Some Thoughts from Montreal Canada

I was in Montreal for a business trip to help our new dealer setup four test sites. I work for a company that makes radar sensors that monitor traffic flow (nothing with law enforcement). Our dealer was having issues with these sites so I flew up there to train them on how configure the sensor and help them get these four test sites working. The setup was a little trickier than our normal installations so the help they needed was understandable. Due to the rules in Canada and the locations where the sensors were mounted, we had to do all the work at night so they could close an on-ramp and an off-ramp. I was able to help them get all fours sites working to their satisfaction, so I’m pleased with the results of the trip.


I won’t bore you with all the details, but the picture below reminds me of two questions I often ask myself when driving through constructions zones.

1. Why is the road closed and no one is working?
2. Why are all those people standing around doing nothing?



Well, now I have some answers. They aren’t good answers but at least they are answers.

1. One of our test sites was located near the end of an on-ramp. The only way we could safely work there was to close it. We didn’t know how long it was going to take to configure that site so they went ahead a closed the off-ramp where the last site was located at the same time they closed the on-ramp. It ended up taking us about two hours to configure the site on the on-ramp (the other sites were about 30 minutes). So that off-ramp was closed for 2 hours with no one even there to do any work. I bet that was annoying for anyone that needed to get off there. I know I would have been annoyed.

2. In the traffic industry everyone has a specialty. There was a total of 6 people working with the sensors. There was one person from MTQ’s project department, two people from their planning department, two people for our dealer, and myself. The guy for the project department was there to operate the bucket truck and make any adjustments to how the sensor was mounted. The two planning people were there to make sure we got it working. I was there to make sure our dealer knew how to get it to work. We had important roles, but could not all do our jobs at the same time. However, it was more efficient for us to be there together. I’m sure the same thing is true for other construction work and that is why you often see people just standing there.