Photo Copyright: Stephen Baum
Here we are again this week. Today we’re sitting in a virtual cafe near a virtual tunnel in the city. We’re here to once more discuss our original stories for the week. This is the Friday Fictioneer’s group. Our hostess is the gracious and talented author and artist, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. The challenge for each of us is to write a story with no more than 100 words. It’s supposed to have a beginning, middle, end, and follow the picture prompt provided for the week. This week’s prompt was supplied by Stephen Baum. Thanks, Stephen. To read the group’s other stories, just click on the little blue frog in the blue box after clicking on the link. The link for the other stories this week is as follows:
https://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2015/07/08/10-july-2015/
Genre: Humor Fiction
Word Count: 100 Words
BIGGLESTON CITY’S PROBLEM by P.S. Joshi
Biggleston City was growing and had a big problem. The traffic on McTweety Street was terrible. The city council had a meeting.
In the meeting it was suggested a new traffic light be put up.
“But,” said one councilman, “there are frequent power failures in the city so a light won’t work.”
“Ah,” said another councilman, “Let’s build a tunnel under the street. We’ll call it a subway.”
So it was decided. A fine tunnel was built lined with tile.
The next spring it rained and rained. The new subway filled with water. Another council meeting was called to order.
LUV IT!!! 🙂
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Wow, Seumas! Thanks for the encouragement. I really appreciate that; you made my day. I enjoyed writing that piece. 😀 — Suzanne
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Oh those councils and the red tape – great take on the prompt.
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Thanks, Sally. Yes, there’s a lot of that. I’m so pleased you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Standard procedure for city councils 🙂
Nice work.
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Thanks, K.T. Yes, that’s the way it is. I’m so pleased you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Hmm. I suppose a flyover would be next on the cards! A problem for every solution is always likely!
My #FF
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Thanks, Vinay. You’re right about that. How did you know? 😀 I’ll be over to read your’s shortly. 🙂 — Suzanne
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I guess there is always a reason for yet another meeting.. sounds familiar.
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Thanks, Bjorn. Yes, there’s always something on the agenda to bring the group together. It does sound very familiar for a good reason. 😀 — Suzanne
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This was really funny Suzanne 🙂
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Thanks, Rosanna. I’m so happy you enjoyed the story. It was fun to write. 😀 — Suzanne
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Hehehe ….. they should sue the contractors.
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Thanks, CAH. The problem is they’re going against big money there. I’m so happy you enjoyed the story. 😀 — Suzanne
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Keeps ’em all busy. A universal tale.
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Thanks, Patrick. Yes it must seem familiar to many of us. They have to do something to keep the voters womdering. 😀 — Suzanne
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Dear Suzanne,
Biggleston seems to have a lot of problems, not the least being red tape. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle. Yes, Biggleston City has many problems including being bound up in red tape. I’m really pleased you liked the story. I enjoyed writing it. 😀 — Suzanne
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Hahaha! That made me laugh! That was the first light-hearted take I read on the rather dark prompt 🙂
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Thanks, Joy. I’m really glad you enjoyed the story and found it amusing. I had fun writing it. There were many darker stories written. That tunnel reminded me of the subways here, many of which are useful most of the year, except during some of the rainier days of monsoon. 😀 — Suzanne
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Typical politicians: all sound bite and knee jerk; no real planning.
Good piece.
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Thanks, Mick. There are definite problems needing to be ironed out. Many cities in the world have similar problems. I’m so pleased you enjoyed the story. 😀 — Suzanne
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Poor council. They are trying, but not thinking ahead 🙂
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Thanks, Ali. They do seem to try, but things often don’t work out the way they’re supposed to. There could be some wishful thinking involved. 😀 — Suzanne
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I don’t think Biggleston has a monopoly on idiots in office. Fayetteville paid $10 million for an incinerator that never happened, or should I say the taxpayers PAID for the failed project. Great story, Suzanne.
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Thanks, Russell. I know what you mean. Some projects never seem to make it past the paper they’re printed on. Fayetteville must have hired expensive planners who used expensive paper. That sounds a bit like the expensive wrenches, screwdrivers, etc., the government was said to be buying at one time. In the movie “Independence Day”, you probably remember, it came out that it went toward the building of a secret research lab working on figuring out aliens and their tech. 😀 — Suzanne
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I can identify with this ….. specially in Mumbai.
A real pragmatic take on this one.
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Thanks, Yarnspinnerr. I’m so pleased you liked the story. I think many cities are having similar problems. The traffic is getting totally out of control. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Someone in Biggleston is gettting a big payout from these contracts……Nice one.
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Thanks, Ansumani. Yes, of course they are. I’m so pleased you liked the story. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Oops. I bet that actually happens quite a bit to poor city planners.
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Thanks, Diana. Yes, it’s been known to happen and the news is printed in the paper when it does. Oops indeed. Mistakes happen, but there seems to still be a free press. Sometimes it’s too free. They don’t shy away from showing uncovered dead bodies and blood. 😀 — Suzanne
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That’s awful. I was thinking more about the waste of time and energy to implement ideas that don’t work and then the cost of fixing them. When people lose their lives, its a tragedy.
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Most of the accidents happen when two-wheelers (motor bikes) weave in and out of traffic and/or when they run into street dividers. There’s little protection on those, and often more than one person is on them. Many people don’t bother to wear helmets. Most of the really bad accidents are on the expressways. The ambulance service here is not all that great. I mentioned accidents because I referred to the free press here. I was surprised at first to see the graphic photos they sometimes took and printed with articles.
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Sounds like risky motor bike riding, Suzanne, and I wouldn’t like to see those photos either.
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The saddest thing is sometimes a child or children are riding on the back with the parent driving. Sometimes whole families pile on. Even in cars many won’t use seat belts.
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I’ve seen the photos. It looks so dangerous. And is.
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It’s a miracle there aren’t more accidents.
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I love it when I am left laughing… as I was here!
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Thanks, Dale. I’m so glad you enjoyed the story. I had fun writing it. 😀 — Suzanne
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A fun read! Maybe they’ll try a bridge next. 🙂
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Thanks, Louise. I’m really pleased you liked the story. I guess a bridge is the only thing left to try. 😀 — Suzanne
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LOL! Call a meeting to schedule a meeting. That’s pretty much apropos! Cute story Suzanne!
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The first one didn’t take! Love it. Hope they can solve their problem eventually. Great story, Suzanne!
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Solutions are only ever temporary. And when the city council is involved they’re even more temporary than usual. Nicely done Suzanne.
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Thanks, Sandra. I’m so pleased you liked the story. Yes, that’s perfectly true. Unfortunate, but true. 🙂
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You must live where I live. Before the city built our (very short) tunnel, old people told them: there always was a creek there, water flows. Now, years and millions of renovations later it’s still the same. Great story, and so true. 🙂
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Thanks, Gah. We live in India. Those subways (tunnels) work well except in heavy monsoon rains. They can then become flooded. I’m really glad you liked the story. 😀 —- Suzanne
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Funny story. Especially the end with the rain in the tunnel.
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Thanks, Susan. I so glad you enjoyed the story, especially the ending. I enjoyed writing it. That’s been known to happen in India during the monsoon rains. 😀 — Suzanne
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This is such an original and fun story, Suzanne! Such bungling and bureaucrazy!
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Thanks, Dawn. I’m so happy you enjoyed the story. I had fun writing this one.The funniest thing is these problems do arise. 😀 — Suzanne
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