Widening project on 23 Freeway creates more than one hassle

The 23 Freeway widening project has become a pain in the posterior for local motorists. Under any circumstances, it takes patience to cope with freeway improvements, and this is a major project that requires plenty of patience.

Some of the exits require cautious maneuvering skills and dexterity by drivers, but it's getting on the 23 Freeway that's the real challenge. There's not a lot of room--and in some cases, no room--to merge with existing traffic. Most motorists are showing ample courtesy, thank goodness, possibly because they don't want to hear the inevitable sound of crunching metal if they aren't polite.

In some ways, construction on the 23 Freeway has forced motorists to mind their manners. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone would drive like that all of the time?

There's less positivism, however, about the new sound walls.

Nobody, it seems, can design a pretty sound wall. Let's face it, function is all that really matters, and unfortunately, long spans of barriers are almost always eyesores.

Maybe some ivy would help.

It might also discourage the imbeciles with spray paint. It's sad but true: the new sound walls are already attracting graffiti vandals.

We'd like to think that gangs and juvenile delinquents don't exist here, but they do.

Maybe the residents who benefit from the sound walls will show some gratitude by asking crime prevention officers how they can help.

If a few graffiti vandals were caught in the act, they'd quickly learn the consequences, one of which is--you guessed it--serving the community by cleaning up and removing graffiti.