Stuck in traffic for too long. Gave up
Tonight I tried to go to the Lionel Wendt for a play, and a place to park. The Wendt is at the nexus of high-security and one-way traffic zones and has now become a no-man’s land. Circled like 4 times trying to find parking at Royal or somewhere, but nothing. Finally gave up on the play and went to have dinner. That, to me, is the main failing of the new traffic regulations. The one-way traffic system is fine for getting North and South across the city (sorta), but it is terrible for getting anywhere within the city. It’s taken vibrant, commercial roads like Duplication and Galle and made them into highways. Highways are fine for passing through, but they’re a bitch to get off on and off of. They have special on/off ramps and the area they pass through is pretty much dead. Now the same thing is happening to Colombo’s downtown. Getting anywhere on Galle Road is now so frustrating that I try to avoid it. The Wendt is now totally inaccessible and I can’t see myself going for another play there. And that’s a real shame.
Galle Road
Let’s take Galle Road, to start. It flows (mostly) North and the only viable on-ramps are at Colpetty Junction or Dickman’s Road. There are smaller roads, but they’re iffy, and where Galle becomes two-way they’re impossible. Now, in that dead zone between Colpetty and Dickman’s lies Majestic City and Unity Plaza – the main ‘malls’ in Colombo. It’s always been difficult to get there, but last time I tried it took me 2 hours. Even barring my novice mistakes, it’d take at least an hour to get from Union Place to MC. For anyone not in the South, accessing MC involves a detour of interminable, high-traffic kilometers. I’m going to try going there.
I used to go down straight down Bauddhaloka Mawatha to Galle Road. That road is closed, so there’s a detour. Then you hit Duplication and it stops moving forward, you have to turn left and take a 1-2 km detour to get down the last 100m. It makes getting into town from the North or West impossible. I have to effectively go through the narrow arteries of Havelock Town (Thimbirigasaya, Park Road) to get anywhere.
Wendt
I don’t even know where to start here. I don’t know which way the road past the Wendt flows anymore, it’s pretty much dead to me. You definitely can’t park on the street, and you can’t park at the club next door, so I don’t know where to go. The 138 bus used to run by there, but now the road flows the opposite way. Not that the bus runs at theatre times. I guess you could park elsewhere and take a trishaw, but the choice I ended up making was to simply not go.
Pedestrians
Of course, discouraging car traffic may be good, but this system does nothing to that end. Highways are not friendly to pedestrians. Crossing Duplication or Galle Road is extremely dangerous and impossible without doing some stopping in the middle of free-flowing traffic. People bail down Thurstan and I’ve never seen pedestrians attempting that intersection. Also, bus traffic is completely screwed. The artery between Colpetty and Battaramulla is cut, as is any bus traffic from Galle Face on down.
In short, the system is poorly planned and worse executed. I think the first rule of public policy should be ‘do no harm’, and that this measure has done more harm to Colombo’s circulation than good. On the plus side, Ministers have more lanes to shove citizens out of, and we do have more Cabinet Posts. Argh. At least the mayor is competent.
“Sorry David, you can take your self-righteous garbage and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine”
You mean ‘Down Under’?
“And you my friend, would have done the country a huge favour if you packed your bags and set off somewhere along with the rest of the burghers.”
You mean join you in Oz? No thanks. But you’ve picked a good spot to hide, Bart, they love Xenophobia over there.
Save the bana for someone who will listen Indi. Please show me a survey before you put yourself high on your ivory throne and and speak for the “patriotic Sri Lankan mainstream” as their sole representative. Till then, don’t get upset if your retarded claims waft away like a fart in the wind. I find it hilarious how a clueless kalu suddha like you who was brought up in a foreign country pretends to be the in and out of Sri Lanka. And in my opinion, Sri Lanka gained with the departure of the Burghers. It’s truly sad that David Blacker stayed behind.
“You mean ‘Down Under’?”
No… I meant up your ass.
“You mean join you in Oz? No thanks. But you’ve picked a good spot to hide, Bart, they love Xenophobia over there. ”
Oh no, not Oz. Australia would be cursed with a soul like you. I would suggest flushing yourself down the toilet bowl.
“Oh no, not Oz. Australia would be cursed with a soul like you. I would suggest flushing yourself down the toilet bowl.”
Ladies and gentlemen I give you wit in its purest form… nice to see you back justmal
You are so far outside of decent Sri Lankan opinion that it’s not even funny. Sri Lanka the nation has something called a Constitution which states,
It has also had a series of elected leaders who serve the nation, not a narrow race. As the current President Mahinda says,
People have a democratic right to be whatever race they want and still be valuable citizens of Sri Lanka. As much as I criticize Mahinda and the government, I think we are on the same side of the most basic racial issue, that of not being a racist. The elected Sri Lankan government does not condone racism, bigotry, or the expulsion of anyone (Burgher, Tamil) from these shores. It is racists and bigots who betray the national dignity of Sri Lanka and they do not speak for this nation. Neither do I, but it’s pretty much a no-brainer to read the Constitution and the speeches of Presidents and PMs for the last few decades. This isn’t a big one. Sri Lanka is not a racist, apartheid state, whatever the LTTE and Sinhala bigots like Bart say.
Why are you wasting your time replying to Bart Indi? (who is probably justmal anyway)… it ain’t worth your time and either way no one takes him seriously…
Blah blah blah Indi. Seriously, what’s with yawn inspiring lecture? I note you seem to consider yourself some sort of an iintellectual, but that isn’t something that is impressing me much. I mean, the Emperor thought he had clothes on when he was butt naked didn’t he? I find more amusement, Indi, in seeing you run after and protect the “elected government.” This is the same government that you were accusing of Sinhalese extremism when the presidential elections were on. And it’s same Mahinda that you were frothing at the mouth about back then. Why the sudden change of heart? Perhaps you are hypocrite by nature? Who knows. It’s just another credibility gap on your part.
I have no idea why you’re beginning to sound like a rabid pissa on crack, but understand this: I think Sri Lanka is better off without the Burghers. The less Burghers, the better. It was a good thing that most Burghers left Sri Lanka. The sooner David Blacker leaves, the better. Sri Lanka is also better off with less Tamils. The more Tamils leave Sri Lanka, the better. Sirimavo did a great thing by sending back all those Indian Tamil labourers. Not that I am not advocating annhiliation, expulsion, genocide or whatnot despite what your convoluted and confused mind seems to believe. Just as you are entitled to your opinions, so am I. Do not expect everyone else to be your clone.
Typo:
“Not that I am not advocating annhiliation, expulsion, genocide or whatnot despite what your convoluted and confused mind seems to believe. ”
should read:
“NOTE that I am not advocating annhiliation, expulsion, genocide or whatnot despite what your convoluted and confused mind seems to believe. “
bart…sri lanka is a much better place without you…so save your patriotism for your new found home. i hope your owners leave you a bone to play with by your kennel tonight. coz everyone is fed up of hearing you bark.
on second thoughts i think you are rather patriotic. after all you decided to do whats best for your country and leave.
on behalf of all us sri lankans, thank you. now shut up.
“Ladies and gentlemen I give you wit in its purest form…”
Tariq, I think you meant half of the wit.