Sidewalks

I’m waiting for a ferry on my way to work and I wanted to write about the sad state of sidewalks in this town. While I walking to the ferry terminal, I tripped on a piece of concrete that stuck out because a tree’s roots had pushed it up.

I was able to keep my balance and didn’t fall to the ground but it was pretty close. It was the only time I can remember being so angry with the poor upkeep of the property that, had I gotten hurt, I would have sued the condo association in charge of the walkway.

Recent court rulings have said that a property owner doesn’t have to shovel their sidewalk in the winter. I wonder if someone could make the case that fixing sidewalks if in disrepair isn’t required either.

I suppose owners could also just spray paint the word “Caution” and outline the elevated concrete like the city did near their entrance between 1st and Washington St. :-/

But it seems to me that there are quite a few sidewalks that need repair and I wonder if I really do need to fall and get hurt to convince someone that their property is risky. I’m going to take a picture of where I tripped on my way home tonight and update this post with the offending sidewalk.