Cranston Observations (Providence, Warwick, Pawtucket: home, unemployment, neighborhood)

[cyc1e]

Whenever we (wife & I) find ourselves in Oaklawn to visit, we go running on Sat & Sun morning. (Any time of year - winter included.) We've noticed a few odd things (at least odd to us).

Here's the route. Up Wilbur Ave to Natick past Rte 37 past DelBonis Cement and Gamminos (ok, so they don't exist any more...you know where I mean) to Cranston West to Meschanticut Lake to Cranston Street to Turner Ave past the Grange and back to Wilbur Ave. Alternatively we take the bike path and go to Natick village then back on Providence Street or Old Natick Road.

So here's what we're noticed:

1. People in cars are rude. This ranges from catcalls to people trying to buzz us off the road to just plain speeding. Don't get me wrong, most people are fine, there just seems to be a higher than normal proportion of people who don't like runners. (Maybe its seeing a couple wearing Spandex that annoys them? We have very shapely legs...)
2. In the winter, the sidewalks are not plowed at all! Thus you are forced to run in the street with the aforementioned rude drivers. This winter I ran in Albany, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Sayre, PA, West Yarmouth, MA and at our home in York, Maine. Of those places only Cranston appears unable to plow the sidewalks.
3. The amout of trash and litter is unbelievable. People appear to discard virtually anything on the side of the road. It's not just the end of winter cleanup thing either.

It kind of makes me sad. I grew up in Cranston. I'm not pining for "the good old days" or anything, but you could actually walk (or ride bikes) places without taking your life in your hands. I dont know what the whole trash thing is about either but it looks terrible.

So having whined for quite a while now, I will stop. Here's what we like.

1. Unbeatable shopping. Everything is close and there are real stores, not the abbreviated versions we get in ME and NH.
2. In Cranston & West Warwick, the bike path! I can't believe that it got built and is being kept up. We use it a lot when it's not snow covered.
3. Providence - a stunningly great and beautiful city.
4. Beaches, water, and lots of other natural places that I selfishly don't want to specify so lots of people don't go there.
5. The RI sense of humor. It took me years to realize that I really miss the wise ass humor in RI.
6. In Cranston, Walt's, Dells and Superior Bakery.

[ProvGuy]

The problem with sidewalk plowing is that most cities and towns leave it up to residents to do it, but then don't enforce the fines for not shoveling when they don't. Especially in suburban areas, nobody shovels. Try getting away with that in Boston or NYC, you'll get fined. I've found that most people in my neighborhood in Providence do actually shovel, despite the city not enforcing their fines at all.

[Jenkins86]

Originally Posted by cyc1e

The amout of trash and litter is unbelievable. People appear to discard virtually anything on the side of the road. It's not just the end of winter cleanup thing either.

Moved to Providence from Boston 4 years ago and the single most head-shaking thing is the amount of trash on the road. So I guess this is not unique to Providence but elsewhere in RI. Why is this? Just bottles and cans and paper everywhere. It is really too bad because is easy to fix (find a trash can!) but left unfixed leaves visitors with a very negative impression. Wonder if part of the problem is the lack of a bottle bill? It seems like once the bottle bill (i.e. 5 cent deposit you got back when you returned the bottle) passed in Massachusetts all those bottles on the road were gone.

[MikeB4681]

Some parts in RI are not so runner friendly. I found that in suburban places like cranston you have a lot of "want to be urban/tough guy" teen agers which think they are funny yelling things at people and driving away like cowards. I think this is their way to rebel against their suburban life. The funny part is, is that you can run in Providence, near the not so nice areas a little ways away from PC, and no one is rude because they are use to runners.

[ProvGuy]

Originally Posted by MikeB4681

Some parts in RI are not so runner friendly. I found that in suburban places like cranston you have a lot of "want to be urban/tough guy" teen agers which think they are funny yelling things at people and driving away like cowards. I think this is their way to rebel against their suburban life. The funny part is, is that you can run in Providence, near the not so nice areas a little ways away from PC, and no one is rude because they are use to runners.

That is so true. I've also found that nobody outside of Providence or Pawtucket will ever yield to a pedestrian when making a left-turn. I guess it's cause people who live in the city are more used to interacting with pedestrians.

[TheJickler]

Originally Posted by ProvGuy

That is so true. I've also found that nobody outside of Providence or Pawtucket will ever yield to a pedestrian when making a left-turn. I guess it's cause people who live in the city are more used to interacting with pedestrians.

Some people are just not used to living where there are a lot of runners. I lived in suburbia for the majority of my life, but now I live on the east side of Providence. I almost hit someone who was jogging on Blackstone Blvd because I was not thinking. I've learned since then!

I also agree with another poster above about the Cranston/tough guy aura that people like to give. While obviously a huge generaliztion, I think it's pretty true.

[Want-to-be in NC]

You're complaining about the lack of plowing of sidewalks in Cranston....what about the streets???? You take your life into your hands when you attempt to drive out of your driveway after it has snowed.

If you prefer to take a swim, try to go down Fletcher Ave. after it has rained for more than 2 minutes and you will need a raft to pass!!

It's a shame that the "higher ups" don't care about this city! For what we pay in taxes, these issues shouldn't exsist.

Even though it is slipping in many ways, we still have some of the best food available to us in all of RI!!!!

[ljd1010]

I don't know what you mean by the infrastructure but I'm moving to NC next Tuesday because of the miserable fiscal shape this entire state is in......high unemployment, skyrocketing taxes, huge state deficit, absurd state/municipal employee pension commitments, nepotism in state government, RI - where graft is a virtue.

[Rnrboy]

Yep, we refuse to tax our rich and while cutting benefits to our poor. This conservative policy is extremely unfair, I agree.

Unfortunately you will find that NC has a litany of other problems.

[cyc1e]

rnrboy,

It would be one thing if RI state government actually and honestly taxed the rich and gave services to the poor. But thats not the case, is it? Money does not make its way to those that deserve it, it simply gets put in the pockets of a few.

The roads are not in good condition, the "service" at the DMV has always been uniformly terrible, the walks are not cleared, the litter is not picked up, the schools are mediocre. (2003 rankings of middle schools at Ranking of Middle Schools in USA )

High taxes don't necessarily equate with superior performance. As an extreme example, NH has among the lowest state/local tax burden as a percentage of income, yet all the previously mentioned services are better.

Where else do people promote state/municipal employees just before retirement so they can grab more money for their pension? Where else does the list of convicted or corrupt politicians (list below) match RI? When I was 16, I worked off Pontiac Ave at a business on Webb St. When it was time to inspect the "fleet" of trucks, I was given a complete stack of genuine RI state inspection stickers to go and stick on the trucks. There was no interest in actually making the vehicles on the road safer, just another corrupt state employee making a buck by peddling inspection stickers.

Providence Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci
Former Gov. Edward D. DiPrete
Chief Justice Thomas Fay
Superior Court Judge Antonio S. Almeida
Pawtucket Mayor Brian J. Sarault
Cranston Mayor Michael A. Traficante
Chief Justice Joseph A. Bevilacqua

Don't you agree that ljd1010 makes some valid points? RI "business as usual" is not normal. Other states do not work the same way. I truly wish it were different, but it's not.