A Burr (lew) Under My Saddle

Memo to the Burlew Boulevard-New Hartford Road intersection: You have seen the last of Dave Spencer! It does not matter to you that I might be in a hurry. It does not matter to you that it's the middle of the workday and I need to get back to the station. In fact, I'm under the impression that nothing matters to you if it as anything to do with me and my Hyundai. (Cue the music.)

About a week ago, I asked our fine Facebook friends to give me the lowdown on their least favorite intersections. I got a fairly decent sampling of the usual suspects. I agree that all of the following are nightmarish, or can be: Tamarack & Frederica; Southtown & Frederica; Parrish & Frederica; Salem & Frederica; the east end of the bypass. Nasty facts of life, all. But Burlew & New Hartford has a special dark place in the depths of my soul. First of all, in the long combined history of its existence and my ownership of a driver's license, I have never gotten the green light when I approach on Burlew.

Luckily, I can check e-mails, listen to the radio, read the "S" volume of the encyclopedia while I wait. But then when it turns green--and this is my favorite part--I get halfway through the intersection and just as I pass under the light, I notice it turning yellow again. Now, I know if there are more cars, it will stay green a little bit longer. But, come on! Give a guy a break! Seriously, do eastbound/westbound traffic lights CHAFE if they stay green too long? And I guess the light is just half the problem. That intersection is just really large. It takes a while to get across because New Hartford bulges to six lanes at that point. Anyway, I'm good now. I've made my New June resolution and I will not be seeing that crossroads again. And since roadwork begins tomorrow on Burlew between Parkway Drive and New Hartford, now's as good a time as any to start. There are other ways to get to the east side. I see people over there all the time.