I often come accross with the following expression: "That 's why this country does not evolve!!" to criticize the government and whoever is considered to be a fat cat. But evolution can only take place if it starts off with our actions. Every single one of us can change something.
I say, considering we are lucky enough to live in a democracy, it is in our hands to change whatever we think it is not right.
For instance, there are a couple of things that get on my nerves and that i wish i could change, namely:
Cars parked on the pavement preventing people from walking there, and what is more nerve racking is to see people on wheel chairs forced to wheel down or up the street, along with the cars!!!
Pavements are generally not wide enough for people, and when they are, we constantly bump into traffic signs, lampposts and if we're unlucky, we can even step on some dog turd along the way .
I say, let's start a civilian movement to fight for quality of life in Lisbon and elsewhere. Let's call it pedestrian rage!
2 comments:
well said !
as a pedestrian myself, and non car owner, it really annoys me too. I think Lisbon is a beautiful place, but it could be so much nicer and one of the first things i would do is get rid of all the dog poo !!! it is unbelievable ! and you natives don't seem to mind ! when my friends come here they are shocked to stand in dog shit everyday ... people should be forced to pick up dog poo if they have a dog !
then i would ban cars from the city centre, but that's another story ...
I share the opinion of the man in the street: despite living in a democracy we have to bear in mind that although people can manifest about what they want, in the end it is the government who has the final word.
I’m also of the opinion that it is wrong to park cars on the pavement, but I believe that in most cases, people park their cars on the pavement because there is no other alternative. The true is that there aren’t enough parking spaces in the centre of Lisbon. Take British Council surrounding area for example – it is always a huge challenge to find a spot to park a car.
When it comes to handicapped people, like the ones on wheel chairs, cars on the pavement are just a small part of the obstacles they have to face everyday. Most buildings and busses don’t even have special accesses in order to make these people’s life easier. And, who should these people blame? Shouldn’t it be our ministers?
Regarding to the dog’s poo issue, it is in fact a complete lack of respect but again why can’t the government build something like “dog playgrounds” where dogs can play as well as “do their business”. And in the end who knows if dog turd can’t have a utility, for instance as fertilizer.
Don’t get me wrong if it looks like I’m minimizing the problems presented – I’m not.
I will finish off by adding that people need to be socially educated, and by saying that I mean that they have to be taught about the concept of “sustainable development” - to not limit the consequences of our actions to the present time, but think on future generations as well. And I raise serious doubts whether this concept is conveniently ingrained in most people of today.
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