They are footpaths that are caused by footfall rather by design.
There is a desire path near where I live, it leads to the nearby park. The correct path is very narrow and is beside a very busy road.
I don't use the correct path very often, only very rarely in the morning before the traffic builds up.
The desire path is safer as it is between two pieces of land, away from the busy road.
A neighbour has contacted the council many times about improving the desire path. It suffers from poor drainage and is ankle-breakingly rough, with lots and broken bricks along its length. The council, of course do nothing, the path is not theirs to maintain, it is merely a path because of the footfall.
9 comments:
I've never heard of a desire path - how intriguing!
I don't know the rules about this but I think if it's being walked for more than 20 years there may be some right or other x
We have some here too. They are usually the shortest distance between two points.
Planners always seem to want to stamp the mark of the rulers and set-squares over everything, forgetting that it's humans who will use - or rather not use - the paths. Planners are not a very bright species. :-) Think of the money large institutions would save on not having to buy and erect 'Do Not Walk On The Grass' signs if only the paths were in the right place"!
It would be so much safer to improve the desire path but councils seldom listen to the people who actually employ them ie us!!
A very good point, Catriona! But when the Council members hold their planning meetings, I doubt if they ever acknowledge that WE elected them and WE pay their salaries. Maybe they should be made to get out there and actually experience the problems and possible solutions.
I know them as Elephant Paths as elephants will walk where they want to walk regardless of where the actual path is :)
Hope you and Beano are Ok xx
Perhaps the people who use the path daily could improve it somewhat by tossing a few of the broken bricks to the side. If everyone did this every time they walked there, it would soon be one more walkable.
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