Note: If you clic on the photo to enlarge it, you can even see one of our combis parked on the side where our house is.
But look!! What is that? A chain running across the entrance? A sign reading "CALL POLICE"?? What does it all mean?
What it means is that the person who owns the property through which this small road has been forged - by people desperate to get to the main road when there was no other access due to bad weather and/or trucks or construction obstructing the other entrance - decided that the little path was becoming entirely too traversed, and they should put a stop to it. Hence, the sudden appearance of the chain-bar and threatening sign (though why they should put a sign saying "call police" on it escapes my powers of comprehension - who is supposed to call the police; the people driving through??).
Now there are only 5 families who would ever need to access that little road. Those are the families that live in the 5 houses to which said road leads. Two of the families lives right on the juncture of the main road, and their driveways each connect to the main road, so they really have no need to turn their cars into the little road, although, when their friends visit, of course they find it very convenient to use it in order to park their cars in the areas off that road.
Our house is next, and it's true, we are a 6-car family. What can I say? I live with mechanical-minded, combi/camper-lovers. At present we have 3 campers, plus two other cars to get around in on a day-to-day basis, plus another combi in repair. We must park at least 3 cars out back, so it's been nice to have that backroad access. Five out of six of our household drive, so on any given day at any given time, there are probably at least two vehicles in use. Still, we do not abuse the right to have automobile transportation. We take buses and walk when possible. Sometimes we go places by bicycle instead of using a car, but unfortunately, with factors like time shortage, packs of stray dogs terrorizing bike-riders, and having to carry everything on your back (i.e.when going to market), such biking expeditions end up being thwarted many a time. Also, now that rainy season is upon us, it's even less feasible to go somewhere by bike.
Okay, but getting back to the point; all in all, there are probably 6 other people who might be interested in keeping the road open. We found it hard to understand the motives of the owner for suddenly closing it. One of our neighbors had originally secured permission to use that road, as long as he didn't abuse the privilege. The rest of us just followed suit. And we all thought we were observing his wishes in not abusing the privilege.
About a week after the sign and chain appeared, I had a chance to talk with the owner of that land, who is rarely around as they live in another city. I asked him why they had arbitrarily slapped a chain bar across the entrance. Why had there been no notice to us? We thought the action a bit rude to say the least.
He explained that they were simply alarmed by the amount of use the road was getting. He said they didn't want to see the land parted in two for a road for vehicles. They wanted to conserve the expanse of open green space.
Well, I have to admit, a big part of me agrees with him. We do need to keep this area as natural and uninhabited as possible. I can't stand the idea that one day there may be a housing division or an apartment bldg or condos within sight of our house. And it's true that while the road was open, we saw vehicles driving by the back of our house on a regular basis.
So, I'm of two minds about the whole dilemma. On the one hand, it would be nice to have that backdoor access, in case the only real road, which leads to our front door, is blocked. But on the other hand, having that entrance closed means more privacy which is nice too. And at least the owner assured us they are not planning to either sell their land or build on it. They just want to keep it wild.
I guess when it comes right down to it, so do I.
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