O, Karczunkowska, where is thy pavement?

At times like this (indeed at any time between late October and now), ul. Karczunkowska is no street for pedestrians. You are forced to choose between walking along the asphalt, or sinking ankle-deep in snow or (worse) slush or (even worse) mud. Being able to move freely about things are just about bearable - but for an elderly person or one pushing a pushchair or pram, walking along Karczunkowska is an extremely dangerous endeavour. The other evening, walking home from PKP W-wa Jeziorki station, an oncoming car forced me to leap clear into the muddy verge, dirtying my shoes and trousers. Why do citizens of the capital of the EU's sixth-largest member state have to endure such indignities and such danger?

If you want to see the whole experience of what it's like to walk along Karczunkowska from Puławska up to the borders of Warsaw, 2.2km away, I recommend watching Jeziorak's film - a raw and intense documentary that portrays the deeply unpleasant experience of being a pedestrian in winter on this road.



The film, with Polish commentary, portrays the lack of civilised conditions with which we locals have to contend on a daily basis. Below: the guy rushing for the bus, back to oncoming traffic, is taking a risk, but he has crossed the road legally at the pedestrian crossing.

This is an intolerable state of affairs that cannot be allowed to go on for much longer. The local authorities have postponed plans to widen the road (at huge cost), and are not prepared to make a more modest investment in order to improve pedestrians' safety.

This time last year:
Architectural detail from Edinburgh

This time two years ago:
Spring explodes in Jeziorki
(+18C! Today it's around zero and snowing!)

This time three years ago:
Along the way for Warsaw's southern bypass

This time four years ago:
Quintessential Warsaw vista

This time five years ago:
Jeziorki on Google Earth