Letters to the Editor: November 2, 2024

Article content

It’s not the roadwork, it’s the drivers

It’s not a secret that driving in London has become a nightmare. However, it’s not the ubiquitous, never-ending construction that is the biggest problem; it’s aggressive, inconsiderate and dangerous drivers and their flagrant disregard for the rules of the road and other people’s safety.

On Saturday, I witnessed four drivers run red lights. Our list of near misses is lengthy.

Article content

My pet peeve is the lack of understanding of zipper merging. Londoners don’t know how or don’t want others to do it. The intersection at York and Wellington (south) is boxed multiple times daily. Drivers either refuse to use both lanes or don’t know there are two lanes because they aren’t marked. If drivers filled up both lanes to the merge, boxing wouldn’t happen as often. More than once, drivers have purposefully moved to straddle both lanes in order to block me from driving up to the merge point.

Driver education needs to be longer and more thorough. There should be more significant penalties for infractions, especially aggressive driving and speeding. In London, there should be more traffic cameras. The city needs to educate drivers through traditional and social media to use zipper merging and drive defensively, not aggressively to reduce frustration and dangerous driving.

Nancy Manners, London

Ash tree lament

I am saddened that recently London has cut the majestic ash trees that lined Timber Drive. There was no advance notice. Crews just showed up and cut down 25 trees.

Article content

For many years, the trees were injected with insecticide. Then, the city stopped that service. In the spring, Davey Tree Service spent weeks trimming the trees the city just cut down.

Most, if not all, the trees showed no sign of poor health or insect damage.

Now, our street should be renamed Clear-Cut Drive.

Jim Robertson, London

Loving my hybrid

I own a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). In the last four years, I have driven thousands of kilometres without burning a drop of gasoline. When I cruise past a petrol station, I smile and think of how lucky I was to purchase my PHEV.

Happy motoring.

Hazel Jean Young, London

Replace police board

Regarding the article Ex-cop throws support behind motion limiting budget lobbying (Oct 29).

I support Prof. Lesley Bikos’ letter to council calling for removal of the police board members and a review of the current police budget.

Bikos also wants council to probe why and how Navigator was hired. I would expand that to include any past dealings between police board members and Navigator.

Article content

I suggest council appoint Bikos to the police board when an opportune time arises.

Walt Lonc, London

Enforcement next

It’s refreshing to hear council held strong in maintaining a 100-metre distance between homes and homeless encampments. So, property owners will get that little bit of respect.

Maybe the encroachments will be enforced.

R.J. Webb, London

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

Make grant fair

Recently, I was made aware there is a northern health travel grant for northern Ontario residents who have to travel a minimum of 100 km, one way, to access medical specialists and ministry-funded health care services not available locally.

A similar grant doesn’t exist for southern Ontario, when Windsor-Essex families have to travel more than 100 km, one way, to access medical specialists and ministry-funded health care services not available locally for our children.

More than 5,000 visits are made to LHSC by Windsor-Essex paediatric patients every year. Many of us who have to travel to SickKids in Toronto and McMaster in Hamilton for our children as well.

We have to leave our other children, homes and support systems. We have to sometimes go without stays in Ronald McDonald House, as they fill up quickly and don’t have enough rooms for every out-of-town family.

Article content

Hospital food services don’t always accept gift cards and hotel medical rates can still be up to $200 a night.

I can’t understand why we wouldn’t have a health travel grant to help offset some of the costs of medical travel, considering we have no choice but to leave to access the care our children need and can’t obtain locally.

It’s bad enough our children don’t have access to what they need locally. Why don’t we deserve this?

Kait Lowe, Amherstburg

Article content