So I'm up...

nooshinjohn

And I have been up since 4am. I can't sleep, and no amount of sleeping pills and alcohol short of a fatal overdose can change that. The sounds outside my home seemed to come from nowhere and I could not imagine a more jarring and terrifying way to wake up. More than 20 diesel burning dinosaurs were outside my front door devouring everything in sight!
Earlier in the week, the city of Los Angeles began a paving project that was to take a month to complete on my block. They posted the signs, sent out mailers and all the stuff they are supposed to do, no parking from 6am etc... but nowhere do they state that they will begin at 4AM on a SATURDAY!!! Cars were TOWED this morning illegally! People were out in the street yelling at the crews(myself included)

The excuse given was that new asphalt was being put down today and they needed to get this done now. I pointed out that if I wanted to fire up my leaf-blower RIGHT NOW, that I could be arrested for disturbing the peace, but they, because they are the city, can do whatever the hell they please??? I also pointed out that this was a month-long project, not a one week project, so why the sudden urgency... why not take another week and inspect the pipes and other systems that are under the roadway...

I have a phone number to a supervisor and first thing Monday. I will be calling, but I will also be calling my representation on the city council and see what he has to say...

halo71

Soooo glad I live way out in the country on the lake! My only early Saturday morning irritation is someone goosing the engine on their boat when they pass by.

tonyb

John, if the signs are posted for 6 am, they can't legally tow anything until then. On Saturdays, a lot of towns actually have a later start time for construction crews, not earlier.

Here's the jist of whats probably going on. The general contractor gets x amount of money for meeting time lines. He finishes the job on time, he gets a bonus. My guess is he was a tad behind and needed to finish, hence the 4 am start to guarantee he finishes it today. Still, your town has noise regulations and posted start times for construction crews including weekends. Any deviation from that needs someones approval. Which again, may amount to a politically connected contractor pulling some strings. Towing cars though at 4 am when the sign says 6 am....I'd just call the police.

Given your locale though, anything is possible. I mean....here in Chicago we rip up runways in the middle of the night without notice to anyone.

Dennis Gardner

You must live in an alternate universe from most of us, because I have never seen City workers work past 3 PM on any Friday anywhere I have lived, unless a huge storm blows in.

tonyb

Dennis Gardner wrote: »

You must live in an alternate universe from most of us, because I have never seen City workers work past 3 PM on any Friday anywhere I have lived, unless a huge storm blows in.

Chicago...L.A....New York....are alternate universes. We keep telling people that.

Dennis Gardner

tonyb wrote: »

Chicago...L.A....New York....are alternate universes. We keep telling people that.

LOL, I don't know how anyone can handle the added stresses. The amenities just aren't worth the hassles that outside forces have on your life. I shudder at just the thought of having to pay a housing assoc. just to tell me I can't have a basketball goal on my drive.

nooshinjohn

No HOA thankfully, so I don't have worried on that. Right now, it feels like a freight train is rolling by because the spreaders and the rollers are three wide in front of the house....

Dennis Gardner

I guess you should be thankful, in Oklahoma we consider "new" roads to be those that the "county" guys dumped some coldmix onto last year and smoothed out with the "dually".

tonyb

nooshinjohn wrote: »

No HOA thankfully, so I don't have worried on that. Right now, it feels like a freight train is rolling by because the spreaders and the rollers are three wide in front of the house....

Stop moaning....lol, it will all be over soon. Should be happy at least they are doing your street. Others wait 10-20 years.

[Deleted User]

Which is ironic as I pay tax on every gallon of gas I buy going to the record store, ect.

tonyb wrote: »

Stop moaning....lol, it will all be over soon. Should be happy at least they are doing your street. Others wait 10-20 years.

cnh

For us it's NOT gov't, but the private sector that is turning the town into a driving HELL. Gas pipelines are going in the ground faster than you can say Jiminy Cricket! And you know what the funny thing is? Most poor folk up here won't EVER be able to flip the bill to convert their old oil burning units to gas! It's like a cosmic joke!

Then we have all the old plumbing and heating boys who are terrified of gas coming to Maine? lol Anyone with a brain KNOWs that gas prices can be "manipulated" as easily as oil prices by companies who OWN both!

Think converting to gas will save you bucks? Think again! They'll shaft us soon enough. Plus, I'm outta here in less than a decade so let them eat yellow cake uranium!

But I do understand the sleep thing. I also have one of the main oil distributors in the area a few hundred feet from me and their supply trucks chug up to the giant holding tower at 3, 4, 5 AM and huff and puff their oil into the giant container. Sleep, zoning laws? Nah, even though this is a "residential" area, it's ALWAYS business before residents!

cnh

obieone

IF you're going to stay in CA, you need to start on some apathy drugs. Prozac, Zoloft, etc.