When I was in high school my whole family volunteered with this group of people for Habitat for Humanity in our Midwestern town. The whole time I was nervous because all of the buildings around us had bars on the windows, even a church. One of the other volunteers told me that if they don't put bars on the windows, addicts will break in and steal everything or turn the place into a crack house. That was scary.
Then I moved to Latin America, where everyone has bars on the windows and sometimes razor wire around the back yard wall, too. They had just made it illegal to electrify the barbed wire because it turned out to be dangerous in general, not just to criminals. Scarier.
Now I live in Tucson, where I never know where I stand. Every other house has bars on the windows. I live in an okay part of town, but I wouldn't go for a walk at night. So today I'm waiting at home for the iron guy to come measure my windows so he can turn my house into a giant cage, or maybe a giant lock-box, since I'm just trying to keep my stuff in and criminals out.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Your car can't swim!
Since it finally started raining again in Tucson after a week of wondering whether the monsoon would ever return, the fire department has been involved in two swift water rescues, one that saved a woman's life, one that was unable to find the victim.
Every year when it rains there are spectacular accidents when Tucsonans go hydroplaning out of control because they don't realize the effect that a thin layer of water has on a previously-dry road that is covered in oil and particles. It turns the city into a slip and slide. Then trucks go speeding by, banking on 4 wheel drive and sheer jerk-fueled power to save them and the rest of us are left drenched by walls of water, or swerving to get out of their way.Some people seem to refuse to turn on their headlights during the 'day', regardless of how dark and cloudy it gets.
And some people drive into washes.
It just seems to me that if it's rainy season, you should be really careful in low-lying areas. If you're driving as slowly as you should be when approaching a wash, you will be less likely to get stuck. In both cases where the TFD had to go out and try to save people, the barricades weren't up. You can't rely on the city to go out in the middle of the night and put a flashing sign next to rivers so that you won't drive into them. Unless you have a James Bond car that turns into a submarine, keep your eyes open.
Every year when it rains there are spectacular accidents when Tucsonans go hydroplaning out of control because they don't realize the effect that a thin layer of water has on a previously-dry road that is covered in oil and particles. It turns the city into a slip and slide. Then trucks go speeding by, banking on 4 wheel drive and sheer jerk-fueled power to save them and the rest of us are left drenched by walls of water, or swerving to get out of their way.Some people seem to refuse to turn on their headlights during the 'day', regardless of how dark and cloudy it gets.
And some people drive into washes.
It just seems to me that if it's rainy season, you should be really careful in low-lying areas. If you're driving as slowly as you should be when approaching a wash, you will be less likely to get stuck. In both cases where the TFD had to go out and try to save people, the barricades weren't up. You can't rely on the city to go out in the middle of the night and put a flashing sign next to rivers so that you won't drive into them. Unless you have a James Bond car that turns into a submarine, keep your eyes open.
Monday, July 14, 2008
A bicycle built for thieves
The Tucson Citizen reported today that Bicycle theft in Tucson is at a three-year low. At the same time, it provides interviews with several Tucsonans who have had their bikes stolen recently. I have to wonder if the low statistics are the result of low reporting, and not of an actual reduction in crime.
A bicycle was stolen off of my locked porch last year and I didn't report it. What would the police even do about it? The bike I got for Christmas when I was 12 and I brought half way across the country to Tucson wasn't stolen, but rather beaten to bits in an apparent attempt to steal it. I didn't report that, either.
I wonder if any of the bikes on the U of A campus that are perpetually parked at the racks- missing wheels, seats, handlebars, or other accessories- are ever reported stolen.
Unless the bike is extremely expensive, and depending on your deductible, what would even be the point of reporting it stolen to the police and your insurance company?
The Tucson Citizen's report of bike thefts going down is about as believable as their article on Tucson being ranked the 5th safest city to drive in. Consider that perhaps Tucson has a lower rate of reported accidents because of the high numbers of uninsured drivers who flee the scene or work out a cash deal so that the police never get involved.
Don't believe statistics (especially in Tucson) when they seem to contradict common sense.
I would like to offer a little constructive criticism: How about requiring pawn shops and other bike sellers to provide documentation that their merchandise was legally purchased? Why not require that any bicycle parked on the U of A campus must have its serial number registered with the UAPD? Why not offer U-locks through the city government at low cost? It certainly seems like it would save us all a lot of trouble in the long run.
A bicycle was stolen off of my locked porch last year and I didn't report it. What would the police even do about it? The bike I got for Christmas when I was 12 and I brought half way across the country to Tucson wasn't stolen, but rather beaten to bits in an apparent attempt to steal it. I didn't report that, either.
I wonder if any of the bikes on the U of A campus that are perpetually parked at the racks- missing wheels, seats, handlebars, or other accessories- are ever reported stolen.
Unless the bike is extremely expensive, and depending on your deductible, what would even be the point of reporting it stolen to the police and your insurance company?
The Tucson Citizen's report of bike thefts going down is about as believable as their article on Tucson being ranked the 5th safest city to drive in. Consider that perhaps Tucson has a lower rate of reported accidents because of the high numbers of uninsured drivers who flee the scene or work out a cash deal so that the police never get involved.
Don't believe statistics (especially in Tucson) when they seem to contradict common sense.
I would like to offer a little constructive criticism: How about requiring pawn shops and other bike sellers to provide documentation that their merchandise was legally purchased? Why not require that any bicycle parked on the U of A campus must have its serial number registered with the UAPD? Why not offer U-locks through the city government at low cost? It certainly seems like it would save us all a lot of trouble in the long run.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
No way home
On Monday night, two 17-year-old girls were attacked by a man wielding a machete at the Suntran bus stop at Grant and Campbell, almost right in front of Bookman's. One of the girls was cut up and beaten, suffering lacerations and fractures to her skull while her friend tried to protect her. The man was wearing a black and white bandanna over his face and fled in a white car.
As if this story were not disconcerting enough for the average person who rides the bus, the police failed to report it to the general public. Only through a tip from the public and then careful investigation did one of the local papers get the information and release it. The police's response was that it was not a homicide, and they don't make a practice of reporting assaults. Really? Not even such a vicious assault that was probably intended to be a homicide? Not even something so notable because of the use of a machete, the age of the girls and the populous location?
An opinion article in the Daily Star explained that the police make a practice of censoring information and choosing which stories to provide to the paper and which to suppress. It's shocking to me that the TPD would allow other women to ride the Suntran for 3 more days, totally oblivious to what had happened. Also disappointing is the Suntran's reaction and comment that because the attack didn't occur on Suntran property, it had nothing to do with them. Each bus is equipped with 4 cameras, but once you're on the street, you're on your own.
What is central to this problem is that someone was seriously injured by a man who was intending to harm or kill her, and Suntran and the TPD can't seem to pass the buck fast enough. Now I have to decide whether I feel safer waiting for the bus in Midtown or taking my chances in traffic on my bike. Is there no safe way home?
Post script: The TPD believes they have arrested the man responsible for the machete attack. He attempted to rob two other people, who recorded his license plate number when he fled.
As if this story were not disconcerting enough for the average person who rides the bus, the police failed to report it to the general public. Only through a tip from the public and then careful investigation did one of the local papers get the information and release it. The police's response was that it was not a homicide, and they don't make a practice of reporting assaults. Really? Not even such a vicious assault that was probably intended to be a homicide? Not even something so notable because of the use of a machete, the age of the girls and the populous location?
An opinion article in the Daily Star explained that the police make a practice of censoring information and choosing which stories to provide to the paper and which to suppress. It's shocking to me that the TPD would allow other women to ride the Suntran for 3 more days, totally oblivious to what had happened. Also disappointing is the Suntran's reaction and comment that because the attack didn't occur on Suntran property, it had nothing to do with them. Each bus is equipped with 4 cameras, but once you're on the street, you're on your own.
What is central to this problem is that someone was seriously injured by a man who was intending to harm or kill her, and Suntran and the TPD can't seem to pass the buck fast enough. Now I have to decide whether I feel safer waiting for the bus in Midtown or taking my chances in traffic on my bike. Is there no safe way home?
Post script: The TPD believes they have arrested the man responsible for the machete attack. He attempted to rob two other people, who recorded his license plate number when he fled.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Rough ridin'
The University of Arizona is certainly one of the most adapted campuses I have ever seen. Every building has clear wheelchair access, there are little golf carts that come pick up people with even temporary disabilities, and there is a great Disabilities Resource Center.
The City of Tucson, however, leaves a lot to be desired. The Sun Tran offers "kneeling" buses, which allow wheelchairs to enter and exit, but once you get off the bus, you're on your own. I watched a man fight with his motorized chair for 5 minutes today while trying to get off the bus. The driver had accidentally passed the concrete, so he was trying to get over an incline and skidding on the gravel. Once he figured that out, he rode over dust and even more gravel and then right into the street, against traffic, because there are no sidewalks, no sidewalks at all. The dirt strip that sometimes functions as a sidewalk is almost always littered with broken glass and other trash, or is so narrow that it is impassible for a wheelchair. I can only imagine what it's like to have to go through that process at night, without streetlights. It's not just people who use wheelchairs who have to worry about these things. Moms with strollers often choose to walk in the street because the sidewalks are too uneven, don't have access ramps, or are just not there. Are sidewalks too much to ask? Are they not a basic part of city life that you should expect to find in any urban area that has as large a population as Tucson's?
The City of Tucson, however, leaves a lot to be desired. The Sun Tran offers "kneeling" buses, which allow wheelchairs to enter and exit, but once you get off the bus, you're on your own. I watched a man fight with his motorized chair for 5 minutes today while trying to get off the bus. The driver had accidentally passed the concrete, so he was trying to get over an incline and skidding on the gravel. Once he figured that out, he rode over dust and even more gravel and then right into the street, against traffic, because there are no sidewalks, no sidewalks at all. The dirt strip that sometimes functions as a sidewalk is almost always littered with broken glass and other trash, or is so narrow that it is impassible for a wheelchair. I can only imagine what it's like to have to go through that process at night, without streetlights. It's not just people who use wheelchairs who have to worry about these things. Moms with strollers often choose to walk in the street because the sidewalks are too uneven, don't have access ramps, or are just not there. Are sidewalks too much to ask? Are they not a basic part of city life that you should expect to find in any urban area that has as large a population as Tucson's?
Shhhhhh
While we all turn off our lights at night so that scientists in Tucson can study the sky, another kind of sensory pollution assaults us: noise. I have only recently gotten over my duck-and-cover reflex every time a pair of screaming A-10s flies over, but I still cringe when the windows rattle from the noise overhead. I moved out of my neighborhood to the south of the U of A when it was upgraded from 'moderate' to 'high' on the noise meter. A lot of people lost money on their property values when that happened. Besides, the planes come in so low that you wonder if they're planning to land on the street. Who wants to live in what looks like a crash-pad for wayward jets?
Another common complaint is the infestation of ghetto birds. If you live near a hospital, you have to expect medical helicopters, and that's just what you signed up for, but if you live miles away, no one suspects that every weekend night they will feel like they are in the center of a prison break. I have woken up to circling helicopters, police megaphones and even a searchlight shining from the sky into my very bedroom window. I was followed by a helicopter when I was on my bike (!) all the way down the street with a light shining on me from above. E.T. phone home. I fully expected to be beamed up, but apparently they were looking for someone else.
And if I may share a very unique experience, I actually had a neighbor with a rooster. Every morning it would crow around 4:30am. Turns out that's illegal. You're allowed to have 3 hens, but no roosters in the city. That would make it a farm.
All that, coupled with the Tucsonan's natural inclination toward honking unnecessarilly in traffic, and the increasing popularity in street racing near my house mean that I get very little satisfying sleep.
Post Script: Last night a ghetto bird braved the microburst to continuously circle a location nearby. It passed over my house some 20 times, shining a search light on some neighbor's place. It came so close to the house that I could hear the individual chop chop chop of the blades. I wonder why, when the news had just told me not to go outside because of strong winds, lightning and flood damage, it was then safe for a helicopter to fly repeatedly over my house.
Post Post Script: Last night for the 4th of July we went over by A-Mountain and got treated to a lovely fireworks display, constantly interrupted by a circling police helicopter that was shining its spotlight on who knows what.
Another common complaint is the infestation of ghetto birds. If you live near a hospital, you have to expect medical helicopters, and that's just what you signed up for, but if you live miles away, no one suspects that every weekend night they will feel like they are in the center of a prison break. I have woken up to circling helicopters, police megaphones and even a searchlight shining from the sky into my very bedroom window. I was followed by a helicopter when I was on my bike (!) all the way down the street with a light shining on me from above. E.T. phone home. I fully expected to be beamed up, but apparently they were looking for someone else.
And if I may share a very unique experience, I actually had a neighbor with a rooster. Every morning it would crow around 4:30am. Turns out that's illegal. You're allowed to have 3 hens, but no roosters in the city. That would make it a farm.
All that, coupled with the Tucsonan's natural inclination toward honking unnecessarilly in traffic, and the increasing popularity in street racing near my house mean that I get very little satisfying sleep.
Post Script: Last night a ghetto bird braved the microburst to continuously circle a location nearby. It passed over my house some 20 times, shining a search light on some neighbor's place. It came so close to the house that I could hear the individual chop chop chop of the blades. I wonder why, when the news had just told me not to go outside because of strong winds, lightning and flood damage, it was then safe for a helicopter to fly repeatedly over my house.
Post Post Script: Last night for the 4th of July we went over by A-Mountain and got treated to a lovely fireworks display, constantly interrupted by a circling police helicopter that was shining its spotlight on who knows what.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
It's July!
It's July, and in Tucson that means more excruciatingly hot weather, now even more muggy thanks to the Monsoon that hardly ever rains, but produces enough moisture to make your swamp cooler totally ineffective.
It also means that the 4th is coming up this Friday! That means hot dogs, family fun, and idiots shooting off fireworks and sometimes even real guns! Every New Year's or Fourth of July somebody gets injured or killed in a fit of celebratory gunfire. Even if you shoot into the air above your head, "what comes up must come down" (I learned about that on a PBS special on KUAT). Alternatively, someone usually starts a small fire by sending off bottle rockets in the city or in the desert. It's a desert, people! There's a risk of fire. You're supposed to put water on a camp fire and then bury it in the sand and then wait hours to make sure it's out. You're not supposed to throw cigarette butts out of the car window. What makes it okay to shoot random balls of flame that could go anywhere, including onto your neighbor's roof?
So all I ask this year is that no one shoot me or burn my house down. Happy Independence Day!
It also means that the 4th is coming up this Friday! That means hot dogs, family fun, and idiots shooting off fireworks and sometimes even real guns! Every New Year's or Fourth of July somebody gets injured or killed in a fit of celebratory gunfire. Even if you shoot into the air above your head, "what comes up must come down" (I learned about that on a PBS special on KUAT). Alternatively, someone usually starts a small fire by sending off bottle rockets in the city or in the desert. It's a desert, people! There's a risk of fire. You're supposed to put water on a camp fire and then bury it in the sand and then wait hours to make sure it's out. You're not supposed to throw cigarette butts out of the car window. What makes it okay to shoot random balls of flame that could go anywhere, including onto your neighbor's roof?
So all I ask this year is that no one shoot me or burn my house down. Happy Independence Day!
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