16 March 2011

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #6629a-?

It has actually been a quiet year so far in Carbon Canyon concerning accidents.  There have been a couple of road closures due to collisions, both evidently taking place just east of Sleepy Hollow, but they appear to have been relatively minor. 



On the S-curve on the Chino Hills portion of Carbon Canyon Road, some of the usual susceptible spots have been the scene of wayward cars, specifically guardrail locations that have been further disturbed from their original locations.  On one such there is a hubcap, piece of a fender and broken class to indicate a vehicle that, going eastbound, crossed the opposing line to leave its debris.



Another vulnerable place is on the Brea side, where a utility box covered by a pseudo-rock, which had already been tapped a few times, leaving it looking like a lonely snail, was completely upended and unceremoniously left in a crushed state--this just happening within the last few days.  In this case, too, the car, a westbound traveler, zipped over the eastbound lane in order to pulverize the unsuspecting box.



I also had the distinct pleasure, not long back, to witness not one, but two cars passing others on the eastbound side of the highway as it climbs away from Olinda Ranch up to Olinda Village.  One passed me because I had the audacity to go only five miles over the speed limit--though it is true that a large number of cars find anything below 55 or 60 in that 45 zone to be unacceptable.  Not to be outdone by passing me where there actually was something of a center median, it passed two cars in one move once the road narrows and starts to curve on its ascent toward the Village.  Emboldened by the display, another car followed the first by passing a car not long beyond and came very, very close to colliding with a westbound truck coming downhill.

So, these are but a few examples of recent behavior observed and detected and, yet, no fatalities have occurred (at least not known to YHB) for quite some time.  Therefore, no need to be overly concerned, even if cars continue to regularly cross over lanes to see (or feel) what is on the other side or to pass fellow drivers who just won't go as fast as they would want them to.  Until a life is lost, there is no reason, it seems, to bat an eye and the lack of such a loss justifies the absence of any effort to patrol the road.

1 comment:

Jeff Fischer said...

Brea PD used to regularly park at CC & Olinda Pl. (right at the top of the hill). One of my most vivid moments of schadenfreude was, after being tailed by a teenager through most of the canyon, having the young man choose that straightaway to (illegally) pass me, and watching him complete the maneuver right in front of the cop.