I didn't think much of the new streetlights popping up along the sidewalks of Kimball Bridge Road the first time I passed by them in my car. It was pretty late in the evening, and I was tired from running around all day. However, the second time I passed them, I had come back from an orchestra concert where I had just been joking around with my friends. Chuckling to myself and still smiling, I caught them out of the corner of my eye in the night.
They were all pretty dim and thus, shouldn't have been very noticeable. Plus, to be fair, the roads on Alpharetta were pretty dark so the streetlights probably had some good intentions behind them. However, they were so ludicrous and out of place that I couldn't help but gape at them in horror. They were huge. Though not very tall, they were quite thick and had a big, wide shade on top of them. In addition, there were almost 30 of them along a stretch of road only as long as two small shopping malls. Though I probably should have been indignant about the light pollution or other issues streetlights cause, I couldn't help but feel outraged at the poor design of these streetlights. They were so horrible, impractical and inefficient that I couldn't stop wondering in confusion how anybody in their right mind would install these.
For starters, these streetlights didn't let light out from all four sides like regular ones. Most streetlamps surround the light bulb with a glass box that has an iron cap on the top and an iron stem that connects the lamp to the ground. Instead, these streetlights covered the bulb with metal shade almost like an umbrella so the bulb could only cast light on the ground as far as the shade would let it. That was basically a measly 2 foot radius. As a result, the builders had to install the streetlights way too close to each other around 5 feet apart to even remotely have an effect on the sidewalk.
And looking at the number of lamps needed for such a small amount of light, it struck me that this project probably costed way more money than it should've. If these lamps were actually installed smartly, the taxpayer money saved could've gone to other much worthier causes such as infrastructure, flowers or maybe even my school.
Though I like the environment and people at Chattahoochee High School, it probably has one of the worst school facilities ever if I'm being honest. We definitely could use a little revamp. Maybe we could've gotten a second floor like most of the schools in North Fulton County or made our school look less like a prison if the money used to build streetlights was actually spent wisely.
And one of the biggest reasons I'm annoyed at these streetlights is because the view of my surroundings is ruined. I don't know about you but a giant black iron forrest of street lamps clustered together is pretty distracting. It just ruins my day with how obtrusive they are and how much they meddle with my thoughts by protruding into them. That coupled with my disbelief at what a waste they are makes for a pretty unpleasant experience driving past them. They're so ugly I can't think about much else when I see them.
Thus, I think it'd be better for Alpharetta, my health and my sanity if these streetlights were removed. Though I'm aware that this rant is extremely petty and I probably over-exaggerated statistics, it's only because I hate those streetlights so much. If anything, this is proof that the ugly in the streetlights bring out the ugly in me. I don't have anything against lights. I just want Alpharetta to install them correctly so I can look at the roads in peace again. Is that too much to ask?
