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Sorry, we can't clear your road - those leaves are an act of God (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Sorry, we can't clear your road - those leaves are an act of God
1:00pm Wednesday 14th November 2012 in News
Christine Wood with the council contractor clearing the leaves
A BOURNEMOUTH woman claims that a council official told her falling leaves were “an act of God” during a year-long battle to have them swept.
Christine Wood, of Mallard Road, said the official told her that there was nothing the council could do about leaves on the road.
She said: “I laughed my socks off when he told me.
“I said, ‘Is it an act of God that prevents workmen from coming to clean them up?’”
Miss Wood, 60, has been fighting to get the road cleared of leaves and pine needles as she says it has been a year since it was last done.
However, after the Daily Echo called Bournemouth Council, the road was finally cleared on Friday.
Miss Wood said: “Finally, some contractors came out to clear the road up.
“I’d heard nothing from them, but then suddenly it all happened, which I’m delighted about. It took them long enough to do it. It got to the point where the build-up of leaves and pine needles was about eight inches thick in the drains, and when it rains, the water has nowhere to go.”
Miss Wood said the drains overflowed during the flooding in the summer last year.
“They also get very slippery when the weather is wet or cold,” she said.
“I’ve slipped on the pine needles myself. What if a fragile, elderly person were to fall? It really could lead to serious injuries. What I can’t understand is why Mallard Road, which is such a big road that’s used all the time, isn’t being cleared much more regularly.
“Children walk to school along the road, people drive their cars on it all the time – it just doesn’t make sense when smaller roads are getting much more attention.”
Stuart Best, street services manager, said: “Our Street Services team carries out regular cleans throughout the year of all of Bournemouth’s roads.
“During the autumn months our team is prioritising the clearance of leaves from footpaths and roads across the whole of Bournemouth. Mallard Road was recently cleaned and we will continue to monitor this area.
“Residents can contact the council if they have any particular concerns or issues that they wish to raise and we will do our best to respond to them as soon as possible.”
Comments(27)
speedy231278
says...
1:27pm Wed 14 Nov 12
barney39
says...
2:00pm Wed 14 Nov 12
darcyknows
says...
2:18pm Wed 14 Nov 12
speedy231278 wrote:MORON
Leaves fall off of trees every year. If you want to live in a place where there are no leaves, don't move to a tree lined road! Simples!
MattGillett
says...
2:31pm Wed 14 Nov 12
speedy231278 wrote:Or Talbot Woods, the council seem to be able to do East Avenue about once a week.
Leaves fall off of trees every year. If you want to live in a place where there are no leaves, don't move to a tree lined road! Simples!
pete woodley
says...
2:33pm Wed 14 Nov 12
palexgo
says...
3:03pm Wed 14 Nov 12
He should be around soon because he started our Iron Age during his last fraction of a second visit in 1,200 BC. That was 3,212 years ago so he's 41 years late and we need him to sort out our economic catastrophe. But his rare visits explains why so much terrible stuff happens; e.g. more than 70,000,000 killed in WW2, (more than the current population of the UK) and more than 280,000 died in the Indonesian tsunami.
thevisitor
says...
3:33pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Huey
says...
3:41pm Wed 14 Nov 12
thevisitor wrote:why don't they turn it into a propaganga centre instead, run by comical ali?
There you are the award winning Bournemouth Council for you, ****, fraud, financial incompetence, leaves we do it all!....oh sorry we don't do leaves but we do a great line in submersible sandbags....they are not boat proof.....1 money wasting owner, bids accepted.....On that note have you heard that they are removing the top layer of bags to turn it into a diving activity centre!...true!
rayc
says...
3:46pm Wed 14 Nov 12
speedy231278 wrote:A few years ago now a Dorset Police Inspector was killed when his patrol car hit a large amount of standing water and over turned. The primary cause of the was that the drains were blocked having not been cleared of leaves.
Leaves fall off of trees every year. If you want to live in a place where there are no leaves, don't move to a tree lined road! Simples!
I suppose you would tell his widow that if he didn't want to be killed then he shouldn't drive on tree lined roads.
Lord Spring
says...
3:53pm Wed 14 Nov 12
A year to get it done why were not the falling leaves cleared in the winter, spring or summer there could be a reason
BIGTONE
says...
3:54pm Wed 14 Nov 12
The Renegade Master
says...
3:55pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Oh silly me, those people have and pay more money. Typical Council double standards.
Mr N James
says...
4:33pm Wed 14 Nov 12
EGHH
says...
4:48pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Bournefre
says...
10:39pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Reader Echo
says...
10:41pm Wed 14 Nov 12
In fact I’ve been told about this fictitious non entity that millions of retards have been brainwashed into believing in all my life, just where is this wonder, he must be something else?
Oh well, maybe one day.
dvdr
says...
10:42pm Wed 14 Nov 12
One might even wonder if the lady doing all the complaining has thought of clearing up some leaves herself - or would that be too much like exercise?
Dont drop litter
says...
9:04am Thu 15 Nov 12
rayc wrote:That's ironic. Nowadays if a person has a car crash it is deemed by the police to be an RTC - a road traffic collision - because where motoring is concerned there are no such things as accidents.
speedy231278 wrote:A few years ago now a Dorset Police Inspector was killed when his patrol car hit a large amount of standing water and over turned. The primary cause of the was that the drains were blocked having not been cleared of leaves.
Leaves fall off of trees every year. If you want to live in a place where there are no leaves, don't move to a tree lined road! Simples!
I suppose you would tell his widow that if he didn't want to be killed then he shouldn't drive on tree lined roads.
He may have been driving in a manner not suitable for the raod conditions. That would be the line the Police would take now.
Dont drop litter
says...
9:12am Thu 15 Nov 12
The Renegade Master wrote:I live on Queens Park West Drive - guess what, I pick up the leaves outside my flat myself because no one comes to do it for me. I even have to pay higher Council Tax too.
Isn't it funny how the Council can't be bothered to clear roads around what used to be primarily a Council Estate, yet they have no problem clearing leaves from Queens Park Avenue or Broad Avenue which is less than a mile away.
Oh silly me, those people have and pay more money. Typical Council double standards.
You're another one of those 'it's not fare, those people have more money than me' types.
In my opinion, people who live in Council estates already get far too much from the taxpayer. How many private homes do you see with a enormous solar array on the roof? Yet every council house seems to have one.
If there are that many unemployed people in those areas, let them clear up their own leaves - and while they're at it, pick up some of you litter and those old fridges they keep dumping by the road, and move that old sofa off the front garden.
steve.in.sydney
says...
9:56am Thu 15 Nov 12
Reader Echo wrote:Now this is harsh commentary, we all had imaginary friends when we were young, some of us just never grew away from them. My only question is, why on God's earth are these two not standing with folded arms.
Well I’m waiting to meet this ‘god’ person.
In fact I’ve been told about this fictitious non entity that millions of retards have been brainwashed into believing in all my life, just where is this wonder, he must be something else?
Oh well, maybe one day.
elite50
says...
10:14am Thu 15 Nov 12
Reader Echo wrote:Just wait 'til you die.
Well I’m waiting to meet this ‘god’ person.
In fact I’ve been told about this fictitious non entity that millions of retards have been brainwashed into believing in all my life, just where is this wonder, he must be something else?
Oh well, maybe one day.
He will be the one showing you the way to hell!
Sorry, could not resist that one.
Please dont spend the rest of your sad life looking over your shoulder.
There are no atheists in foxholes. I would hedge your bets as you get older!
Good luck!
speedy231278
says...
10:17am Thu 15 Nov 12
rayc wrote:No, I'd say he was driving too fast for the conditions, in the same patronising manner to Police lecture other motorists with.
speedy231278 wrote:A few years ago now a Dorset Police Inspector was killed when his patrol car hit a large amount of standing water and over turned. The primary cause of the was that the drains were blocked having not been cleared of leaves.
Leaves fall off of trees every year. If you want to live in a place where there are no leaves, don't move to a tree lined road! Simples!
I suppose you would tell his widow that if he didn't want to be killed then he shouldn't drive on tree lined roads.
speedy231278
says...
10:18am Thu 15 Nov 12
darcyknows wrote:No. The moron is the person moaning about leaves instead of removing them if they think they're such a hazard!
speedy231278 wrote:MORON
Leaves fall off of trees every year. If you want to live in a place where there are no leaves, don't move to a tree lined road! Simples!
The Renegade Master
says...
10:22am Thu 15 Nov 12
Dont drop litter wrote:Actually I'm semi-retired and very comfortably off thank you very much, so you shouldn't go making assumptions about me based on your own prejudices!
The Renegade Master wrote:I live on Queens Park West Drive - guess what, I pick up the leaves outside my flat myself because no one comes to do it for me. I even have to pay higher Council Tax too.
Isn't it funny how the Council can't be bothered to clear roads around what used to be primarily a Council Estate, yet they have no problem clearing leaves from Queens Park Avenue or Broad Avenue which is less than a mile away.
Oh silly me, those people have and pay more money. Typical Council double standards.
You're another one of those 'it's not fare, those people have more money than me' types.
In my opinion, people who live in Council estates already get far too much from the taxpayer. How many private homes do you see with a enormous solar array on the roof? Yet every council house seems to have one.
If there are that many unemployed people in those areas, let them clear up their own leaves - and while they're at it, pick up some of you litter and those old fridges they keep dumping by the road, and move that old sofa off the front garden.
Only the other week I drove past Council workers who were busy cutting shrubs and clearing up leaves in Broad Avenue, yet the Council cannot clear roads in less affluent areas who also contribute their fair share to the local economy? Of course not. It's all about keeping the rich happy first and stuff the rest unless they complain plenty! (Well done Christine Wood.)
newtopoole
says...
12:37pm Thu 15 Nov 12
They seemed to have their heads a bit more screwed on in Croydon where I previously lived, as a man with a large broom would sweep the pavements clear just in front of the road sweeper, making it safe for pedestrians and road users at the same time. Rather easy when you think about it!
static kill
says...
1:33pm Thu 15 Nov 12
palexgo wrote:God is omnipresent yo.
Acts of god are very rare on earth. God is responsible for the whole universe, 100,000,000,000 galaxies in the universe. This means that god can only spend 1 second every 3,171 years with our Milky Way galaxy or 5.25 minutes every million years. It gets even worse at our galaxy which has about 300,000,000,000 solar systems. So, god can only spend one 300,000,000,000th of a second with Earth every 3,171 years!
He should be around soon because he started our Iron Age during his last fraction of a second visit in 1,200 BC. That was 3,212 years ago so he's 41 years late and we need him to sort out our economic catastrophe. But his rare visits explains why so much terrible stuff happens; e.g. more than 70,000,000 killed in WW2, (more than the current population of the UK) and more than 280,000 died in the Indonesian tsunami.
Huey says...
1:05pm Wed 14 Nov 12
READ AS:
"Don't call us, we don't want to know about your problems with leaves or anything else, we will try everything to fob you off until you go to the Echo, then we will send someone round to do the job"