Ascension Day, with the whole region under a layer of cloud, rather than under blue sky and sunshine, as is hoped for in mid-May. I did my daily reflection upload to WhatsApp on waking, then walked to Saint John's to celebrate the Eucharist. Fifteen of us were present, the most since Thursday services resumed last month. I wonder when Sunday services will resume?
On my way to church I noticed a vehicle queuing at the Canton Cross lights with a camera mounted on a telescopic pole, in hi-viz livery. At first sight I thought it was a Google Street View camera car. Closer inspection revealed it was a Cardiff Council traffic enforcement vehicle. I think it may be patrolling to identify vehicles which are parked where they shouldn't be. Number plate recognition would identify the vehicle for the issue of penalty notices. Traffic wardens could then be directed to the vehicle to place the penalty notice under the windscreen wiper - this still happens locally.
What interests me is whether this technology is used in relation to the huge delivery vehicles which so often block through roads, if not park on pavements obstructing pedestrians. They may only be parked for a few minutes, but this can still generate congestion, and put walkers at risk. Using large delivery vehicles creates economies of scale in moving goods around, but who is costing the congestion and pollution that results. A radical overhaul is needed to the way our economic infrastructure works in our crowded cities.
Clare was in kindergarten again this morning, by the skin of her teeth. The bus she takes to get there was unable to ge through, due to congestion caused by a traffic accident. Waiting at the stop with her was a doctor going to work at a hospital on the bus route, with a scheduled appointment ahead of him. In the end he called for a taxi, and gave Clare a lift to school, so she got there just in time.
New housing developments north west of Cardiff are already leading to increase traffic flow into the city through Llandaff. Now things are getting back to normal, people are moving around more normally and with the change to traffic flowing through the centre, there's additional congestion at junctions a mile or so out of town. The impact on local traffic is noticeable already and it's several years before the those new suburbs will be populated. It's hard to see how public transport networks will adapt to compensate.
At the moment covid precautions are limiting the number of bus and train passengers that can be taken or want to travel. I suspect it's going to get worse. At certain times of day already, pollution from traffic is much more noticeable after a year of limited travel leaving the air a lot fresher. It makes you realise what we got used to living with, and it's no good for anyone's health.
I had lunch ready as Clare arrived home. Afterwards, I sat down to relax and fell asleep. When I woke up and thought about going for a walk, it was raining, and kept on raining into the evening, so I had to wear my rain-gear. It amazes me to see several football games in such wet and slippery conditons. I guess players are so glad to resume, that rain is no deterrent to them.
I watched one of the earliest episodes of the first season of NCIS after supper. Interesting to see how the various permanent characters presented themselves, compared to now, eighteen years on. What got my attention even more was the kind of technology in use then, as compared to now - clamshell mobile phones, PDAs (remember them?), CRT monitors with webcams perched on top of them etc. Two decades of technical development portrayed in a crime based soap opera!
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