Today I rode up to campus along Prytania, enjoying its smooth asphalt. When it hits Joseph Street, you get to jog right or left, and the asphalt gets considerably bumpier, and the shoulder much smaller. As I tooled up to the stop, I noticed the cartoon stop sign on the house right in front. There is a stop sign at this T-intersection, but it is obscured by the tree to the right. The neighbors have clearly taken it upon themselves to alert drivers to the necessary stop. There are signs like this all over New Orleans. The sheer number of missing street signs means lots of chances to put up your own. I also saw a sign on a tree today, marking the height of its limb hanging in the road–a helpful warning to tall trucks. I appreciate the many warnings my fellow residents provide–stop here, turn there, watch out for this pothole. It’s nice, but I still think the city should take care of basic road maintenance. Sometimes it surprises me how much we settle for in this place.
