ROAD SALT, CARS AND TRUCKS

The seasonal road salt blitz is underway.

Road salt is big business for local and
state governments.

Cars and trucks have become very
expensive, along  with the gasoline
to operate them.

Road salt  destroys our vehicles, tires
brakes, brake and fuel lines.

Road salt also destroys roads, bridges
parking lots and more.

In theory, the road salt blitz occurs
to make roads safer. Yet, accidents
continue because drivers continue
to speed, lack winter driving skills
because drivers are more distracted
than ever.

Ironically, the road salt blitz may
contribute to more vehicle accidents
injuries and deaths.

How? By destroying fuel and brake
lines that leak, rupture and fail.

In August, my 1995 Honda went
to the scrap yard. Reason, road salt
had destroyed the fuel, brake lines
and most of the car undercarriage.

The engine was in top shape with
only 134,000 miles on it.

So, now I am left without a car.

Buying a new one is not an option
because of the cost. Furthermore,
why buy a costly new car when it will
be prematurely destroyed by road
salt.

Buying a used vehicle is not the
option it once was. The Obama
clunker program removed many
older, more affordable cars from
the market.

What remains is highly priced
used cars with high mileage
which have been damaged by
exposure to road salt. These
high mileage used cars are likely
to need expensive repairs
including replacement of
catalytic converters, timing belts
automatic transmissions, and
more.

Same is true for new and used
trucks.

So, what is left? Walking, biking
(very dangerous on local heavily
trafficked roads) and CDTA.

Carm says "take the bus". But
the dogs can't. No bus runs
to Thatcher Park to take
advantage of winter activities
there.

Transporting groceries, 50 lb
bags of oats and bales of
straw, for the garden, by bus
is not possible.

A walkable city advocated by
"progressive" politicians is
not an attractive, safe option
because of out of control
speeding, reckless traffic and
street crime.

Buying a lottery ticket is like
spitting in the wind.

C'est la vie. Adapt or perish.

                     Joe Sullivan