Grading Poloneza

My first meeting of the day is usually at the far end of ul. Poloneza, where it runs into ul. Poleczka (the Platan Park business centre). So unlike many people who use Poloneza as a convenient though dirty back double running parallel to the unspeakably clogged ul. Puławska, I'm actually taking the shortest route from home to office.

As I've recounted here, Poloneza is one of a diminishing number of unmade roads (well) within Warsaw's borders. Potholes appear, sometimes the width of the road, deep, filled with water after heavy rainfall. Negotiating Poloneza when muddy in a two-wheel drive Nissan Micra on its 15" wheels requires skill. Go too slow (like many nancying novices, afraid of dirtying their car's bodywork) and you risk ending up axle deep in soft, churning mud. Go too fast and muddy water gets everywhere. Including in your alternator. When the water evaporates, mud remains.

The Micra's alternator finally failed and was replaced yesterday with a reconditioned one. To prevent future failure, the auto-electrician (Pan Czesław, ul. Fabryczna 7) suggested getting a moulded plastic floor pan to fit under the engine bay. Otherwise, he said, the winter - mud, salt, grit - will get into the alternator and it will seize up again.

The old alternator was well knackered. The two ball bearings inside could barely rotate, the carbon brushes and copper windings fractured into bits and fell apart when the alternator housing was removed.

This morning en route to Platan Park, my journey was interrupted by a grader coming down the other way, scraping the dirt surface smooth, removing the potholes for a month or two. This might be the optimal solution - the minute Poloneza gets tarmacked over, it will become a solid jam end to end. Leaving it dirt track but scraping the holes out of it every now and then is good for me. Until the rains come.

This time last year:
The Bishop and the Crumfel
Google Earth updates map of Jeziorki