirty, I guess. The other day, since I could see no alternative, I quietly and unhappily caved in. Yuck.

Yes, I paid Greenstar to keep collecting our garbage in 2004. I wanted to pay them monthly (or even bi-monthly) as I do with every other utility, but no. You have to pay the full whack (€372) — if you pay by check. You can, however, pay monthly if you pay by direct debit.

So, that's what I did. I needed to do something, but by signing up for direct debit, I at least retain the possibility of finding an alternative arrangement for my garbage and canceling the direct debit. €31 per month for (typically) THREE collections of household refuse. Sure, they're collecting my recyclables on the 4th week, but what am I supposed to do when my garbage can is overflowing after 12 days without a collection?

And, what am I supposed to do when the less recycling-conscious among my neighbors start storing large amounts of garbage in their back yards during those two week intervals? What about when vermin start to appear? I'll be onto the health authorities and talking to a solicitor. Greenstar is creating a health hazard here in their cynical attempt to appear "environmentally aware" AND they know it.

Loughlinstown Hospital

2004-01-06T08:53:00.000Z

Many times I've read reports about how the people of Wicklow don't want Loughlinstown Hospital to close. I'm sure the primary reason for such thinking is that any of the Dublin Hospitals is too far away. Well, count me as one Wicklow resident who would prefer if Loughlinstown Hospital were closed down.

Last year a family member had the misfortune to end up in Loughlinstown Hospital because that was the hospital "on call" on the night the ambulance was called. My observation of going in and out of there over a protracted period is that being a patient at Loughlinstown Hospital puts you on the fast track to God. Call me old fashioned, but I had the impression that a hospital's reason for being was to help you remain alive.

At the time, I wasn't sure if I was seeing everything correctly, but in light of a recent experience with St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin, I'm convinced that overall Wicklow's ill and injured would be far better off in St. Vincent's than in Loughlinstown. Yes, it's 20-25 minutes further away and that may be telling in a few cases. But, the quality of the care at St. Vincent's is so far superior to Loughlinstown that I am convinced that more lives will be saved than lost by closing Loughlinstown Hospital.

Christmas lights

2003-12-26T12:10:00.000Z

I've heard people complaining about the Christmas lights adorning Irish houses in recent years. Well, I'm not one of them.

Maybe it's because I grew up in the US where such decorations were standard, but I like them. When I was a young kid in Queens, NY I loved it when my father used to take us on a tour of the neighborhood to see all the lights. For whatever reason, Italian New Yorkers were always the most outlandish and, to my brothers and me, the best when decorating their houses.

On Christmas Eve I drove around Bray, Shankill & Ballybrack so my kids could see all the lights. It was great. I think their favorite was the big projection of Santa on a house on the Veevay Road.

Golf on Bray Head

2003-12-21T13:00:00.000Z

Everytime I drive down the Southern Cross Route I see the new golf course on Bray Head and I think to myself "Thank God the protesters didn't stop that". The golf course is attractive in a way that new houses would never have been. And, development is inevitable - especially in a city growing as rapidly as Dublin.

Killiney Hill roundabout

2003-12-18T12:10:00.000Z

I was witness to a 'near miss' when the car going up the Killiney Hill Road tried to do what they've probably been doing for years - keep their momentum going until they hit the crest of the hill. However, the new roundabout now gives the right of way to traffic coming off the Victoria Road (presumably - the word STOP is still painted on the roadway in the roundabout), and this traffic is not visible to those coming up the hill until they're entering the roundabout.

Two problems are immediately obvious.

Drivers coming up a very steep hill, urging their vehicle on will now have to slow and possibly stop on this steep incline.
The poor layout of the roundabout and the fact that the traffic coming from the right (as you climb Killiney Hill road) is out of sight until the last minute will mean that many, many fender benders are inevitable.

This roundabout has to be removed so that cars can safely maintain their momentum going up the hill.

Disappointment - Consumer Affairs

2003-12-17T16:23:00.000Z

The Department of Consumer Affairs has told me that my complaint with Greenstar is outside their remit. They don't get involved with private contracts.