Heavy Equipment

[da]

The city has been replacing a water-main that runs parallel to the path I take to work. This path is high-traffic so I guess they decided we'd all be better off sharing the space rather than closing the whole path. I have never been so close to such a collection of operational heavy equipment.

This includes dump-trucks with 6-foot-tall wheels and 12-foot-high beds, and a backhoe whose scoop could easily encompass my bicycle with me on it (I might be underestimating the scale; I need to take photos, but it's been rainy for the last few days so I haven't).

There's something really primal about watching them dig, drag, and pound the hell out of the (muddy, great-smelling) dirt right next to me. It sort of makes me want to pedal just a little bit faster. Even though they are professionals, that orange mesh fence is not really going to stop them if they slip in the mud.

Comments

[catbear.livejournal.com]

You may find interesting this post of mine, and this post-rebuttal (and my reply within) from my good friend bill.

I rode by those same machines on the path today, and it took a serious measure of self control to not scream at them, especially the operator who was not polite enough to stop his machine moving while we passed (the other operator was). I still entertain notions of sabotage, but would never actually act on them.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

I wrote about earth-movers a while back, too: this time to ballet music:
http://da-lj.livejournal.com/100768.htm ...

*moseys over to your journal to respond there*