There is something quite irresistible about the Nextdoor app that is meant to be used by people living in a small community to exchange information, seek assistance, provide alerts, and the like. But like all social media, what starts off as a simple post often leads to the discussion going off the rails, with tangents, non sequiturs, pedantic and nitpicking comments, jumping to conclusions, casting aspersions, ascribing unpleasant motives, and sometimes even name calling.
In this clip, actors play out an actual thread where all those elements are visible.
As another example, in my neighborhood, there is a very small wetlands area called the Frog Pond, a name that pretty accurately describes it. You can walk around the circumference in about ten minutes, which tells you how big it is, and the pond contains frogs and possibly other fish and amphibians. It is a simple, pastoral location. There is a proposal to extend an existing nearby pedestrian and bicycle trail so that it would provide greater access to the Frog Pond and would also enable wheelchair access which is not currently available. The trail would also join up with other trails and to do that would have to go along a couple of residential streets.
You would think that this hyperlocal issue would not be that controversial but it has generated a surprising amount of heat because some of the people who live along those streets do not like the idea of increased bicycle traffic. They have raised dire warnings of increased crime and congestion and have proposed a ballot issue that would stop the project that will be voted on on June 7th. In response, supporters of the plan have accused them of wanting to prevent greater access to the wetlands. Whenever this comes up on Nextdoor, there are heated exchanges.
But it looks like the actual plan is a much more extensive trail project than what you seem to be describing. Here’s the design report: 142 pages, PDF, with tons of maps, pictures and other information.
I don’t find it hard to believe that some might be blowing some things out of proportion, with the dire warnings and whatnot. I think that’s just a thing with people in general, not social media specifically.
But even leaving some of that aside, I do understand why they wouldn’t want that sort of thing going right past their house on a residential street, especially if it’s going to be basically the only place along the entire trail like that. By the sound of it, though, they might be outnumbered, or at least outspent.
Has this involved any claims of eminent domain, to your knowledge? Very questionable whether such a domineering approach should be used in favor of something like recreation/tourism, versus a person’s home. Something like that happened in my old hometown, and it wasn’t pretty. Not saying I agree with the opponents of this thing — honestly don’t know much about it — but I totally get why emotions are running high. And I figure maybe you just might not be aware of the full extent of it, beyond the Frog Pond stuff.
The ballot issue in question only deals with the Del Rey Oaks portion, which is the tiny community next to Monterey where I live.
Congestion from bicycle traffic? At least they are quiet and don’t spew noxious fumes. And how much can a thief carry on a bike, anyway?
I got around to watching it. Found it rather amusing.
Seemed a bit tame to me, but.
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Trickster Goddess, yeah but — bicycles and pedestrians don’t mix well in narrow lanes, nor do bicycles and traffic. And it’s either a zero-sum game or pricey to separate the traffic.