When Councils just don’t get it!
For three work days in a row a local council “works” van has parked up on the grassy area opposite my house to hide away from most eyes while the workers do nothing. The first day 4 workers come, get out (with a snow shovel) polish a park sign, run behind a fence to relieve themselves and then sit in the van for 30 minutes. The next day two guys this time just reading a paper in the van. OK – I think maybe they are on a tea break – but given there isn’t any more park land around here I’m not sure why they are on the estate.
Then on Monday – the next working day2 workmen come again in a van and park up at 11:20. By 1:00pm I am getting a little ticked off. Given there are play areas and cycle paths and pavements covered in ice, I really am ot sure council workers should be sleeping in their council van for 90 minutes.
So I call the parks department. Apparently the vans can be tracked and when he called me back he told me the exact time they arrived, when the engine was switched off and when turned on again.
I of course said I have no problem with people taking a lunch break. But 90 minutes seems excessive – and as far as I can see nothing has been done on the estate at all. The parks manager agreed the workmen had been a little naughty, but then the following words really shocked me. “Of course at this time of the year there isn’t much work for our area”.
Hang on. Ive already heard the local council blaming the county council for a lack of grit. People don’t get people dont care what level of Government is responsible – they just want something done. But now we hear that one department doesn’t have much work on they don’t get them doing something else? Obviously there isn’t going to be much grass cutting in January with inches of snow and ice on the ground. But how about this as an idea. Those who look after the grass in parks might like to get a little busy clearing the ice and snow on the paved areas in the same parks rather than saying there isn’t much work to do.
Another example of why council dont get it, and why council tax goes up each year.
