{"id":107408,"date":"2025-08-28T08:40:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T12:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/?p=107408"},"modified":"2025-08-28T08:40:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T12:40:13","slug":"the-old-coot-is-a-drain-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2025\/08\/28\/the-old-coot-is-a-drain-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"The Old Coot is a drain expert"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Merlin Lessler —<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m a drain expert. No, not the one under the sink, though I can usually fix a clog in that one without calling a plumber. The drains I’m an expert on are the ones along the edge of the road. You have to be a drain expert when you’re on a bicycle, or you will put yourself in peril; they are as dangerous as an uplifted sidewalk panel that trips up someone taking a stroll. The street drains can trip you too. Not fun when you are pedaling along at 8 MPH, like me, or more, like everyone else.<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ll pick on my village as an example, although I find it to be true no matter where I ride. When I go down Front Street, I know there are several drains where the pavement surrounding them has deteriorated, causing my front wheel to twist, pushing me into the curb or out into the roadway. The most dangerous drains are several inches below the road surface. It\u2019s almost impossible to avoid toppling over; the wreck will mess you up, your bicycle too. <\/span><\/p>\n

One of the worst ones in town is on Main Street. It\u2019s four and a half inches deep. I know; I measured it. There are several like that on Erie Street, alongside the westward lane. Even cars have trouble with them. George Street has a bunch of them too.<\/span><\/p>\n

The DOT and other entities responsible for road maintenance have little respect for bicycle riders. They repave the surface, and the drains go lower. Over time, they become downright dangerous. It doesn\u2019t have to be that way. They could install a new collar that matches the road surface, but most often they don\u2019t bother. <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m okay in my town, for the most part, because I\u2019m a drain expert. I know when a bad one is coming, and I go around, hoping the driver coming up from behind is paying attention to where they are going and not checking messages on their cell phones. When I\u2019m forced to move onto the edge of \u201cTHEIR\u201d lane, they blast their horn and glare at me through their window. <\/span><\/p>\n

Auto drivers aren\u2019t drain experts. But I am. <\/span><\/p>\n

Comments? Complaints? Send to \u2013 mlessler7@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Merlin Lessler — I’m a drain expert. 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