A Kind Word for DOT

I heard a song tonight with unprintable lyrics -- but a trucker song, so I'll link it with a stern language warning for those of you even a little bit sensitive about such things -- that was very hostile to the Department of Transportation. I think mostly people are, remembering punitive regulations and endless, slow construction. I had a good experience with them this weekend, though, so in the spirit of fairness I wanted to point it out.

We got a call on Sunday about a tree down on a mountain road up here, within two minutes of another call for a medical emergency. I went to clear the tree, as my ability to lift and move heavy objects is greater than my ability to help people in medical necessity. We have several EMTs and a couple of paramedics on our crew, but I am not among them. Lifting and carrying I can do OK.

The tree was across one lane, and it had brought down several other entangled trees such that the lane was blocked vertically as well as horizontally. I did what I could with a Stihl chainsaw, dragging the stuff I could cut out of the way, when thankfully DOT showed up as well. They had a pole saw and what is locally called a "trackhoe," meaning any sort of excavator -- a smaller, towed one in this case.

As a result we were able to transition to traffic control while they used the excavator to pull the high branches down low, where the pole-saw could trim them out of the way. In less than an hour, the thing was cleared from the highway and we could all go on our way.

So, you know, they're not all bad. Spare a thought for the highway crews that keep the way clear, however awful the bureaucrats are. 
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3 comments:

  1. Assistant Village Idiot9:54 PM

    It is fair to keep that distinction in mind, with lots of professions. We can get ourselves worked up about things that aren't going well and quickly become ungrateful.

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  2. Anonymous4:14 PM

    Too, the "enforcing regulations" people and the "doing visible and useful work" people within agencies often have, shall we say, somewhat different philosophies of what serving the public entails. (And I do realize that some regulations are "written in blood" and exist for very good reasons. Others... And both can be abused by someone more interested in being the Authority than in actual public safety.)

    LittleRed1

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  3. Gringo9:16 PM

    Ice storms are regular events here. Which means regular fallen trees and branches. When there are fallen trees/branches in my neighborhood, the city crews get right at it.

    One homeowner several miles away had a creative response to a tree that got destroyed in an ice storm. On the stump that remained of the tree, the homeowner carved an elephant.

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