WTF: Fitness fountain frustration, the road to nowhere and a very Yarra St Christmas

Thirsty joggers just had to laugh in a tale about a failure to quench and a big bottle on a park bench. Plus more in this week’s WTF.

WTF!!

They’re the little – and sometimes not so little – things that can really irk us. We’ve asked the people of Geelong to point out the problems that irritate and exasperate and have us all saying, woah, that’s frustrating!

HYDRATION FRUSTRATION

It’s beginning to look a lot like … there’s no working water fountains at Rippleside Park.

Going for a run is hard at the best of times.

As the mercury starts to rise, it only gets harder, that’s why a system of water fountains dotted around Geelong’s walking tracks are so important to keeping our weekend athletes going.

But week oafter week, a pair of waterfront runners have become increasingly agitated as the fountains at Rippleside Park remained out of action.

“I don’t know the exact day (they stopped working), but they had to be off for two or three months,” runner Jarrod said.

“The first time it just had some tape over it, so we ran across to the other one and it was out, too.

“Every week we‘d be wondering if it’d be on or not, and I just gave up on it.”

Jarrod said his running partner was particularly frustrated.

“The guy I run with was getting wound up,” he said.

“He’s a little less fit than me, it was pretty funny because he’d just get so worked up about it, he’d be struggling for air as we get there and he presses the button and nothing comes out.

“It was pretty funny.”

Jarrod said the whole situation was made even more humorous when a good Samaritan left out a 10 litre water container labelled “dog’s water” on a park bench.

“It can’t be that hard to reroute water,” Jarrod said.

“It’s 2024, I’m sure plumbers are more than capable.”

Fortunately for Jarrod, and more importantly his mate, council confirmed the taps are back in operation.

THE ROAD TO NOWHERE

This corner you gave me a footpath, the very next block you took it away. Picture: Alan Barber

Footpaths are a fantastic piece of infrastructure, aren’t they?

Paved concrete that allows pedestrians to get from A to B in their preferred fashion, all while not having to deal with treacherous, muddy or uneven ground.

One of the keys to a good footpath, however, is connectivity.

Ensuring the pavement continues forward in a consistent and orderly fashion is basically footpath 101.

So another runner, this time a Barwon Heads local, has been left perplexed at a footpath along Sheepwash Rd that simply suddenly stops for 20m before starting again.

A little improvised neighbourhood path has emerged across the divide, but the narrow dirt track slows our jogger’s travel to a tight rope walk.

Geelong council was contacted for comment, but much like the footpath, their response is still missing.

A VERY YARRA ST CHRISTMAS

Away in a tree, no road for a bed, our lovely sweet traffic cone, lays down its sweet head.

What better time to celebrate a colourful decoration upon a tree than the holiday season.

While Geelong’s floating Christmas tree is the city’s most glamorous Yuletide arboreal offering, we at WTF have a less prestigious favourite.

It sits on an unsung stretch of footpath on Yarra St and nestled atop its branches sits – not a star – but a traffic cone.

The cone also experienced Geelong’s winter wonderland.

How the witch’s hat came to rest so high in the canopy remains a mystery.

It was either a masterful toss, full of strength and precision, or a daring climb. Either way, it’s impressive.

So, too, is the longevity of our orange friend. WTF has watched it atop its perch through winter, spring and summer, sitting proudly in bare branches and full foliage.

Some of those who work nearby suggest it may have been in place for years.

And they, too, have developed a fondness for the plastic tree dweller.

While our first mention of the seeming interloper was with a view to having it removed, we’ve changed our tune. Let’s leave it there as a celebration of ingenuity, persistence and a bit of fun.

WE DON LIKE THAT COMMENT, DAVID

Essendon president has found himself on WTF’s naughty list this year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicki Connolly

Essendon president David Barham didn’t mince his words at the club’s AGM on Wednesday night.

“I don’t want to go to Geelong either,” Mr Barham said, referring to the Dons’ scheduled round 22 fixture at GMHBA stadium.

If it were any other club, you could almost give them a pass, a cheeky comment made to please the fan base, and god knows the Bombers’ success-starved fan base need appeasing.

But how’s the hypocrisy?

Essendon have long played Geelong in an annual “country game” clash, in which the clubs celebrate all things great about the state’s regions.

But here’s their president not wanting to leave the city.

Maybe regional Essendon fans should think twice before purchasing tickets to Barham’s round 15 president’s function at this year’s “country” game, which will of course be held at Docklands.

That’s if the $575 price tag wasn’t enough to turn you away.

Spare a thought for the Dons fans though, they only get to play 17 games in Victoria next year.

And here’s our advice to Mr Barham – worry about your club winning a final before you start whining about what is already a very favourable fixture.

It’s been a long 7412 days.

Originally published as WTF: Fitness fountain frustration, the road to nowhere and a very Yarra St Christmas