Melissa Cogdill/Courtesy photo

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

It seems as though some drivers don’t know how to behave properly when they encounter road work or more specifically, road workers during their daily commute. Maybe they feel that road workers are plotting against them – just trying to keep them late for work or an appointment – and this is what prompts the hostility and bad behavior exhibited.

An examples of this behavior were witnessed multiple time recently during work being done on the Omega Bridge over Los Alamos Canyon when workers involved in painting and repairs were treated badly by drivers passing by, so much so that a local women stepped in and took some action.

“These workers had trash thrown at them, they were spat at, people drove aggressively through the work zone and swerved towards them. One person hopped out of their vehicle and tried to initiate a fist fight,” said Melissa Cogdill.

Cogdill, who lives in the Jemez and works at Los Alamos National Laboratory as a radiation control technician, said she chatted with friends and coworkers and decided to take up a collection to do something nice for the 31 workers who had been involved with the bridge project.

“We collected $680. Even a friend from Florida sent me an $80 donation,” she said. “We bought 31 gift cards and they were distributed to the workers at a pre-job meeting.”

Needless to say, the workers were surprised to receive the gift cards as a thoughtful gesture from the community. Kudos to Cogdill for organizing this.

Some safety suggestions for wok zones are:

• Slow Down – drive the posted speeds – they are there for the safety of both drivers and workers
• Be Kind – workers are out there helping to keep you safe and improve the roadways
• Pay Attention – both to workers directing you and surrounding traffic – get everyone to work or home safely
• Stay Calm – expect delays, leave early or take an alternate route if possible; no meeting or appointment is worth risking someone’s life