Learner drivers on the motorway

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

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

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

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?

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'

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

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

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

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

East Coast FM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 . . .

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

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.