The never ending abuse in the land of impunity....

Parede, September 29, 2023

This is a common sight in Portugal and has been so for decades. The (in)competent authorities do little or nothing to solve the problem. Very often, pedestrians are obliged to step out onto the road, risking their own lives. I lived in this village for more than 30 years ago and the problem was exactly the same...in the exact same spot !? Amazing 😡

Some heavy fines could be applied on these morons wallets and the problem would be quickly solved.... but that is not going to happen in the paradise of egoists and incompetents.

The land of "short term"....

These pine trees were planted by the time of the Expo 1998 in Lisbon. Pine trees are very common in this country, so one can presume that they knew that their roots grow with a large perimeter and close to the surface. The choice of pavement is astonishing and, of course, condemned to failure. Did the people who planned the trees speak with those who planned the pavement ? Amazing !!

The result, 25 years later, is a completely useless and deformed/destroyed pavement, impossible to use for persons with disabilities. 800 meters of useless pavement and money that could have been thrown into the Tejo river. Act first and think later....

Lisboa, 1 PM, 35 Celsius....

The Portuguese "know-how" in a nut shell. These trees were once planted to provide shelter for pedestrians. They provide shelter indeed...but for the road traffic. A previous 5 minute visit to the spot could even tell a blind person where that shelter should occur during summer. But that is complicated in a country where incompetence and laissez-faire is a never ending national plague.