I recently posted about a particularly egregious safety hazard on a heavily used street.

The gaping hole on 87a Ave Norte. I happened to be driving by, and started yapping about it, mostly to be able to verify my predictions of what would happen, and also to illustrate a difference.

Launchramp into pit Part 3

A few days later, I drove by and saw a couple of unfortunate people staring at their bumper, as it sat in the pit, impaled on a length of rebar. Two cars were pulled off to the side, and a very unhappy group looked on.

The next day I saw a photo in La Prensa of an SUV nose down in the ditch! Because I’m kinda mean, I mostly said “I told you so.” and posted the newspaper article.

……  I am coming to today’s point so be patient.

Yesterday I drove by again, and saw the most awesome things! First, the man-hole I have been cursing about is now covered (YAY!), showing things DO get fixed. (Actually all week there have been crews around the area filling potholes like madmen. God bless their souls!).

And what about the Pit of Doom you ask?  It seems that after all of the attention and accidents, the crew took action and put some effort into marking, if not covering, the hole.

A tree, about 15 feet high, stood anchored upright in the dirt of the mound that separates oncoming traffic from the pit.

Same hole, New tracks

Caution tape, was artfully woven through nearly all of the branches like an overstretched Christmas tree garland, and strung outward to an upright section of PVC pipe for added protection. The boulder pile at the base of the mound, still more of a launch-ramp than a guardrail, was substantially larger.

I about died. Not from driving into the pit this time, but from this wonderful gesture….a gesture something like a friendly middle finger.

I was picturing the frustrated guys cursing the stupid blind drivers who keep messing up their pit. They piled dark grey boulders at the base of the dark brown trunk, stuck into the asphalt colored dirt pile on top of the asphalt. They were definitely shaking their heads as they threaded yellow warning tape up in the branches so high above street level that nobody could possibly miss. Nobody could possibly miss yellow tape strung in tree branches 15 feet above the street!

>>  I was laughing to hard to take a picture. Unfortunately…..because today……

I drove by again. Can anyone guess where the tree is?

Correct. It is in the pit, next to the newer sets of tire tracks and some bumpers.

The tree did not make it

I smiled the whole rest of the day. If I had not driven by in the evening, I would have run straight to the store, and bought 4 or 5 reflective cones, set up a diagonal line starting a few yards back (that’s all drivers here need….a few yards warning) from the launch-pad. Maybe a bottle of wine for the foreman. (yes…the cones will get stolen, but that block will be quiet for at least a few hours).

I LOVE MY NEW COUNTRY.

(this is not sarcasm, not even slightly) We make do with what we have and everyone assumes that everyone else will be smart enough and strong enough to take care of themselves and be responsible for their own damn safety.

What are your stories of awesomeness in El Salvador? Share them in the comments below.