Other than the city’s drivers’ fundamental challenge understanding the concept of merge lanes …

For about seven months now, I have been driving down Metcalfe street every morning to get to our office here at 55 Metcalfe.

And every morning, I find myself surprised, yet again, that there is a dumpster blocking an ENTIRE lane of traffic on Metcalfe — a street where we ban parking before 9 a.m. — at the corner of Metcalfe and Laurier.

I dare not suggest the new hotel — Hotel Indigo – doesn’t need to get renovated, but seven months of a dumpster blocking traffic?

I have two questions about this, given my temperment this morning:

How come I’ve never seen a story about this dumpster, which has been a constant irritant all these months, and

How much does it cost to take up a lane of traffic in Ottawa for seven months? Is there some way for me to find out?

My fear is that the permit to do this is something like $1,000, and therefore next summer we will see a host of RVers finally figuring out it’s cheaper to get a demolition permit and park on the street than it is to go to a campground.

So, to our new mayor, His Worship Larry O’Brien: end the madness, and clear the streets.

UPDATE: This morning, after I wrote this post, the dumpster was magically gone … but my questions remain, and my commitment to pursue them remains undimmed.