Before you begin reading, I will let you know that the answer is probably NO. We could find something AS useless, of course. But not MORE useless.
I think the story, boring as it may be, will speak for itself.
Today in at least a certain area of Cambridge, it was street cleaning day. As such, a giant orange truck was rumbling down the road at a snails pace, shouting into an intercom for people to move their cars and bodies out of the way. I noticed the “no parking” signs, which are more complex than a dissertation on nuclear physics.
“No Parking
Sunday through Tuesday on every other week between June and August and 12am to 12pm during snow emergencies but only in November when there’s a full moon…”
And so on.
People hustled to get their cars out of the way, due to the shouting and honking of the orange clad man in the big orange monster truck. And also, due to the shouting and honking of the even BIGGER orange clad man in an even BIGGER truck right behind him…both of them blocking traffic and frightening small children and furry little animals.
A couple blocks behind those two of MAs finest contractors were two pieces of equipment the size of combines with brushes attached to streetward side. One right after the other, they were blowing dust onto the sidewalks and into the MIDDLE of the street where they’ve apparently been told it belongs. The enormous brushes whirled like a garbage vortex, kicking up bits of paper and gravel and swirling them together to be strewn onto pedestrians and motorists attempting to pass these monstrosities in the street.
Is the benefit of this activity (admittedly fun, if you have a license to drive a big orange brush from a car-wash down the street) really worth the aggravation in parking? Or the cost of the contractors and the machinery and the fuel? They left behind 100% as much uncleanliness as was there prior to their arrivel and 100% more irritated people trying to avoid them on the street.
Can two times the workers do nothing in half the time?
-L
