There is a certain grossly distasteful practice that has gripped our cities and towns in recent times. It is that of cordoning off and blocking part of a street so that a public ceremony can be held in that part of the street.

What happens is that an organizer of an event goes to the local authorities and pays for the “service”. The former then erects canopies and places chairs in the allotted place.

Provision is equally made for loud street music. Such events are usually held for funerals but sometimes too for the promotion of businesses.

Usually these arrangements are made without any due consideration for street users such as motorists and pedestrians, the result being that when the latter move up or down the street to that point and find that the road is blocked, they turn back in disappointment.

The Post newspaper reacted by saying that as a consequence of streets being blocked in this way, “students have missed classes and examinations, workers have lost their jobs and believers have gone late or missed services that would have led them to heaven.”