No Sidewalks Or Safe Fish To Eat In Fort Worth

I was up way too early today. I was already tired of looking at a computer screen when the sun turned the light on enough that I could find my way to the pool.

Swimming perked me up and slightly improved my dour doom of gloom mood.

After several more hours of seeing way too much of this computer screen I had to get out of here. Due to all the rain, of late, Oakland Lake Park was pretty much my only choice to go on a walk.

On the way there, heading west on Bridge Street, I was stopped at a light. Across the street I saw the 3 guys in the picture walking on the grass at the side of the road. Where there is no sidewalk.

I've mentioned before how appalling it is that Fort Worth lacks sidewalks in so many locations where one would think a sidewalk would exist and where I'll see people have worn a path in the grass, totally indicating the need.

I've seen places where the lack of a sidewalk is dangerous. Like when I made the mistake of thinking it would be fun to walk to the Post Office. That turned into a nightmare of picking my way through litter-covered, no-sidewalk sections.

When I took the picture off the camera I was even more appalled. I'd zoomed in to take the picture, so when I saw it I saw way more detail than I saw with my eye. Like I didn't realize that the 3 guys were walking to a bus stop! That's the sign they are standing by, waiting for a bus. No sidewalk to walk to a bus stop on a very busy street. Did I already say I think this is appalling?

A sad sidewalk lack in a town with a "Vision" for the river that runs through it that will cost, currently, somewhere around a half billion dollars. If it ever gets built. I've said before, I think Fort Worth should start with some basics, like the Fort Worth Sidewalk Vision, before moving on to more grandiose visions, like building a little fake lake, some canals and an unneeded flood diversion channel.

At Oakland Lake Park there were a lot of people walking around, picnicking, playing tennis and fishing. The fishing I find disturbing. There used to be signs forbidding you to eat the fish you might catch. The new version is milder, telling the fishermen that there is a "Fish Consumption Advisory." Oddly, this warning is only in English, while the other warning on the sign, not to boat or swim in the lake, is in both English and Spanish.

I saw one group of Spanish speakers fishing, using beer bottles that they wrapped the line around. I figured if you are so desperate to catch a fish that you are using a beer bottle as a fish pole, then you are likely going to eat any fish you might catch. They were gone my second time around the lake. Likely they'd caught lunch and were heading somewhere to cook it.

Speaking of lunch, that's what I need to have right now.