29 April, 2008

Keep to the straight & narrow

My temporary office overlooks a grassed quad, with offices on two sides, student accommodation on the other two, and a large willow in the (boggy) middle.  A pedestrian entrance in the south-west corner and a door to my building the north-east corner are linked by a tarmac path along the southern and eastern edges, but from my third-floor window I can see the tracks people actually follow.

As one would expect, there's a lightly-trodden path diagonally acoss the grass, but the greatest wear is just inside the south-eastern corner. It seems people tend to follow the surfaced path, but many turn in 2-3 paces before the corner, shaving an insignificant distance off their trips – the rebels!

I mentioned this to a colleague in Estates a while ago, who took my casual comment seriously. He's just sent me an extract from a planning document in which the phenomenon is acknowledged and countered by policy: for the past couple of years, all new/remodelled paths have had to incorporate rounded corners.

I'd have been inclined to consider landmines....