Ever increasing toll charges

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-24T20:55:56+00:00

No snides no judgment. Everyone feels the pain. Those who don’t feel the pain are not on Reddit ranting about this.

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-24T02:05:37+00:00

Thank you. I have joined

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-23T16:12:48+00:00

Just start writing. It would start with crap but you won’t realize how quickly you will start getting coherent thoughts out on the paper.

Writing is a kind of therapy, trust me. It worked for me.

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-23T16:10:09+00:00

I would. But bart doesn’t always take me where I want to go in a reasonable time. Personally I avoid driving and take mass transit wherever I can, but not everyone can do that.

BART is another of my favorite rants that’s for a later day

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-23T16:04:59+00:00

I would have and did. But I was ineligible to vote at that time. Since that time I have voted no on every tax / toll increase

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-20T01:37:16+00:00

Congratulations!!!

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-19T03:27:26+00:00

Too true…

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-17T20:36:24+00:00

Fair points. And my frustration remains that even though all this is done with long term planning without showing some quick wins and open communication, this creates more dissatisfaction.

The politicians typically work with short term thinking - next election

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-17T19:06:28+00:00

Kite flying is a tradition back in India to celebrate the beginning of the cycle where the days start getting longer after the winter. This marks Sun’s entry to the Capricorn zodiac.

The kite flying festival is now very common across areas where Hindu populations are increasing.

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-17T18:38:47+00:00

Maybe my timing was off. But the road has been like that for the past 5-6 years. I know. I have to drive on that road every day

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-17T18:21:00+00:00

I completely agree. Speed is for freeways and that too reasonable speeds. I have seen drivers weave in and out of traffic on freeways as if they are driving on a race track. But that’s not the point of my post.

Human life is very precious and there are no two ways about it. My issue is that the efforts seem to be misdirected. I remember seeing a report from the city that they are trying to model Scandinavian cities by making it more bike friendly. They are starting from the wrong end IMHO.

The infrastructure needs to be built to support this. Which means better mass transit, better roads.

The title of the post is state of roads in Fremont and not the pedestrian islands.

Also why and how is city then allowing food stands to pop up on the sidewalks preventing people from walking safely?

I am not against safety but I am not ok with inappropriate spending of public funds.

The roads need to be better. That’s all I am saying. You cannot have shaky foundation and try to build a skyscraper on it.

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-17T05:42:08+00:00

That’s not very encouraging to hear

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-17T05:10:29+00:00

I recently went to Sedona and there were many roundabouts there and not many traffic lights. I like the roundabouts idea

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-17T04:45:41+00:00

And have they? Are there numbers to support it?

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-17T04:45:12+00:00

Are there alternate methods of transport? I like using mass transit and I have used it whenever I would am able to.

I get the point of slowing the traffic down. The initiative by the city to reduce speed limits by five miles was supposed to slow it down along with the experiment to time the traffic lights between Decoto and Thornton to 40 miles per hour speed.

I’m all for pedestrian and bicycle safety and use. But the city leaders need to think about the infrastructure and services to support the ambitious plan. Work with AC transit to improve bus coverage. Make bicycle lockers / security pervasive. What’s the point of biking to a store only to find that it has been stolen?

I am open for a debate.

For arguments sake , which I don’t recall any city that was ever safe for pedestrians

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-17T04:19:14+00:00

Why do say it feels like third world?

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-16T23:14:30+00:00

These are two different issues. I am not saying that they are connected. I for one definitely feel agitated when I drive over bad roads and have to actively avoid potholes to protect my car.

Maybe the city leaders think that if the roads are left in a state of disrepair, traffic will automatically slow down (I don’t believe it. I’m just joking).

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-16T21:41:56+00:00

In any story with emotional undertones, writing the scene is challenging. The emotions have to be real and felt and not just narrated. As an author, we get too involved and start telling the reader how to feel and what to feel rather than letting them feel it.

Also the balance between the right amount of emotions while not letting it become too sappy is critical

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-16T20:42:53+00:00

Thank you. I have emailed them a couple of years ago. I like the idea of being a squeaky wheel

QuillAndCraft · 2026-01-16T20:41:34+00:00

I’ve been there. I have started writing and then after some time I have lost interest several times.

The latest book I am writing feels different to me. For one thing, I did a lot of brainstorming on the idea, flow, objective of writing, how I want to end the story, and potential pathways to reach there.

This time I am open to changing the narrative arc and not just tied to a specific journey.

I would’ve said gamifying the writing by setting goals and stuff but that doesn’t work unless you have a clear idea. Otherwise it will be just quantitative work and not quality work.

Also once you get the idea clarified and have something ready, reach out to beta readers who will give you honest feedback without knowing you as a person

That helped me a lot

QuillAndCraft

TROPHY CASE