All these “little” things drive me up the wall. I try not to care, but as soon as I convince myself “Ah, its not a biggie” something else happens.
Examples:
New Years Eve 99-00: The BIGGIE. Fireworks don’t end up going off until 12:45AM. Thousands of people were standing around in -30 weather and snowing like a sonovabitch and not happy. I am giving the city the benefit of the doubt as a technical glitch, but wouldn’t you double/triple/quadruple check the equipment for the highlight of the fucking millenium night???
New Years Eve 02-03: Fireworks go off at 10PM. Why? Well, we had a some people say that they don’t want their kids to stay up late. 
NEWSFLASH: Its not the NEW YEAR until MIDNIGHT! New Years Eve isn’t “just for the children”. Needless to say, most of the people of our city didn’t even get to see the fucking fireworks.
The city approved rezoning and building of a massive townhouse/condo/apartment complex on previously zoned heavy commercial land. It was commercial because it is RIGHT NEXT TO THE FUCKING RAILYARD. They are already pouring home foundations about 30ft from the tracks. I am absolutely sure that everyone that buys there is going to be bitching that the “trains make noise” all night. I can already see it happening.
The city approved zoning of a residential development of about 1000 new single family houses. Problem with this? There is only 1, single lane road servicing it. And it also goes over a railway crossing at the other end of the above railyard. You should see the traffic back up at 7:30AM when everyone is trying to get to work and a train goes through or is just switching in the yard. People who live 6 blocks away can’t even get out of their driveway for 20 minutes as they’re blocked by a couple hundred cars waiting for the crossing. Of course, most residents complain to the railway and think its their fault for having trains. Needless to say the railyard has been in the same spot for 55 years and the city should never have let the zoning go through as it did with NO access improvments.
The city’s water source infrastructure needed to get overhauled a couple of years ago. When it was originally put in place (in the early 60s) it was built to accomodate approx 30K residents. We were approaching 40K. The city built new infrastructre to accomodate 100K instead of spending the (reported) extra $300K to accomodate up to 250K residents. So, in about 10 years (or less, we have a tremendous growth rate now) when we break 100K, we’ll end up spending millions then to upgrade when we could have just done it for a few hundred K a couple years back.
There is a pedestrian crossing that goes across 4 lanes of very busy, congestive traffic. However, there is no lights controlling it whatsoever (just a pedestrain “sign”), so the pedestrians are at the mercy of kind and considerate drivers (which you rarely see during rush hours). Almost every other day you see a pedestrian almost get hit or you even hear of one actually getting hit. Why hasn’t the city put in crossing lights? It’d cost money. Besides, its a signed crossing. Cars should yield. is they typical response. I’m still waiting for a law suit to force the city’s hand. This in particular has been ongoing for years.
I won’t even get started on the intersections that need turning lanes but don’t, so traffic get backed up for blocks during rush hours. And I am not talking about intersections that are years old and designed for less traffic. I am talking about new, 2 years old (or less) intersections that we’re just plain ill-concieved and congested almost from day 1.
The city is constructing a hi-way bypass so big trucks don’t have to drive “into” the city to get through it (destroys our roads, etc). Good idea. Problem? They are constructing both ends of this “bypass” right were the city “ended” 2 years ago. The city proper “grew over” this, literally weeks after they selected it as the begining and terminus of the bypass. Result? The “bypass” will still force traffic through some of the busiest parts of the city the day it is completed (where they built new shopping complexes, big box stores, etc). Better yet, they’re not making an overpass. Oh no, they are making it traffic light controlled. I can’t even imagine the mayhem that will result when 4 lanes of traffic get stopped at a light and 3/4 are turning left across the oposite lane, which is extremely busy as well.
This is all I can think of from the top of my head. I just want to vent, hence the thread.
Because I would currently be ineligible (and I’m not a criminal).