Leaves on the track, etc.

[Jamie (K)]

A few months ago, Alan and someone else discussed how in the UK in autumn leaves fall on the railroad (or tram?) tracks and stop public transit. They said that every year the transportation authorities treat this as a big surprise, even though it's an annual event.

I had never heard of such a thing in the United States, so I just thought this was a delicious bit of European absurdity.

Then last summer we had a big thunderstorm pass over my city, and large parts of the area lost electrical power. An Italian woman living here started to complain to me: "The electrical lines are on high poles instead of being underground. They're completely vulnerable to wind and other weather problems. Every year someone loses electricity, and and every year its considered a big surprise!" She found the situation just as absurd as I found leaves on the tracks stopping British transport.

I guess we don't notice absurdities that we're used to.

I know that in my city the electrical lines aren't put underground because the inconvenience and expense caused by power outages doesn't match the much greater inconvenience and expense that putting all of them underground would cause. I don't know why they don't fix the leaf problem in the UK, but it's probably for a similar reason.

[Alan]

The leaves at the moment are dry and so the country isn't at a standstill yet. The problem for me at the moment is that they all seem to be in what you'd call my 'backyard'! Still they look good.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Only Three Letters

[Ralf]

Wet leaves on the line (train/tram tracks) could at least in theory cause accidents. So when somebody comments on the "leaves on the line" being the reason for a train coming to a deadlock, it is an ironic pointer to incompetent public transport providers.

In Dublin, there are probably only some 10 trains per hour getting in and out of either two train stations. And you can bet your life that 9 out of 10 don't get to their destination in time. Probably leaves. Leaves on the line.
_________________
Test of English as a Foreign Language
TOEFL Preparation & TOEFL Vocabulary
Learn more: How to Become an English Teacher

[Migmam]

In Spain we have a similar problem. In the south east of Spain every year there are floodings because of the intensive rains in a very short time and every year the same news on TV with people complaining about it. Why aren't authorities ready for that? Jamie said something that made me think. Perhaps is less expensive to bear that than to invest money trying to avoid it.