The State Of Quebec Roads

As I swerved around pot holes the other day it occured to me the state of our roads are a metaphor for our how the state runs health and education.

Our corroded bridges, crumbling overpasses and cracking roads make us, in my mind, a banana republic. It's absurd, insane and unacceptable given our access to talent and technology to have to witness this crap. Right before our eyes we're seeing bureaucratic bull in action as they hem, haw and argue over the proposed revamp of the Turcotte interchange.

Meanwhile, it's a game of chicken for commuters as they always peak over overpasses or speed up (of course, with photo radar in place making that option incresingly stressful. Suddenly drivers are faced with a "my life or ticket I can't afford" ethical dilemma) to make sure no concrete slab is about to fall like something right out of a Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoon. Only this time the slab doesn't come with an ACME imprint.

I don't understand how Premier Jean "The Poser" Charest doesn't once and for all assume real leadership and put a god dang end to the ineptitude and corruption. We're a laughing joke when it comes to our roads; pure and simple. It's that dangerous to drive in Quebec. And if one more city official goes on tv urging us to take public transit I'm gonna hurl.

When I drive I sometimes look into the bus next to me and all the people jammed and crammed like sardines with iPods. Sure. Just what I want in mid-July. Smelling natural human ordors settled in for the day mix with Irish Spring. Sure.

The system is already stretched and now they want pretty much the entire population to ride buses and bikes? So impractical. So unrealistic and so not cool.

It's hard to avoid anectodal evidence in these circumstances. I know. We observe what we see, and what we see can be deceiving as well as the truth.

When I look at the state of our roads, it's a good way to imagine what education and public health look like if they were visible to the naked eye. Geez. The one thing the state should be taking care of - infrastructure -they can't even get right. Imagine the more complex stuff like education and health care.

I wonder if there's an innovative way to integrate private solutions to work in tandem with the pubic sector. After all, it just can't continue like this.

Gotta go. Going to play chicken with Transport Quebec.