Close to Home by John McPherson for June 30, 2024

Thru a curve, did it?

Get some guard rails and chain link fence. I’m not having free range cars in the living room.

Many years ago in BC, there was a rail right-of-way that ran along through a good number of residential properties in North and West Vancouver, along the waterfront. Since the route was not installed for many years, people became complacent and built up to and, in some cases, on the right-of-way. Then the Pacific Great Eastern started building.

There was a song popular in 1956: “The railroad comes through the middle of the house…”

And Len Norris, the popular Vancouver Sun cartoonist had lots of fun lampooning the PGE and the homeowners.

I am glad that someone finally drew this. I’ve been thinking it for years.

This is eminent domain at its most imminent in their domain.

If adoption means you can choose which highway you want to adopt, I’d want something scenic, like Going-To-The-Sun Road, or California Highway 1. If I can’t have a scenic road, another option would be a toll road that earns a lot of money, like the New Jersey Turnpike or the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Set up a toll station!

Years ago after reading Starrigger by John DeChancie I had a dream that the “Skyway” passed through my house.

When you adopt, you need to ask yourselves:

“Are we really ready to take them into our home?”

He’s just a little one lane highway (do those exist?) now, but if we love him and cherish him, and help him to grow in his own way, one day he could become a mighty interstate.

How do you break it the highway that it’s adopted?

Build a gas station there and reap in the millions

I don’t know about you guys, but I’d have to do a donut in the living room! You know… just to see if I could. Mwa -ha-ha-ha-ha!

Aside from a pretty lame play-on-words gag, has anyone asked themself why this would be built at all? Clearly the cartoonist didn’t.

Hi, Bleeb. Don’t get too close to that house. They might adopt you.

That’ll come in handy when tell the kid to go play in traffic.

It’s more den they expected.

They need to paint a crosswalk to the front door

The road was paved with good intentions and now your life is hell, :)

“No, I will not get you a glass of water! And I don’t care if you did have a nightmare! Go back to sleep, highway!”

So, everyday when you come home, it’s like playing a game of Frogger.

I wonder if roadkill is an issue, or is that just free jerky?

Getting to the front door could be dangerous.

A one-lane highway?