Happy New Year! Since you haven’t heard from me in a while, well, I just need to start this year off fresh by getting my rants and raves out of the way immediately:

I am not a big fan of planters in the middle of the street. But I’m so tired of those who cross major streets into oncoming traffic, strolling as if they have no cares in the world, if those planters force our people to cross at the crosswalk, I’m all for them.

And speaking of those who cross at the crosswalk against the light, I’d like a law that declares any adult hit by a car while strolling across the street into the flow of traffic will be declared “suicidal.” That’s the only reason I can think of for a person to start crossing the street directly into oncoming traffic. They obviously have a death wish.

What in the world can be so important for so many young mothers to be dragging their kids while talking on the phone? Mothers, your child will never be that age again. Those phone calls can wait!

I want a Global Positioning System (GPS) device for my garbage can. I am tired of coming home and finding the can missing. I want to be able to go to my computer, find where my can is and then go and dump all the contents of it onto the property of the person who took it.

Can I also get a device that immediately drains the battery on any car driving, standing or parked with the “disco on wheels” sound system blaring? I want to point the device at the car and immediately the sound system will die, and I won’t have my head pounding to the beat of whatever that noise is they were playing.

Now that everyone has a cellphone, why do I still hear people blowing their car horns early in the morning? Can we please get everyone to now dial the person they want and let them know that the ride is outside?

Can I get a law that will offer a bounty to anyone who captures on their cellphone camera a picture of the people who drive around our neighborhood and leave those neat black construction bags of garbage at every other corner?

Now that the CTA no longer offers transfers for those paying cash, can I call for a protest? How is a poor person who goes to look for a job supposed to get somewhere if it takes 2 buses and an el ride to get there, and the CTA wants you to pay $6 ($2 every time you get on the bus or el) each way? How can our children go to the mall or the show if they can’t transfer?

Where is there a roller skating rink on the West Side? I have heard many young people lament about having to go all the way to the South Side to skate. And since it takes at least an el and a bus to get there, it will cost them $8 round trip on the CTA. Can I get protest?

And speaking of protest, can someone explain to me why the 29th Ward, whose alderman is the head of the police and fire committee has so many blue cameras in his ward? I noticed that the big, brand new 15th District police station is now opened, so maybe he needs people to put in that station, and those cameras are supposed to do it.

Can someone tell me why the 37th Ward didn’t have its annual giant Christmas tree this past year? Normally it stood at Cicero and North avenues as a highlight to the Washington Square Mall.

Lastly, kudos to the Chicao Police Department for putting out the message saying that anyone caught shooting off a gun on New Year’s Eve would be charged with a felony. I’d like to suggest that they begin putting that message out starting Dec. 1 of each year. I only heard gunshots for 20 minutes this year as opposed to an hour, but that was still too much.

CONTACT: westside2day@yahoo.com