One of the most perplexing and infuriating things about Canadians is their obsession with washing their driveways. It seems that, every Saturday during the Spring and Summer seasons, after washing their cars and lawns, Canadians turn their focus to their driveways. Some actually throw soap on the asphalt for good measure, seemingly upset with the quantity of dirt on their driveways, oblivious to the fact that they are located outdoors and adjacent to their soil-filled gardens.
Canada, which has about a half a percent of the world’s population, is endowed with twenty percent of the world’s fresh water. It has endless supplies of fresh water in its Great Lakes and numerous rivers, as well as countless glaciers. This is why, I guess, Canadians have not had to think twice when it comes to washing their cars or driveways.
Let us compare the Canadian case to say, that of Chad, where only 27 percent of the population has access to fresh water; or, Burkina Faso and Fiji, where only 42 percent and 44 percent of the populations, respectively, can access safe drinking water. Other serious cases include: Ethiopia (24 percent), Mauritania (37 percent), Papua New Guinea (42 percent), Laos (37 percent), Oman (39 percent) and Cambodia (30 percent).
These thoughts come to mind as I watch one of my parents’ neighbours wash her driveway so thoroughly and methodically. I am waiting for her to finish so I can go tell her to continue washing the road and the sidewalk, which also deserve a good scrub…
