Tag Archives: bridge
View from the end of a bridge 1#3
Following the fan walk
Tunnel-bridge
The cool thing about this bridge is that it's impossible for anyone to fall from it. The question that comes to mind is whether many people have, in the past, fallen from other pedestrian bridges - and how they managed to do that. I guess the reality is that many kids commute to and from school via this kind of bridge, and kids will be kids - they tend to do dangerous things.
Bridge at the Clock Tower
So if you've crossed this bridge you'll also know that it's a swinging bridge - which means that it detaches from the one side and swings open every so often to open the channel, thereby letting boats pass in and out of the yacht basin.
Now you may recall that in my previous post I mentioned that I'd been late and was rushing to meet Kerry-Anne here, near the Clock Tower. As I arrived this bridge had just closed and started to swing open to allow boats to pass. This would have been fine normally, but as I stood there this day I was on the one side and Kerry-Anne was on the other. I'm sure you can imagine how long the five minutes that the bridge was unavailable for felt as her mildly irritated eyes glared from across the channel. :D
People under the stairs… or the bridge…
This photo reveals a little more context around my previous photo. People under the Stairs is an underground hip-hop group from the USA... who by all accounts played at Zula Sound Bar on 20 November. If you're into hip-hop I'm going to guess that you've heard of this duo, but if not, take a look at their MySpace page and listen to a few of their tracks - they have some interesting stuff!
For interest's sake, this photo was taken in Gardens, where Maynard Street crosses under Mill Street (the M3). The area is an awesome place to just wander around and take photos. While it's not an unsafe area (and perhaps I'm being over-cautious), I did notice a few loitering people around, whom I avoided. So, if you do take your expensive camera on a walkabout, just keep your eyes open and all will be well.
Under the bridge
I mentioned graffiti, and its often un-artistic form, in the previous post. This photo is taken at the Kuilsrivier crossing of the N1 national highway - about 30 kilometres from the city centre.
Reflecting on the photo caused me to wonder if the 26 painted on the wall was a reference to the 26s prison gang prevalent in the Cape Town area. As I understand it, the 26s, 27s and 28s are three prison gangs with different roles. I won't get into it now, but it seems as though the 26s are focused on accumulating wealth "which was to be distributed among all three segments, through cunning and trickery but never violence", according to this article.
Who in the world is Dratlock?
I have no idea who Dratlock is. It may not even be someone's name, nickname, or callsign. Does anybody have an idea as to who or what it is?
I've posted photos of graffiti in Cape Town before, mostly of mural art rather than instances of vandalism. The reality is that just like any city ours has its fair share of graffiti that is not always the most appealing or artistic type. Plenty of tax money ends up being spent on cleaning up the mess instead of on improvement projects, or benefiting the community in some way. The City of Cape Town is however in the process of drafting a by-law to address graffiti. The by-law will put in place a graffiti unit that will focus on the problem and be in a position to lay civil and criminal charges against offenders.
I remember years ago when we visited Sydney my nephew mentioned that kids under 18 aren't allowed to buy spraypaint at all... and in fact may not be in the possession of such unless in the presence of an adult! This law is much like the law that prevents kids in South Africa from buying cigarettes. The reality is that many kids under 18 manage to buy smokes anyway, so I don't believe limiting who may buy spraypaint would be very effective. In fact, it would have totally sucked if this law were in place in South Africa when I was younger. I remember buying loads of paint in my youth to spray everything from skateboards to science projects, and even shoes! Seriously.
If you are an artist, then don't worry too much. It seems as though the by-law will cater for graffiti artists, providing areas for them to express their art... which I must say, is often just astounding.
