What at first glance might look like a simple little job of measuring and painting lines has become, on Calle Mar in the centre of Manilva, an event of unprecedented institutional scale with an almost impossible mission: the «replanteo» (layout marking) of parking spaces, a term so serious that it requires, on site, a crisis committee of seven people: 3 councillors, a political appointee, the head of the Local Police and two road-marking workers.
With the aim of «harmonising the main artery of the municipality» (and stopping cars from fighting with pedestrians over the available space), the area was taken over this morning by a multidisciplinary team whose deployment was, to say the least, striking.
The Political Triumvirate: The councillor for Infrastructure and Works, Marcos Ruiz, the councillor for Urban Planning, Juan Carlos Morejón, and the Beautification councillor, Pilar Zúñiga, appear to have acted as the «brains» of the operation. It is rumoured that their debates over whether parking should be perpendicular or angled have generated more tension than a football final.
The High Command and Logistics: Alongside them, the area director, Alejandro Medina, ensured that every square metre complies with current planning law (and with the feng shui of Manilva).
The Security Factor: And in case the layout marking turned violent or any metre refused to be measured, the head of the Local Police was present, probably wondering whether this will stop residents phoning in about the lack of consideration shown by some drivers.
The Artists of the Line: Meanwhile, two long-suffering road-marking workers, roller in hand, watched the deployment of so much political and intellectual talent to paint two lines. They were probably thinking: «Mate, we could have done this ourselves in half an hour.»
The conclusion, after hours of intense deliberation and gesticulation that rivalled a mime performance, is that Calle Mar will finally have properly planned parking spaces. The Town Hall guarantees an «appropriate balance» between drivers and pedestrians. Or, put another way, we will now know exactly where parking is prohibited (whether you actually get fined is another matter).
From here, we congratulate the team on their «fieldwork» and for reminding us that, in Manilva, even to draw a «P» for parking, you need a dream team!
seguramente se adjudicarán unos cuantos miles de euros, cada remodelación cada ladrillo cada farola movida tiene un coste ( en manilva siempre inflado ) para pagar las comisiones del dream team por adjudicar el trabajo. luego no se extrañen cuando venga gente de fuera y diga que manilva está igual que hace 60 años… ya saben dónde está la bolita de tanto trilero.