The recent installation of a walk/cycle path around Ballymoney as part of the sustainable transport initiative http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ has been in my humble opinion, a great success. It is now possible to circumnavigate Ballymoney on safe and attractive paths. This has been particularly handy during the recent freezing weather, allowing the dog to be walked in safe and mud free conditions.
However, as with all new initiatives, not all the natives seem to understand how it works, either now or for the future. As for the ‘now’ the amount of broken glass and dog pooh, especially on the path up towards the leisure centre, is appalling. Damage done to the stripwood fencing is also annoying. Given that the glass appears to be the remains of alcopop bottles, I blame that subset of our youth population who hang around swigging cheap booze. They seem incapable of showing any initiative when it comes to doing something constructive. Having said that, the dog walkers form a more mature population and as such set a very poor example to the kids by not picking the stuff up.
On a more profound level, considering the future development of the walkway, the destruction of quite a number of the young trees lining the walkway is dispiriting. The youngsters who have destroyed these trees seem to have no appreciation that it is THEIR environment they are ruining. I wonder if in fifteen or twenty years as they walk their own kids along the pathways, will they even remember that the gaps in the trees were caused by their vandalism?
Well that’s it off my chest…….
2 comments:
I share your moan. I'm constantly dispirited by UK society in these and other matters.
My US friends here cannot understand when I tell them that if I put up some nice display in my front garden, that it probably wouldn't be there the next day. They also cannot fathom the amount of rubbish to be found around our lovely countryside, never mind in our towns and cities.
The path around Ballymoney sounds wonderful and it's such a shame it's not being respected for what it is. Leaving dog poop for others to deal with is simply not acceptable and owners need to be reported and punished to get a strong message across.
Take a bag.....it's not that hard to do. Sadly the people who don't care about these things won't be reading this blog either. The reading part would be beyond them !
When it comes to clearing up after your dog, have many really given consideration to what happens to the waste, and by bagging it (so to speak) how much longer it will last!
By the way, can the author email me please as I don't have a current email address!!
Woof.
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