Reading Signs

Well Dan, you said you wanted signs, haha. I went and took some photos.

Sometimes people can’t find free and legal parking spots, so they park in unauthorized ones. In order to discourage this, other people post signs to indicated who is and isn’t allowed in certain areas

 

Then there are signs that warn people about what could happen if they don’t heed the other signs.

 

There are people who don’t drive cars. They might want to save parking fees. Or save the planet. Or they can’t afford to own a car. These people walk, use public transit, ride bicycles, join car sharing co-ops. And there are signs that direct or inform these people, too.

 

 

 

The people who can’t afford cars, or don’t want them, often live close to or in the downtown areas of the city. This is where they can find older apartments or rental houses that are more reasonably priced.

 

But these neighbourhoods sometimes become trendy and landlords renovate them and raise the rent price. Or they tear down the old buildings to make new condominiums or new rental apartments.

 

The people who used to live in the older places can’t afford to live in the new ones which are often advertised using words like “luxury” or “high-end.”

 

Now there’s a shortage of affordable housing for people who are poor, for whatever reason: low paying jobs, single parents, mental health issues, other illness, you name it. Still there are many signs that make it seem as though everything is going well.

 

We need to be more careful or people start falling through the cracks.

 

Those who must pay too much rent, might not be able to pay other bills, like utilities.

 

They might have trouble buying healthy food or adequate clothing or prescribed medications.

 

Some can become desperate and end up sorting through recycling or garbage bins to find things they can use or sell. Many just suffer in silence and do the best they can.

 

Some might turn to crime. But most don’t. They might numb themselves with drugs or alcohol. But most don’t.  Though sometimes it can become a vicious cycle.

 

Many more fortunate citizens are sympathetic to their plight and try to help. But people are falling through the cracks. We need to try a bit harder to find real solutions.