I don't normally talk about local issues on the radio show or in my columns primarily becausr the radio show is heard in Southwest New Mexico and southeast Arizona and the columns are read by people that don't live here. No if the underlying issue is germane to people in other communities I'll talk about it. And that might be the case with today's topic.

Road construction in Silver City is causing a lot of delays. It amazes me how many people cannot or will not adjust their schedule to allow more time to get to their destination because of the delays they will experience along their route due to the construction. This results in a lot of people taking alternate routes or ignoring traffic laws and driving around barriers. We also see people speeding and ignoring traffic control signs because they are late.

You may have seen a lot of discussion about construction on Ridge Rd and the closing of an 'alternate route' being used by many people to avoid the construction. That so called alternate route ran through La Plata Mobile Home Park. The road connecting the park to Ridge Rd was recently blocked by the owner of the park. The reason was that many people driving through the park were speeding, running stop signs, passing slower vehicles, and creating dangerous situations for park residents.

Full disclosure, I have three rental properties in that park and am close friends with the owner. I have seen examples of people blatantly putting other lives in danger because they are in a hurry. On Plata Rd alone there are at least 2 portable basketball goals where kids play ball in the street. Residents have complained about the increased traffic and unsafe driving habits so the owner was right to close access to that road.

There is a lot of opinion that it is illegal to close a public road. It probably is with some exceptions. But this is not a public road, this is a privately owned road and the owner has the right to close it. Some people have attempted to drive through the barrier and been successful so an improved barrier was put up. Even then people tried to drive around one end of the road that was closed realizing they couldn't get through and having to turn around.

I even read an account of a unidentified first responder who said that gravel road was used to respond to emergency calls. I would love to talk to that person because that makes no sense. An ambulance or fire truck would be coming from town would have to drive all the way around the park to enter from what is essentially the backside of the park ignoring two closer entrances.

I do drive down Ridge Rd several times a week and have cut through the park thinking it would save time. If it does it's only a few seconds because I've watched for the cars that were in line waiting to use Ridge Rd. In the majority of times we get to the same spot on Ridge Rd at about the same time. There are exceptions and I'm obeying the speed limit when I go through the park. I'm sure if you're traveling 45 or 50 miles an hour you might save another 45 seconds.

But is that time worth injuring or killing someone else? Is that time worth what's going to happen if there's an auto accident? I can guarantee you after handling claims for an insurance company and dealing with people who have been in those accidents , especially when someone else has been injured because of their negligence, the emphatic answer to those questions is no.

It's kind of like some of the situations we've seen in the national news regarding police interactions with certain people. If those people had just followed the rules, listened to the commands of the officers, none of the ensuing problems would have occurred. Planning ahead and using caution and keeping your emotions in check which solves some of the problems that many people perceive. Add one last observation: if you are going to claim that all roads are public claiming that city or County ordinances make it so, you might want to actually read those ordinances. Ignorance is curable you know.